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.
Lime Tree
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since the operation I heard you're breathing just for one
Now everything is imaginary, especially what you love
You left another message, said it's done
It's done
When I hear beautiful music it's always from another time
Old friends I never visit, I remember what they're like
Waiting to be asked to come inside
Just come inside
But I keep going out
I can't sleep next to a stranger when I'm coming down
It's 8 a.m., my heart is beating too loud
Too loud
Don't be so amazing or I'll miss you too much
I felt something that I had never touched
Everything gets smaller now the further that I go
Towards the mouth and the reunion of the known and the unknown
Consider yourself lucky if you think of it as home
You can move mountains with your misery if you don't
If you don't
It comes to me in fragments, even those still split in two
Under the eaves of that old lime tree I stood examining the fruit
Some were ripe and some were rotten, I felt naseous with the truth
There will never be a time more opportune
So I just won't be late
The window closes, shocks roll over in a tidal wave
And all the color drains out of the frame
So pleased with a daydream that now living is no good
I took off my shoes and walked into the woods
I felt lost and found with every step I took
The song "Lime Tree" by Bright Eyes explores the theme of uncertain relationships and the fear of losing someone. The opening lines “I keep floating down the river but the ocean never comes” suggest a sense of emptiness and incompleteness. This could be interpreted in terms of the singer's searching for closure and resolution in a relationship but never finding it. The following line “Since the operation I heard you're breathing just for one” implies that the singer is disconnected from this person; they are no longer sharing the same air or experiences. These opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, which is melancholic and introspective.
The second verse of the song deals with nostalgia and the longing for happier, simpler times. The line “When I hear beautiful music it's always from another time” suggests that the singer yearns for things from his past that are now out of reach. This sentiment is further expressed in the following lines, “Old friends I never visit, I remember what they're like, Standing on a doorstep full of nervous butterflies, Waiting to be asked to come inside, Just come inside”. This nostalgic yearning is tempered with the fear of losing what little connection he still has with the present.
The final verse of the song returns to the theme of uncertainty and the inevitability of loss. The image of the lime tree recurs in this verse, representing the passage of time and the sense of impermanence. The line “There will never be a time more opportune” suggests that time is running out for the singer to make a decision or take action. The lines “So pleased with a daydream that now living is no good, I took off my shoes and walked into the woods, I felt lost and found with every step I took” holds the promise of redemption; the possibility of finding a way back to a happier and more fulfilled life.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep floating down the river but the ocean never comes
I'm stagnant and unchanging despite time passing by
Since the operation I heard you're breathing just for one
Since your surgery, I hear you're only breathing for yourself
Now everything is imaginary, especially what you love
Nothing seems real anymore, especially not what you care about
You left another message, said it's done
You gave up and moved on, leaving me behind
When I hear beautiful music it's always from another time
I can only find beauty in things from the past
Old friends I never visit, I remember what they're like
I haven't seen my old friends in a while, but I still remember them
Standing on a doorstep full of nervous butterflies
I'm anxious and hesitant to take the next step
Waiting to be asked to come inside
I'm waiting for someone else to make the move
But I keep going out
Despite my anxiety, I keep trying
I can't sleep next to a stranger when I'm coming down
I can't sleep with someone I don't know well when I'm not okay
It's 8 a.m., my heart is beating too loud
I'm hyper aware of everything and my heart is racing
Don't be so amazing or I'll miss you too much
If you're too good, I'll miss you more when you're gone
I felt something that I had never touched
I experienced something new and profound
Everything gets smaller now the further that I go
Everything seems less significant as time goes on
Towards the mouth and the reunion of the known and the unknown
Heading towards the end and the uncertainty of what's after
Consider yourself lucky if you think of it as home
Be grateful if you feel at home somewhere
You can move mountains with your misery if you don't
You can accomplish great things when you're unhappy
It comes to me in fragments, even those still split in two
Memories come to me in pieces, even when they're incomplete
Under the eaves of that old lime tree I stood examining the fruit
I stood under the shelter of a lime tree, looking at its fruit
Some were ripe and some were rotten, I felt naseous with the truth
Some fruit was fresh and some was decayed, and it made me feel sick with the reality
There will never be a time more opportune
There will never be a better time for something than right now
So I just won't be late
I won't miss my chance to act
The window closes, shocks roll over in a tidal wave
Time is running out, and consequences are coming like a massive wave
And all the color drains out of the frame
Everything feels dull and uninteresting
So pleased with a daydream that now living is no good
I'm so content to dream that reality feels undesirable
I took off my shoes and walked into the woods
I removed my shoes to feel the ground beneath me and ventured into the wilderness
I felt lost and found with every step I took
I experienced both confusion and clarity with each step I took on this journey
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CONOR OBERST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind