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.
Joy Division (Simon Joyner Cov
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
soon it will be dark in my basement
my heart is waxing the slick floor again
hoping i will slip and fall in love
well she gave me the choice
to remain and rejoice
or to recoil and rebel
well papa, this gravity attack
and i cant seem to carry, much less burry the past
well your ex-girlfriend said i was a terrible mess, yeah shes got a real good head on her shoulders
when the singer spoke and confessed he didnt really smoke cigarettes
she said her teenage brother smoldered, on a hot bed of cole in a starel white room
underneath that, joy division poster
he moaned papa, me moaned papa
somtimes i gotta vent my splean, sometmes i gotta vent my splean
when i get shattered in the heart and scatted in the brain
well all those medicines in those sermans still cant keep his braison nose from turning and salvation it may come free of charge but faith alway costs him something
they say there is nothing as sacred as the blood between brothers when its pricked from there thumbs and exchanged beneath the covers
well papa, my brother is gone
yeah my brother is gone
so would you tell now how it is, and how im supposed to get along
well you asked for a chorus but you got her a frame
yeah its anoher sad song that moves like a train
you cant wistle to it but you can fast forward through it
flick it off your shoulder like dead skin
they say my head on a plate, make her the debate over the unbearable high cost of living
but papa, everything falls apart
everything falls apart
and the grass will grow and surely as they will break your heart
The song "Joy Division" by Bright Eyes is a powerful and introspective song that deals with themes of heartbreak, loss, and the struggle to move on from painful experiences. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, as Conor Oberst laments the passing of time and the inevitability of darkness in his life. He speaks of a crucial filament that is all but spent, representing the fragility of life and the fact that everything must eventually come to an end. He then speaks of his heart waxing the slick floor, symbolizing the struggle to find balance and stability in his emotions as he tries to find love once again.
The chorus speaks of the conflict that Conor feels within himself - the choice between remaining where he is and finding joy in the present moment or rebelling against his circumstances and searching for something more. Throughout the song, he speaks of the pain of lost love and the difficulty of moving on, referencing the story of a teenage boy who smoldered on a hot bed of coal, listening to Joy Division with a heavy heart. He also speaks of the blood between brothers and the pain of losing someone close to him, asking his father for guidance and understanding in his time of need.
Overall, "Joy Division" is a song that speaks to the human experience of loss and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life, even in the face of heartbreak and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
a crutial filliment is all but spent
A vital part of me is almost depleted, and I'm feeling depleted in my basement.
soon it will be dark in my basement
Because of the loss of this vital piece of me, I anticipate things turning dark in my life.
my heart is waxing the slick floor again
I'm putting in effort to make myself vulnerable, hoping to fall in love again.
hoping i will slip and fall in love
My heart is open and willing to be vulnerable so that I can find love.
well she gave me the choice
This woman offered me a decision to make.
to remain and rejoice
I can choose to stay and be happy with her.
or to recoil and rebel
Or, I can choose to pull away and fight against her.
well papa, this gravity attack
Father, I feel weighed down and overwhelmed.
yeah its a gravity attack
This feeling is like a physical attack of gravity dragging me down and making things harder.
and i cant seem to carry, much less burry the past
I'm finding it difficult to move on from my past, it's weighing me down too much.
well your ex-girlfriend said i was a terrible mess, yeah shes got a real good head on her shoulders
Your ex-girlfriend told me I was a mess, and she seems very sensible and perceptive.
when the singer spoke and confessed he didnt really smoke cigarettes
During a conversation with a singer, he admitted to not actually smoking.
she said her teenage brother smoldered, on a hot bed of cole in a starel white room
She relayed a story about her teenage brother smoking in a stark white room.
underneath that, joy division poster
There was a Joy Division poster hanging in the room as this was happening.
he moaned papa, me moaned papa
The teenage brother pleaded and cried for his father's attention or help.
somtimes i gotta vent my splean, sometmes i gotta vent my splean
I sometimes have to vent my spleen and get things out of my system.
when i get shattered in the heart and scatted in the brain
When my heart is broken, and my mind is scattered.
well all those medicines in those sermans still cant keep his braison nose from turning and salvation it may come free of charge but faith alway costs him something
Even with all the medicines and sermons, nothing can fix your broken spirit, and even when salvation comes for free, faith always requires something of you.
they say there is nothing as sacred as the blood between brothers when its pricked from there thumbs and exchanged beneath the covers
There is nothing as sacred as the bond between brothers when blood is exchanged between them.
well papa, my brother is gone
My brother has passed away, Father.
yeah my brother is gone
I'm reiterating that my sibling has died.
so would you tell now how it is, and how im supposed to get along
Can you please explain to me how to move forward after losing my brother?
well you asked for a chorus but you got her a frame
You wanted a chorus, but instead, you got a framework for understanding things.
yeah its anoher sad song that moves like a train
It's another melancholy song that flows steadily.
you cant wistle to it but you can fast forward through it
It's not a happy tune, but you can quickly skip through it to get to something else.
flick it off your shoulder like dead skin
You can flick it away from your mind like dead skin cells off your shoulder.
they say my head on a plate, make her the debate over the unbearable high cost of living
People say that my head on the chopping block is equivalent to the debate over the high cost of living.
but papa, everything falls apart
In spite of everything, Father, life seems to fall apart.
everything falls apart
Life is chaotic, and everything crumbles eventually.
and the grass will grow and surely as they will break your heart
Life continues, the grass will grow, and things will disappoint you and break your heart.
Contributed by Grayson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NAScpm10
RIP brother.
Last month my brother passed away, he was an OEF Veteran Army, and myself am an OEF Veteran my self. Both struggled with Substance Abuse disorder after being injured during our time in Service.
I been clean for 5 years but lost my brother a few months ago to the disease.
I wish everyday he was here and his kids could see him. I would give my life for his 1000 times over but I can’t. I don’t have children or anything. The world isn’t fair sometimes but it’s life. I just miss him so damn much. 😞
This song gets me every time.
@ayten3617
One of my best friends MARINE, I still visit his place once a week, or more. . growing up, /neighbor/soccer teammate/ schoolmate since kindergarten, he past after his third tour/ deployment with the Marines, the first one he mentioned was mostly on a boat in the red sea I believe with the navy.. he was 25 at the time of his passing, And unfortunately he was one of about 5 Men, that he personally knew well, in his little group (I'm not sure of the term) that committed suicide after coming home back to the States.. What's/was very sad was seeing him not be able to sleep at night, unless I was awake. He would always stay dressed while I was asleep at night, boots tied tight and ready to go, even If we had work at 5am that next morning. Always kept at least one weapon in arms reach, always drove around with his loaded shotgun in the back seat of his car everyday anywhere... Also, several times a day he would randomly throw up, at work, or, at home, sometimes would even have to pull over while driving to throw up. He was a great upstanding person/hero/ friend/ brother/ uncle/ neighbor/ student/ teammate/ HUMAN!!!/
I knew him since kindergarten, And stayed close until he passed away. He was much different upon returning. And didn't talk much about being deployed, esp violence, only would talk about the positives And non violent things. only violent thing he ever spoke of was about the wild dogs they would sometimes have to shoot.
. I know on one of his deployments he spoke of guarding poppy fields, the stuff used to make heroin. (HMMM I thought. Oil + Drugs= $$$) and for a while I hated thinking about why they were really there , it ate me up! Guarding these plants that make the drugs that kill our own people, and they risk their lives doing this for us US civilians.) (Or is it???)
And told stories of how many soldiers became dependant on opiates while over there, because they would use it to numb their pain and or stress, or just simply recreation for N escape. BLEW MY MIND!!!!. He had once told me children would offer them smokable poppy tar, or opium. And they'd smoke it, many many many he said became addicted which ultimately led to dependency... Sad sad sad.
Anyway, THANKS to all who gave anything for our country. Some sadly gave all..
Even tho I necessarily agree with all the reasons they were there , thanks to u folks.
RIP! My buddy, MDK, was infantry with U.S. Marines And he took pride in what he did. One a Marine always a Marine is so true. Him and his brothers in arms were so dedicated, enough to go through what many us civilians couldn't handle.
Peace n prosperity to everyone in earth and beyond who deserve it!!!!
@craftingsimmer7197
Currently deployed to Iraq so this hits close to home, I just want to go home
@Nuclear_Rabbit
I was there 06-07, embrace the suck, my friend. Stay safe. I hated then but I would go back in a heartbeat.
@Nuclear_Rabbit
Taji, Iraq Camp Cook
@chasejohnson1282
Thank you for serving 🇺🇸
@jamieschmitzz
Thank you for serving our country... I had a husband who deployed twice .
@jblasutavario9549
Keep safe. Home soon. And thank you.
@angieburden6374
I lost my brother this year the day after I went to ffdp concert. He was the reason I started listening to this band. He was a unfortunately part of the 22 veterans that leave this earth an their families. I miss you so much. Heaven is so far away and this world is so cold now without out. RIP little brother. 😢
@brandimorgan9814
RIP a part of my heart and my soul went out as I was reading this comment to you and all the brave soldiers and families who have lost. As I have lost my youngest brother this past year. My compassion and sympathy goes out to all of us who have lost an innocent soul. Prayers for pesce love and the end to the endless wars which are only killing our brothers, sisters, children and family.
@commonsense_2023
I'm so sorry about your brother. I'm saying a prayer for y'all. 🙏
@82ndChrisReynolds
Yeah I lost mine 7-7-19 & this song always feels like it's about him although he didn't serve he talked to a recruiter & nothing ever happened & I feel like things would've been different if he would've served