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.
Motion Sickness
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just this baggage that I keep carrying on
As if I had someone
Okay, maybe there is a woman somewhere
Who's still thinking of me or a girl
With coal black hair who's haunted in her dreams
It was just some lie that they slept beside
I kept this from them but I can't keep this from you
So will you look for me in that strange, bright place?
Where the statues bloom in the park
They don't need no rain
Because how I ever got to you, I have no idea
It's like some secret door, well, it just appeared
So, no matter what I do from now on with my time
You will always stay here in my mind
I am certain of this and I am not certain of anything
So I want to get myself attached to something bolted down
So that these winds of circumstance
Won't keep blowing me around
To when I land to when I leave
There is enough time to sleep and sing
I keep running when all I want is to lay motionless
The lyrics of Bright Eyes's song "Motion Sickness" evoke a sense of longing, uncertainty, and a desire for stability. Conor Oberst, the lead singer and songwriter of Bright Eyes, sings about carrying around baggage that is not his responsibility, alluding to a sense of aimlessness and a lack of control over his life. He then acknowledges the possibility of a woman or a girl who has the memory of him but emphasizes that what they remember is not the real him, but a lie that they have fallen for.
However, there is one person who recognizes him for who he truly is, and he hopes to meet them in a strange, bright place where the statues bloom in the park. He uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of this place and hopes that he can be with this person forever. In the last verse, he expresses a desire for stability and to find something that he can attach himself to so that he can stop feeling like he's constantly being blown around by the winds of circumstance. He yearns for the peace of being motionless but keeps running, unable to resist the pull of life's unpredictability.
Overall, "Motion Sickness" speaks to a universal human condition - the desire for love, stability, and a sense of belonging in a world that can feel overwhelming and unpredictable. The imagery and metaphors used in the song are rich and evocative, adding to the weight and emotional depth of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
There is nothing for which I am responsible
I have no true responsibilities that I must attend to.
Just this baggage that I keep carrying on
However, I have some emotional baggage that I can't seem to let go of.
As if I had someone
It's almost as if I am carrying this weight for someone else.
Okay, maybe there is a woman somewhere
Admittedly, there may be a woman who still thinks of me from time to time.
Who's still thinking of me or a girl
It could be this girl with dark hair who is haunted by me in her dreams.
With coal black hair who's haunted in her dreams
Regardless, whoever it may be, they are not in love with the real me, but a version of myself that was false.
But what they've seen, well, it wasn't me
I have been dishonest with them and kept the truth from them.
It was just some lie that they slept beside
So, the person they fell in love with was not me, but rather an illusion I created.
I kept this from them but I can't keep this from you
I have kept this hidden from others, but I want to be truthful with you.
So will you look for me in that strange, bright place?
I wonder if you will seek me out in a fantastical, surreal location.
Where the statues bloom in the park
Where these inanimate objects come to life and offer a sense of magic.
They don't need no rain
The statues thrive without any form of sustenance.
Because how I ever got to you, I have no idea
I am not sure how we ever crossed paths and ended up together.
It's like some secret door, well, it just appeared
It feels like a hidden portal opened up and delivered you to me.
So, no matter what I do from now on with my time
No matter how I spend my time in the future,
You will always stay here in my mind
You will always be at the forefront of my thoughts and memories.
I am certain of this and I am not certain of anything
Despite my uncertainty about most things in life, I know that my love for you is unwavering.
So I want to get myself attached to something bolted down
Because of this, I want to become grounded and fixated on something stable.
So that these winds of circumstance
This will protect me from the unpredictability of life and change.
Won't keep blowing me around
I am tired of feeling tossed around and want to find some sense of stability.
To when I land to when I leave
When I go from one destination to the next,
There is enough time to sleep and sing
I want to take the time to rest and enjoy myself in between these transitions.
I keep running when all I want is to lay motionless
Even though I yearn for a sense of stillness and calmness, I can't help but keep moving forward and searching for something more.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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