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.
Lover
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a crowd and talked to you
Said I liked your shoes
You said, "Thanks, can I follow you?"
So it's up the stairs
And out of view, no prying eyes
I poured some wine
I asked your name, you asked the time
Now it's two o'clock
The club is closed and we are up the block
Your hands are on me
Pressing hard against your jeans
Your tongue in my mouth
Trying to keep the words from coming out
You didn't care to know
Who else may have been you before
I want a lover I don't have to love
I want a girl who's too sad to give a fuck
Where's the kid with the chemicals?
I thought he said to meet him here
But I'm not sure
I've got the money
If you've got the time
You said, "It feels good"
I said "I'll give it a try"
Then my mind went dark
We both forgot where your car was parked
Let's just take the train
I'll meet up with the band in the morning
Bad actors with bad habits
Some sad singers, they just play tragic
And the phone's ringing
And the van's leaving
Let's just keep touching
Let's just keep, keep singing
I want a lover I don't have to love
I want a boy who's so drunk he doesn't talk
And where's the kid with the chemicals?
I got a hunger and I can't seem to get full
I need some meaning I can memorize
The kind I have always seems to slip my mind
But you, but you
You write such pretty words
But life's no storybook
Love's an excuse to get hurt
And to hurt
Do you like to hurt?
I do, I do
Then hurt me
Then hurt me
Then hurt me
The song “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” by Bright Eyes is a dark and raw depiction of a one-night stand. The singer picks someone out of a crowd and takes them back to a private place where they engage in sex, alcohol and illegal drug use, and even non-consensual physical aggression. The song expresses a longing for a physical relationship without any demands for emotional attachment, making it a song that is both heartbreaking and confronting.
The song deals with complex themes of emotional detachment, self-destructive behavior, and the search for meaning in life. The lines “I want a lover I don’t have to love,” and “I want a girl who’s too sad to give a fuck” express a desire for superficial and fleeting physical pleasure, without the complications of emotions and attachments that come with love. However, these desires are fleeting and don’t provide lasting satisfaction.
The song also deals with escapism and a longing for meaning amidst a hedonistic lifestyle. The lines “I got a hunger and I can’t seem to get full, I need some meaning I can memorize” speak to the singer’s desperation for something deeper, something more permanent than physical pleasure.
Overall, “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” is a poignant and haunting look at the darker side of human relationships, the search for meaning, and the fleeting nature of superficial pleasure.
Line by Line Meaning
I picked you out
I spotted you in the crowd
Of a crowd and talked to you
And approached you to have a conversation
Said I liked your shoes
Complimented your footwear
You said, "Thanks, can I follow you?"
You expressed interest in joining me
So it's up the stairs
We proceeded to climb the steps
And out of view, no prying eyes
And disappeared from watchful onlookers
I poured some wine
I provided a beverage
I asked your name, you asked the time
We exchanged a few personal details
Now it's two o'clock
It's currently very late
The club is closed and we are up the block
The venue has been shut and we are some distance away
Your hands are on me
You are touching me
Pressing hard against your jeans
Rubbing firmly against your pants
Your tongue in my mouth
We are kissing passionately
Trying to keep the words from coming out
Attempting to suppress conversation
You didn't care to know
You weren't interested in discovering more about me
Who else may have been you before
The identity of your past lovers/sexual partners didn't matter
I want a lover I don't have to love
I desire an uncommitted relationship
I want a girl who's too sad to give a fuck
I crave a partner who is emotionally unavailable
Where's the kid with the chemicals?
I'm searching for someone who has drugs
I thought he said to meet him here
I believed we had arranged to rendezvous at this location
But I'm not sure
I am uncertain
I've got the money
I have the funds
If you've got the time
If you possess the free time
You said, "It feels good"
You expressed satisfaction
I said "I'll give it a try"
I agreed to participate
Then my mind went dark
I experienced a mental lapse
We both forgot where your car was parked
Neither of us could recall the location of your vehicle
Let's just take the train
Let's utilize public transportation
I'll meet up with the band in the morning
I will catch up with my musical group at a later time
Bad actors with bad habits
People who behave poorly with negative tendencies
Some sad singers, they just play tragic
Depressed vocalists who sing about sorrowful situations
And the phone's ringing
A phone is making an audible noise
And the van's leaving
Our transportation is departing
Let's just keep touching
Let's continue touching each other sensually
Let's just keep, keep singing
Let's continue singing repeatedly
I want a boy who's so drunk he doesn't talk
I'm searching for an intoxicated partner who is unlikely to communicate
And where's the kid with the chemicals?
I'm still seeking someone who possesses drugs
I got a hunger and I can't seem to get full
I'm feeling unsatisfied and unable to satisfy myself
I need some meaning I can memorize
I yearn for a purpose that I can commit to memory
The kind I have always seems to slip my mind
I'm having trouble recalling the meaning I find
But you, but you
But you, specifically, stand out to me
You write such pretty words
You craft beautifully written expressions
But life's no storybook
Life doesn't always have a happy ending
Love's an excuse to get hurt
Loving someone can lead to emotional pain
And to hurt
It can also allow one to inflict harm
Do you like to hurt?
Do you gain pleasure from causing pain?
I do, I do
I, myself, do
Then hurt me
Then cause me pain
Then hurt me
Again, cause me pain
Then hurt me
Once more, inflict harm on me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Conor Oberst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Bryan_wayne
I'm thirty years old and this song is just as relevant to me as when I was 16.
@13slot28
I'm 31 and I keep comming back to it.
@KristopherWilliams_tahmson
@J.C Meza I'm 33 and singing alone like I did when I was snorting cocaine with my girl who was too sad to give a fuck
@michaell.9431
thirty four.
@pianoface
I just turned 40 and this takes me back to my 20's in a heart beat
@nicolasbaker9601
I agree. Found Conor when I was 16 and am 32 now. Now I relate through different life experiences but his voice still invokes the same emotion
@Diskotraxxxxx
"bad actors with bad habits, some sad singers, they just play tragic" favorite line ever.
@dannye7612
He better not be talking about my boy Elliott Smith
@lafabricadebodas
Some people have a natural hability perceive social behaviour.
@sarahrayne4808
@Danny E why do i feel your right