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.
No Lies Just Love
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I bought those pills
I thought I would need
And I wrote a letter to my family
Said it's not your fault
And you've been good to me
Just lately I've been feeling
Like I don't belong
And I've heard that music
Echo through the house
Where my grandmother drank
By herself
And I sat watching a flower
As it was withering
I was embarrassed by its honesty
So I'd prefer to be remembered as a smiling face
Not this fucking wreck
That's taken its place
So please forgive what I have done
No you can't stay mad at the setting sun
'Cause we all get tired, I mean eventually
There is nothing left to do but sleep
But spring came bearing sunlight
Those persuasive rays
So I gave myself a few more days
My salvation it came, quite suddenly
When Justin spoke very plainly
He said "Of course it's your decision,
But just so you know,
If you decide to leave,
Soon I will follow"
I wrote this for a baby
Who has yet to be born
My brother's first child
I hope that womb's not too warm
'Cause it's cold out here
And it'll be quite a shock
To breathe this air
To discover loss
So I'd like to make some changes
Before you arive
So when your new eyes meet mine
They won't see no lies
Just love.
Just love.
I will be pure
No, no, I know i will be pure
Like snow, like gold
Like snow, like gold
Like snow, like snow
Like gold, like gold, like gold
The lyrics to Bright Eyes' song "No Lies Just Love" are a raw and emotional depiction of the struggles of mental health and the feeling of not belonging. The song begins with the singer describing purchasing pills at the age of 17, feeling like the ground wasn't theirs to walk on and not belonging. The singer also references their grandmother's depression and alcoholism, which may have contributed to their feelings of not belonging. The song then shifts to a moment of hope when the singer decides to give themselves a few more days and receives support from their friend Justin, who vows to follow if they choose to leave.
The singer then switches gears and directly addresses a baby who has yet to be born, wishing to make changes before they arrive so that their new eyes will see pure love and no lies. The final repetition of "like snow, like gold" is a metaphor for the singer's desire to be pure and free from the darkness that has clouded their life.
Overall, "No Lies Just Love" is a poignant representation of the human struggle to find meaning and belonging in a world that can often seem cold and overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
It was in the march of the winter I turned seventeen
The singer is reminiscing about a significant moment in their life when they were seventeen and it was wintertime.
That I bought those pills
The singer bought pills when they were seventeen.
I thought I would need
The singer bought the pills because they thought they would need them.
And I wrote a letter to my family
The artist wrote a letter to their family.
Said it's not your fault
In the letter, the artist absolves their family of any blame.
And you've been good to me
The singer acknowledges that their family has been good to them.
Just lately I've been feeling
The singer admits to feeling a certain way recently.
Like I don't belong
The artist feels like they don't fit in.
Like the ground's not mine to walk upon
The artist feels like they don't have a place to call their own.
And I've heard that music
The artist has heard music.
Echo through the house
The music resonated through the house.
Where my grandmother drank
The music was in the same place where the artist's grandmother used to drink.
By herself
The grandmother drank by herself.
And I sat watching a flower
The singer watched a flower.
As it was withering
The flower was dying.
I was embarrassed by its honesty
The artist was ashamed of the flower's truthfulness in showing its age.
So I'd prefer to be remembered as a smiling face
The artist wishes to be remembered by others as someone who was happy and not as they are now.
Not this fucking wreck
The singer dislikes their current state of being.
That's taken its place
The singer feels like something else has taken their place.
So please forgive what I have done
The artist is asking for forgiveness for something they did.
No you can't stay mad at the setting sun
The artist suggests the futility of staying mad at something inevitable like the setting sun.
'Cause we all get tired, I mean eventually
The artist suggests that everyone gets tired eventually.
There is nothing left to do but sleep
The singer feels like nothing else can be done except to sleep.
But spring came bearing sunlight
Springtime arrived and brought sunlight.
Those persuasive rays
The rays of sunlight were compelling.
So I gave myself a few more days
The singer gave themselves more time.
My salvation it came, quite suddenly
The singer experienced a sudden moment of salvation.
When Justin spoke very plainly
Justin spoke candidly to the artist.
He said 'Of course it's your decision,
Justin acknowledged that the decision was up to the artist.
But just so you know,
To inform them that they should be aware of something.
If you decide to leave,
Justin warns the singer about the consequences of leaving.
Soon I will follow'
Justin plans to follow the artist if they leave.
I wrote this for a baby
The artist wrote a letter or song for a newborn baby.
Who has yet to be born
The child has yet to be born.
My brother's first child
The baby is the singer's brother's first child.
I hope that womb's not too warm
The artist hopes that the baby is not too comfortable in the womb.
'Cause it's cold out here
Life can be difficult outside.
And it'll be quite a shock
The baby will be in for a surprise.
To breathe this air
Breathing air after being in the womb will be a new experience for the baby.
To discover loss
The baby will eventually come to know what it is like to lose something.
So I'd like to make some changes
The artist would like to make some changes to the world before the baby arrives.
Before you arrive
The singer wants to make those changes before the baby is born.
So when your new eyes meet mine
The singer looks forward to seeing the baby's eyes for the first time.
They won't see no lies
The artist promises to be truthful to the baby.
Just love.
The artist promises to love the baby.
I will be pure
The artist desires to be pure.
No, no, I know I will be pure
The singer is sure that they will be pure.
Like snow, like gold
The artist wants to be pure like snow or gold.
Like snow, like gold
The singer repeats their desire to be pure like snow or gold.
Like snow, like snow
The singer emphasizes their desire to be pure like snow.
Like gold, like gold, like gold
The singer repeats their desire to be pure like gold.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: OBERST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind