Saddle Creek also released Letting Off the Happiness in November 1998, a ten-track record that boasted a much more focused and clear sound than the previous album. According to the Saddle Creek press release, it features members of Lullaby for the Working Class, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Of Montreal. It was predominantly recorded in the Oberst family basement in Omaha on an analog eight track reel to reel; with some work also done at keyboardist Andy Lemaster's Athens, GA studio. Although almost all of the tracks feature a full band, June on the West Coast is performed with only acoustic guitar and vocals. Padraic My Prince gives a dramatic fictional account of the death of Oberst's imagined baby brother.
In 2000 Bright Eyes released Fevers and Mirrors, a demonstration of the immense improvement in production quality and musical vision of the band. New instruments such as flute, piano, and accordion were introduced into the song arrangements. After An Attempt to Tip the Scales, a mock radio interview takes place. The mock radio interview features Todd Fink of The Faint doing an impression of Conor Oberst while reading a script that Oberst wrote. The man interviewing is Matt Silcock, a former member of Lullaby for the Working Class. In this interview, the fake Oberst intentionally presents a strange, contradictory explanation of his attitude towards his music. The interview acknowledges criticisms of his lyrics as overblown and insincere, which had begun to appear as the popularity of the band increased, but responds by stating that the lyrics are meant for personal interpretation. In a 'real' interview with KittyMagik.com, Oberst stated about the mock one: "It was a way to make fun of ourselves because the record is such a downer. I mean, that's one part of who I am, but I also like laughing and fucking around."
2002 saw the release of Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, and since then Oberst has released an almost constant stream of new material on collaborative EPs, split singles, tribute albums, and charity records. He ventured into the studio with Nebraska folk-pop outfit Tilly And The Wall, co-producing their debut album Wild Like Children and released it on his newly established record label, Team Love.
January 2005 saw the release of two albums: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, which is a country-tinged mélange of Conor’s finest acoustic songs, featuring guest vocal appearances from Emmylou Harris and Jim James of My Morning Jacket; and Digital Ash In A Digital Urn, which is a more produced, electronic album featuring cameo appearances by Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
One single from each album, Take It Easy (Love Nothing) from Digital Ash and Lua from I'm Wide Awake took the top two slots on Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, the first time for any artist since 1997.
As had become expected of Bright Eyes recordings, the albums feature an array of talented comrades including members of Rilo Kiley, Tilly And The Wall, Cursive, Now Its Overhead, The Good Life, Azure Ray, The Faint, The Bruces, Neva Dinova, The Postal Service and Audrye Sessions.
In October 2006, Bright Eyes released a compilation of rare tracks called Noise Floor: Rarities 1998-2005.
Bright Eyes released their sixth studio album called Cassadaga on April 9, 2007, preceded by an EP entitled Four Winds on March 6, 2007.
A further 25-30 tracks have been recorded in Portland, Oregon and New York City, with another session planned in Omaha, Nebraska. Some of these tracks had already been performed at live shows.
On February 15, 2011, the band released their seventh studio album, The People's Key.
On June 22, 2020, they released Down In The Weeds Where The World Once Was, their first album on Dead Oceans after a long history with Saddle Creek.
Happy Birthday to Me
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another year I claim of total indifference
To here, the days pile up
With decisions to be made
I'm sure all of them were wrong
Into this song I send myself
And with these drinks I plan to collapse
Devoted friends, they disappear
And I'm sorry about the phone call and needing you
Some decisions you don't make
I guess it's just like breathing and not wanting to
Yeah, there are some things you can't fake
Well, I guess that it's typical
To cling to memories you'll never get back again
And to sort through old photographs
Of a summer long ago
Or a friend that you used to know
And there below his frozen face
You wrote the name and that ancient date
And you can't believe that he's really gone
When all that's left is a fucking song
And I'm sorry about the phone call and waking you
I know that it is late
But thank you for talking, because I needed to
Some things just can't wait
The lyrics of Bright Eyes's song Happy Birthday to Me present an introspective and melancholic narration of the singer's emotions on their birthday. The song addresses the melancholy and detachment of the singer towards the celebrations, as he claims "total indifference" towards another year. The lyrics explore the existential crisis and conflicting emotions of the singer regarding the passage of time, how he feels time is wasted, and the decisions made throughout the years. He sends himself into the song to escape and forget the pains and sadness of the wasted year but also clings to memories of summers long ago, and friends he used to know, emphasizing the bittersweet emotions that come with passing time.
The song reflects on the inevitability of certain decisions, and the need for a cathartic conversation with a friend. The singer expresses regret for previous actions, the phone call that woke his friend up, and the decisions he hasn't made, acknowledging these are things that one can't fake. The song presents a sincere and deeply-felt exploration of the singer's anxieties and fears, as well as the healing power of sharing his thoughts and feelings with a trusted friend.
Line by Line Meaning
All eyes on the calendar
The attention is on the calendar as it reminds the person of their birthday and the passing of another year.
Another year I claim of total indifference
The person feels indifferent about their birthday and views it as another year passed without meaningful change.
To here, the days pile up
The person feels like each day passes without any significant impact.
With decisions to be made
There are decisions to be made about the future.
I'm sure all of them were wrong
The person feels uncertain about their past decisions and believes they were all wrong.
Into this song I send myself
The person finds solace in music and loses themselves in the song.
And with these drinks I plan to collapse
The person plans to forget their troubles through alcohol.
And forget this wasted year, these wasted years
The person wants to forget the unproductive years of their life.
Devoted friends, they disappear
The person's close friends have moved on and are no longer a part of their life.
And I'm sorry about the phone call and needing you
The person apologizes for burdening others with their problems.
Some decisions you don't make
Some circumstances and events in life are beyond our control.
I guess it's just like breathing and not wanting to
There are some things in life we have to endure even if we don't want to.
Yeah, there are some things you can't fake
Some emotions and experiences in life cannot be fabricated.
Well, I guess that it's typical
It's typical to reminisce about the past and long for what we can't have.
To cling to memories you'll never get back again
The person holds onto memories they can never relive.
And to sort through old photographs
Sorting through old photographs triggers memories of a time long gone.
Of a summer long ago
Summer symbolizes a happy time in the past.
Or a friend that you used to know
The person misses a friend they used to have.
And there below his frozen face
A photograph of a deceased friend freezes their face in time.
You wrote the name and that ancient date
The person writes their friend's name and the date as a way to keep their memory alive.
And you can't believe that he's really gone
The person can't accept that their friend has passed away.
When all that's left is a fucking song
All that remains of their friend is a song or memory.
And I'm sorry about the phone call and waking you
The person apologizes for disturbing others' peace.
I know that it is late
The person understands that the time is late and others may be asleep.
But thank you for talking, because I needed to
The person is grateful for the conversation because they needed to talk.
Some things just can't wait
Some things in life are time-sensitive and require immediate attention.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: OBERST, Conor Oberst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind