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.
Neely O
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you throw up water
And your skin turns a pale pale yellow
Well everyday you lose more color
Do you think that someone paints your mirror?
So you think that things sound different
At the time when you speak
And like Neely O'Hara you swallow your sleep
And wake up in the morning
To find you are not who you used to be
You don't recognize the behavior
Or the spelling of your name and the shape that is in the mirror
Well you'd swear it is not the same
And like Neely O'Hara
You swallow your sleep and you really can't remember
But you know you are not
Think you are not
No you are not who you used to be
The lyrics to Bright Eyes' "Neely O'Hara" are a poignant commentary on addiction and the loss of self that accompanies it. The song's title references Neely O'Hara, the fictional actress from the novel and film "Valley of the Dolls" who becomes addicted to prescription drugs and ultimately loses her career and sense of self. The lyrics describe the physical and emotional toll of addiction, with lines like "In the morning when you throw up water" and "every day you lose more color" painting a vivid picture of the physical deterioration that comes with substance abuse.
The lyrics also touch on the disorientation and confusion that accompanies addiction, with lines like "you don't recognize the behavior or the spelling of your name" and "you really can't remember" emphasizing the sense of disconnect that can arise when one loses control over their own life. The comparison to Neely O'Hara serves as a metaphor for the way addiction can transform a person beyond recognition, with the line "wake up in the morning to find you are not who you used to be" encapsulating the profound change that can occur when substance abuse takes hold.
Overall, "Neely O'Hara" is a heartbreaking and evocative portrayal of addiction and its devastating effects on the self.
Line by Line Meaning
In the morning
At the beginning of each day
When you throw up water
When you vomit clear fluid
And your skin turns a pale pale yellow
Your skin becomes very light in color
Well everyday you lose more color
Each day you continue to lose color
Do you think that someone paints your mirror?
Do you believe someone alters your perception of reality?
So you think that things sound different
You believe that things seem different than before
At the time when you speak
When you are speaking
Well there are visions much clearer than these blurs that you see
There are more distinct visions than the fuzzy ones you see
And like Neely O'Hara you swallow your sleep
You consume sleep like Neely O'Hara did
And wake up in the morning
And awaken each subsequent morning
To find you are not who you used to be
Discovering that you have changed
You don't recognize the behavior
You can't identify your actions
Or the spelling of your name and the shape that is in the mirror
Or the correct spelling of your name and your distorted reflection
Well you'd swear it is not the same
You are convinced that it is different
And like Neely O'Hara
Similar to Neely O'Hara
You swallow your sleep and you really can't remember
You consume sleep and can't recall
But you know you are not
You are aware that you are not
Think you are not
Believe you are not
No you are not who you used to be
No, you are not the same person you once were
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: OBERST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lysandre Provost
Bright Eyes has the capacity of giving me chills in my whole body in a very simple and at the same time complex way. And it makes me so sad and happy at the same time that I don't know how to feel anymore ... and I feel wrong about that. But it seems so right.
Hannah Justine
this has been and always will be my favorite BE track!
My Own Downfall
A favorite, love this band.
Friederike Todorov
Neely O'Hara is a fictional character in the Jacqueline Susann penned novel and movie "Valley of the Dolls", a former Vaudeville-kid, who becomes a broadway-star and drug-addict. The character is said to be based on Judy Garland.
makina muerte
Yea thanks Sherlock. The world is better with you in it.
Rambo John
Why doesn't anyone love this song as much as me?
evernevermore 2687
I do!
Devon Bly
I saw this song live about a week ago and holy fuck it was so cathartic 😢
Fernando Lozano
"In the morning when you threw up water, and your skin turns a pale, pale yellow... Well, everyday you lose more color, do you think that someone paints your mirror?
do you think that someone paints your mirror?..."
this song is so perfect, I feel like life's a struggle and time keeps passing by and everything's triggering... but i don't know why, somehow this song always makes feel better and I don't understand why
Green Punk
you dont recognize behavior- that bit always gets me.