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.
Loose Leaves
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Loose leaves cover the ground
There are volumes in the forest no one reads out loud
If I could take them down, off of that mountain shelf
We used to climb but no one tries to go up that far now
Yeah, we're all too busy working
Entertaining ourselves
Well, I take two a day to make my brain behave
It never does, but who's to say?
At least my doctor gets paid
So that is fine, yeah, come by
We'll take the afternoon off
We can kiss and undress
Or if you want, just talk
Because I have got nothing real
Just empty space to fill
And you're my girl, I like your style
Just imagine all the time we could kill
And time's not poison
But once you drink it all, you'll die
So let's just sip it real slow
Yeah, we can nurse it all night
Try to believe that once it's gone
They'll pour another round, we'll come back to life
Yeah, we'll come right back...
It's all moving fast now, yeah
And that's what they say
And though some days still take forever
I can't disagree
Because it seems to me
That I wake up and sleep
Look in the mirror and have no idea
What happened in-between
But I remember counting days down
Until the year could be done
So I could scatter all my notebooks on the prep school lawn
And disappear into a summer's bliss
Of staying out and sleeping in
And getting drunk with my friends
And that's gone and I know
That it won't ever come back
I accept, I won't cling to what I had in the past
But life is a slippery slope
Regret the steepest hill
Hope for the best, plan for the worst
And maybe wind up somewhere in the middle
And I'm not saying that I know what I want
But I know what I don't
Don't want to rot in my room
And never know what could have been
Believe what everyone else tells me is true...
Yeah, what they'll say; "True!"
That is what they'll say
That's it
Believe what everyone else tells me is true
They will say: "True!"
That is what they'll say
That's it...
The lyrics of the Bright Eyes song Loose Leaves explore the theme of mortality and the fleeting nature of time. The first verse talks about the volumes of knowledge present in the forest, yet they go unread. The singer of the song wishes to take down this knowledge but finds that no one tries to go up that far anymore, consumed by the busyness of entertaining themselves and working. The artist comments on the condition of modern society with the lines, “40 hours, television, and prescription pills”. However, the singer wishes to take time off and spend it with a loved one, acknowledging that they have nothing real but empty space to fill. The singer also comments on the nature of time, how it is not poisonous, but once it is gone, it’s gone forever.
Later in the song, the artist reflects on the past, counting down days until they could scatter their notebooks and disappear into a summer’s bliss. However, the artistry in this verse is the acknowledgment that the past is gone and will not return. The singer accepts this and suggests that life is a slippery slope, and regrets may come but hopes for the best and tries to plan for the worst. The song’s last line is the refrain, “Believe what everyone else tells me is true...”, which conveys a sense of weariness; the singer is no longer sure whether they know what they want, only what they don’t want.
Line by Line Meaning
The story's in the soil
There is history and knowledge within nature
Loose leaves cover the ground
The environment is changing, and there are many things that go unnoticed
There are volumes in the forest no one reads out loud
There is a wealth of untapped knowledge and secrets within nature
If I could take them down, off of that mountain shelf
If I could access that knowledge or gain access to those secrets
We used to climb but no one tries to go up that far now
We don't value enigmatic knowledge anymore
Yeah, we're all too busy working
Our society is too career-oriented
Entertaining ourselves
We use a breadth of hobbies and interests to keep ourselves entertained
40 hours, television, and prescription pills
We work forty hours a week, watch television mindlessly, and take prescription medication to cope
Well, I take two a day to make my brain behave
I take two pills a day to regulate my behavior and emotions
It never does, but who's to say?
My medication doesn't always work, but I can't be certain
At least my doctor gets paid
My doctor always benefits, regardless of my experiences
So that is fine, yeah, come by
Even though the world is tough, you can still relax with loved ones
We'll take the afternoon off
We can temporarily break from our demanding lives
We can kiss and undress
We could be intimate with each other
Or if you want, just talk
Or we could just have a conversation with each other
Because I have got nothing real
I feel like I'm living an unfulfilling life
Just empty space to fill
I have a void in my life that I need to fill
And you're my girl, I like your style
I am attracted to you and enjoy your company
Just imagine all the time we could kill
Think about how we could use the time we have together
And time's not poison
Time is not lethal
But once you drink it all, you'll die
But once it's all gone, so are you
So let's just sip it real slow
So let's take our time and cherish it
Yeah, we can nurse it all night
We can use time wisely and spend it productively
Try to believe that once it's gone
Try to trust that once we use our time, there will be more
They'll pour another round, we'll come back to life
There will always be more opportunities to use time wisely
It's all moving fast now, yeah
Life moves swiftly
And that's what they say
This is what people commonly say
And though some days still take forever
Even though some days feel long
I can't disagree
I can't argue that this is untrue
Because it seems to me
This is what I observe
That I wake up and sleep
I wake up and sleep every day
Look in the mirror and have no idea
I don't understand where the time went
What happened in-between
I don't understand what occurred during that time
But I remember counting days down
But I remember counting down the days to the end of the year
Until the year could be done
Until the year was over
So I could scatter all my notebooks on the prep school lawn
So I could throw all of my school notebooks away
And disappear into a summer's bliss
And enjoy the carefree summer
Of staying out and sleeping in
Of staying up late and sleeping in late
And getting drunk with my friends
And drinking alcohol with my friends
And that's gone and I know
That summer is over, and I understand
That it won't ever come back
Those experiences will never return
I accept, I won't cling to what I had in the past
I accept that those experiences are over and won't hold onto them
But life is a slippery slope
Life is unpredictable
Regret the steepest hill
Regret is the toughest obstacle to overcome
Hope for the best, plan for the worst
Have faith, but always prepare for the worst
And maybe wind up somewhere in the middle
It's likely we'll end up somewhere in between
And I'm not saying that I know what I want
I'm not exactly sure what I want in life
But I know what I don't
But I know what I don't want in life
Don't want to rot in my room
I don't want to waste my life in my bedroom
And never know what could have been
And not experience what life has to offer
Believe what everyone else tells me is true...
Take the advice that everyone believes is true
Yeah, what they'll say; "True!"
Yes, what everyone else will say is true
That is what they'll say
That's what people are going to say
That's it
That's all there is to it
Believe what everyone else tells me is true
Believe the common opinion
They will say: "True!"
They are going to say it's true
That is what they'll say
That's what people will say
That's it...
End of story
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: OBERST, Conor Oberst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MarySueandMichael
The story's in the soil
Loose leaves cover the ground
There are volumes in the forest no one reads out loud
If I could take them down, off of that mountain shelf
We used to climb but no one tries to go up that far now
Yeah, we're all too busy working
Entertaining ourselves
40 hours, television, and prescription pills
Well, I take two a day to make my brain behave
It never does, but who's to say?
At least my doctor gets paid
So that is fine, yeah, come by
We'll take the afternoon off
We can kiss and undress
Or if you want, just talk
Because I have got nothing real
Just empty space to fill
And you're my girl, I like your style
Just imagine all the time we could kill
And time's not poison
But once you drink it all, you'll die
So let's just sip it real slow
Yeah, we can nurse it all night
Try to believe that once it's gone
They'll pour another round, we'll come back to life
Yeah, we'll come right back...
It's all moving fast now, yeah
And that's what they say
And though some days still take forever
I can't disagree
Because it seems to me
That I wake up and sleep
Look in the mirror and have no idea
What happened in-between
But I remember counting days down
Until the year could be done
So I could scatter all my notebooks on the prep school lawn
And disappear into a summer's bliss
Of staying out and sleeping in
And getting drunk with my friends
And that's gone and I know
That it won't ever come back
I accept, I won't cling to what I had in the past
But life is a slippery slope
Regret the steepest hill
Hope for the best, plan for the worst
And maybe wind up somewhere in the middle
And I'm not saying that I know what I want
But I know what I don't
Don't want to rot in my room
And never know what could have been
Believe what everyone else tells me is true...
Yeah, what they'll say; "True!"
That is what they'll say
That's it
Believe what everyone else tells me is true
They will say: "True!"
That is what they'll say
That's it...
MarySueandMichael
The story's in the soil
Loose leaves cover the ground
There are volumes in the forest no one reads out loud
If I could take them down, off of that mountain shelf
We used to climb but no one tries to go up that far now
Yeah, we're all too busy working
Entertaining ourselves
40 hours, television, and prescription pills
Well, I take two a day to make my brain behave
It never does, but who's to say?
At least my doctor gets paid
So that is fine, yeah, come by
We'll take the afternoon off
We can kiss and undress
Or if you want, just talk
Because I have got nothing real
Just empty space to fill
And you're my girl, I like your style
Just imagine all the time we could kill
And time's not poison
But once you drink it all, you'll die
So let's just sip it real slow
Yeah, we can nurse it all night
Try to believe that once it's gone
They'll pour another round, we'll come back to life
Yeah, we'll come right back...
It's all moving fast now, yeah
And that's what they say
And though some days still take forever
I can't disagree
Because it seems to me
That I wake up and sleep
Look in the mirror and have no idea
What happened in-between
But I remember counting days down
Until the year could be done
So I could scatter all my notebooks on the prep school lawn
And disappear into a summer's bliss
Of staying out and sleeping in
And getting drunk with my friends
And that's gone and I know
That it won't ever come back
I accept, I won't cling to what I had in the past
But life is a slippery slope
Regret the steepest hill
Hope for the best, plan for the worst
And maybe wind up somewhere in the middle
And I'm not saying that I know what I want
But I know what I don't
Don't want to rot in my room
And never know what could have been
Believe what everyone else tells me is true...
Yeah, what they'll say; "True!"
That is what they'll say
That's it
Believe what everyone else tells me is true
They will say: "True!"
That is what they'll say
That's it...
deathislife
I just heard this song for the first time ever, and it has to be one of my favorite songs Conor ever has done. He is a genius, and this song is amazing.
Wellington Fairfax
Hands down best Bright Eyes song. Second is If Winter Ends. And third is definitely Falling Out of Love at This Volume
summer black
"and time's not poison but once you drink it all you'll die. So let's just sip it real slow yeah we can nurse it all night try to believe that once it's gone we'll pour another round and come back to life"
Holly Sorensen
Genius. ❤
summer black
Yes
philosyche
+summer black isn't that just the most beautiful line?
Joe McDevitt
Awesome my favorite bright eyes song...well for today anyway
Jon Price
so.... what's your favorite song today?
TheNayeliii
Great lyrics :)