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.
Ne On The West Coast
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where they understand the weight of human hearts
You see, sorrow gets too heavy and joy it tends to hold you
With the fear that it eventually departs
And the truth is I've been dreaming of some tired tranquil place
Where the weather won't get trapped inside my bones
And if all the years of searching find one sympathetic face
I spent a day dreaming of dying in Mesa, Arizona
Where all the green of life had turned to ash
And I felt I was on fire, with the things I could have told you
I guess I just assumed that you eventually would ask
And I wouldn't have to bring up my so badly broken heart
And all those months I just wanted to sleep
And though spring, it did come slowly, I guess it did it's part
My heart has thawed and continues to beat
I visited my brother on the outskirts of Olympia
Where the forest and the water become one
And we talked about our childhood, like a dream we were convinced of
That perfect peaceful street where we came from
And I know he heard me strumming all those sad and simple chords
As I sat inside my room so long ago
And it hurts that he's still shaking from those secrets that were told
By a car closed up too tight and a heart turned cold
And I went to San Diego, the birthplace of the summer
And watched the ocean dance under the moon
And there was a girl I knew there, one more potential lover
I guess that something's got to happen soon
Because I know I can't keep living in this dead or dying dream
And as I walked along the beach and drank with her
I thought about my true love, the one I really need
With eyes that burn so bright, they make me pure
They make me pure
They make me pure
I long to be with you
In Bright Eyes's song "Ne On The West Coast," Conor Oberst sings about his travels to different places on the West Coast of the United States. He begins the song discussing his time in Winnetka, California, where he found relief from the heaviness of his sorrow with the sunlight. He describes his search for a place that allows him to escape the weight of his emotions and find tranquility. The lyrics hint at a desire for a simpler life, where he can be at peace without the burden of his heart weighing him down.
In the second verse, Oberst moves on to his time in Mesa, Arizona. Here, he reflects on the past and the things he wishes he had shared with someone. He talks about assuming that someone would ask him about the things he carried in his heart, but the question never came. He reveals the pain of a broken heart and the desire for someone to understand and care for him. As the verse progresses, he moves towards acceptance and reveals a thawing of his heart. Although the healing has been slow, his heart still beats on.
In the last verse, Oberst moves on to Olympia and San Diego, where he visits his brother and a potential lover, respectively. He longs for his true love, who will make him feel pure and free from the pain of his past. The song ends on this note, with Oberst's desire to find someone who can help him let go of the heavy burden he carries.
Line by Line Meaning
I spent a week drinking the sunlight of Winnetka, California
I stayed in Winnetka, California for a week, feeling the warmth of the sun and the understanding of people who know the weight of human emotions.
Where they understand the weight of human hearts
People in Winnetka understand how heavy emotions can be.
You see, sorrow gets too heavy and joy it tends to hold you
Sorrow can get overwhelming, while joy keeps you going with the fear of losing it.
With the fear that it eventually departs
Joy eventually ends and that thought is always at the back of the mind.
And the truth is I've been dreaming of some tired tranquil place
I've been dreaming of a calm and peaceful place to escape the chaos of the world.
Where the weather won't get trapped inside my bones
A place where the weather won't dampen my spirits or affect me physically.
And if all the years of searching find one sympathetic face
If after years of searching, I find someone who understands me, I'll settle down there.
Then it's there I will plant these seeds and make my home
I'll make that place my home and start a new life there.
I spent a day dreaming of dying in Mesa, Arizona
I imagined death in a lifeless and barren place like Mesa, Arizona for an entire day.
Where all the green of life had turned to ash
Mesa is devoid of life and everything is burnt to ashes.
And I felt I was on fire, with the things I could have told you
I was filled with emotion, with things I wanted to say to you but never got the chance.
I guess I just assumed that you eventually would ask
I thought you would eventually ask me about my feelings, but I was wrong.
And I wouldn't have to bring up my so badly broken heart
I wouldn't have to talk about my heartbreak if you proactively showed interest.
And all those months I just wanted to sleep
I spent all those months wanting to sleep and forget about my pain.
And though spring, it did come slowly, I guess it did it's part
Spring came slowly, but it helped heal my heart.
My heart has thawed and continues to beat
My heart has softened and healed, and I'm still alive to feel it beat.
I visited my brother on the outskirts of Olympia
I met my brother on the outskirts of Olympia.
Where the forest and the water become one
It's a place where the forest and water are in harmony.
And we talked about our childhood, like a dream we were convinced of
We spoke about our childhood like it was unbelievable and surreal.
That perfect peaceful street where we came from
We talked about our childhood home, a perfectly peaceful street.
And I know he heard me strumming all those sad and simple chords
I know my brother heard me play the sad and simple chords on my guitar.
As I sat inside my room so long ago
It was many years ago when I sat in my room and played those chords.
And it hurts that he's still shaking from those secrets that were told
It hurts to know that my brother is still affected by the secrets I once told him.
By a car closed up too tight and a heart turned cold
I once shared the secrets with my brother in a car and my heart was closed and cold at that time.
And I went to San Diego, the birthplace of the summer
I traveled to San Diego, where summer originated.
And watched the ocean dance under the moon
I watched the ocean sway under the moonlight.
And there was a girl I knew there, one more potential lover
I saw a girl I knew there whom I could have potentially loved.
I guess that something's got to happen soon
I feel like something has to happen soon, a change in my life or a new beginning with someone.
Because I know I can't keep living in this dead or dying dream
I can't continue to live in this dead and meaningless existence.
And as I walked along the beach and drank with her
As I walked on the beach and drank with her, I thought about my true love.
I thought about my true love, the one I really need
I thought about the person I truly love and need in my life.
With eyes that burn so bright, they make me pure
I envision someone with eyes sparkling and vibrant, who brings light and purity to my life.
They make me pure
Just the thought of that person brings purity to my soul.
They make me pure
The thought of that person provides an escape from my mundane life, and makes me feel pure again.
I long to be with you
I yearn to be with that person who brings purity, light and love to my life.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@richbitch56
i should hate this. i really should. i DO hate it. but its so good too. i like your art dude. it's captivated me
@itsbritttanyy
hmm. this makes me sad. but who ever would've guessed, i'm a birght eyes fan its my default emotion.
@itsbritttanyy
@itsbritttanyy it just gets harder and harder every year. like what the fuck does, "then she melted down to her ankles, turned into a million watt candle" mean?? or "my veins are full of flat cherry cola"?? FUCK!!!!
@steveervinck
are you making fun of this bright eyes song? Connor oburst is a fucking musical prodigy and will do more with a guitar and his voice than you ever will. jesus christ
@itsbritttanyy
@williamdoyleroot im listening to the new album for the first time right now, the one that comes out on the 15th (cause, ya know, im so hipster i got the early download) and well... now im real sad. let's just say.. bumbling. what the fuck is he even talking about? you should add some new verses to firewall or haile selassie. afterthought: this post is prob due my initial angry over-emotional reaction to the album. it will only be a matter of time until i find some deeper meaning in his bullshit
@jaymepaladino7306
You're sick. I'm still looking for his music and found this. What a joke. Good job though. 5 comments. I think I'm number 6. Hope you made some bank somewhere else. He wasn't the ticket. Sorry bro.