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.
Poison
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When a telephone was a tin can on a string
And I fell asleep with you still ctalking to me
You said you weren't afraid to die
In Polaroids you were dressed in women's clothes
Were you made ashamed, why'd you lock them in the drawer?
Than when you turned away
When you slammed the door
When you stole the car drove towards Mexico
And you wrote bad checks just to fill your arm
I was young enough, I still believed in war
Well let the poets cry themselves to sleep
And all their tearful words would turn back into steam
But me I'm a single cell on a serpents tongue
There's a muddy field where a garden was
And I'm glad you got away
But I'm still stuck out here
My clothes are soaking wet from your brothers tears
And I never thought this life was possible
You're the yellow bird that I've been waiting for
The end of paralysis, I was a statuette
Now I'm drunk as hell on a piano bench
And when I press the keys it all gets reversed
The sound of loneliness makes me happier
The lyrics to Bright Eyes's song Poison Oak explore themes of love, loss, and regret. The singer recalls a past relationship in which he fell asleep with his partner while talking on the phone. At that moment, his partner expressed bravery and he felt the utmost love for them. However, he later discovered that his partner dressed in women's clothing but had hidden it away due to shame. The singer begins to imagine what it was like for his partner to be forced to hide their true self, leading to an eventual departure that would lead to bad decisions, such as stealing a car and writing bad checks. The singer also explores his own beliefs in war as a younger person but realizes that the pain of separation has made him greatly mature.
The singer ends the song with a realization for a need for companionship, addressing an unknown "yellow bird" he has been waiting for. He describes himself as a single cell on a serpent's tongue, hinting at a sense of vulnerability and danger that he is in. He then recalls a garden that has now turned into a muddy field, which might indicate the loss of charm and beauty in life. The ending lines are poignant and powerful, with the singer admitting that the sound of loneliness makes him happier, conveying introspection and emotional catharsis.
Line by Line Meaning
Poison Oak, some boyhood bravery
The memories of the past as a child who loved to take risks, but now remembers them with nostalgia.
When a telephone was a tin can on a string
Through the hardships of technological advances, communication with others was different and simpler.
And I fell asleep with you still talking to me
The happiness of being with someone who is always present, even in your dreams.
You said you weren't afraid to die
Bravery in the face of danger, with no fear or hesitation.
In Polaroids you were dressed in women's clothes
Memories of a time when the person he loved was comfortable being themselves, even if society didn't accept it.
Were you made ashamed, why'd you lock them in the drawer?
Questioning if the person he loved felt ashamed of who they were and why they couldn't be open about it.
Well I don't think that I ever loved you more
Realizing that the love he had for this person grew stronger, even with their flaws and secrets.
Than when you turned away
Feeling a sense of love when the person he loves turns away and becomes adventurous.
When you slammed the door
The sadness that comes with the realization that the person he loves is leaving and the door is closing.
When you stole the car drove towards Mexico and you wrote bad checks just to fill your arm
Feeling a sense of heartbreak as the person he loved chooses a destructive path instead of loving him.
I was young enough, I still believed in war
The naïve belief that love could conquer all, even in the face of danger.
Well let the poets cry themselves to sleep
The realization that writing will not solve the problems faced in life, but is rather a release of emotion.
And all their tearful words would turn back into steam
The realization that words are fleeting and only have power in the moment they are spoken.
But me I'm a single cell on a serpent's tongue
Feeling insignificant and helpless, like a small creature in danger.
There's a muddy field where a garden was
Seeing the change and distrust that has come with the passage of time.
And I'm glad you got away
Feeling happy that the person he loved was able to escape and find happiness in their own way.
But I'm still stuck out here
Feeling trapped and unable to move on after the person he loved has left.
My clothes are soaking wet from your brothers tears
Being unable to escape the sorrow and tears of those who were close to the person he loved.
And I never thought this life was possible
Feeling surprised by the twists and turns of life.
You're the yellow bird that I've been waiting for
Feeling like the person he loved is the one he's been waiting for, a ray of sunshine in a dark life.
The end of paralysis, I was a statuette
The feeling of being numb has ended and he can finally move on.
Now I'm drunk as hell on a piano bench
Using alcohol to try and numb the pain and sadness of missing the person he loved.
And when I press the keys it all gets reversed
The cathartic release that comes with creating music and expressing emotion.
The sound of loneliness makes me happier
The realization that feeling lonely can sometimes bring contentment and peace instead of sadness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CONOR OBERST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind