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.
One Straw
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I guess that I've been all my life
And I know and I'll try
And I'll love you more than those other guys
Its cause you mean the world to me
You're exactly what I need
Baby, I'm waiting for you to stop shaking
And come closer to me
Devotion
Covered the spread, won the bets
And I'm now the one that won your heart
And I hope you'll always be mine
Cause our love is for all time
Trust is a virtue
I'll never desert you
Or leave you behind
Forever and ever
Yeah, we'll be together
Together
We'll be
And if its true, baby, I'm the one in love with you
And I swear that I've been all my life
Covered the spread won the bets
Baby, I'm the one that won your heart
And I know
And if its true
, the singer of the song is expressing his deep love and devotion to his partner. He emphasizes that he has been in love with them for all his life and that he will always love them more than anyone else could. The singer assures his lover that they mean the world to him, and that he'll always be there to offer his love and protection. He urges his partner to stop shaking and come closer to him, indicating that he is willing to be there for them no matter what.
The chorus emphasizes that the singer has won over his lover's heart, and he hopes that they will always be together because their love is timeless. He emphasizes that trust is a virtue and that he will never desert his lover or leave them behind. The singer is confident that they will remain together forever and that their love will only grow stronger with time.
Overall, the song is about the deep love and devotion that the singer has for his partner. He emphasizes that he is the one in love with his partner and will always be there for them. The song highlights the importance of loyalty, trust, and devotion in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
And if its true
If what people say about our love is true
baby, I'm the one in love with you
Then I confess that I am the one who deeply loves you
And I guess that I've been all my life
I think I have loved you since always
And I know and I'll try
I understand what you need and I will do my best to meet your needs
And I'll love you more than those other guys
I love you more than any other man who has ever met you
Its cause you mean the world to me
You are the most important person in my life
You're exactly what I need
You fulfill everything I desire in a partner
Baby, I'm waiting for you to stop shaking
I see that you're nervous; I'm patiently waiting for you to relax
And come closer to me
And to come closer to me so we can strengthen our relationship
My love and protection my love and devotion
My affection for you knows no bounds, and I will always keep you safe
Devotion
My devotion to you is unwavering
Covered the spread, won the bets
I have surpassed everyone's expectations and have won the love of my life
And I'm now the one that won your heart
Finally, I won your heart over
And I hope you'll always be mine
I hope you'll stay mine forever
Cause our love is for all time
Our love will last forever
Trust is a virtue
Trust is an essential characteristic in any relationship
I'll never desert you
I promise I will never abandon you
Or leave you behind
I will always be there for you, no matter what
Forever and ever
For the rest of eternity
Yeah, we'll be together
We will be together as one
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OBERST, Conor Oberst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind