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.
Silver Bells
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling like Christmas
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you hear
Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day
Strings of street lights
Even stop lights
Blink a bright red and green
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures
Hear the snow crunch
See the kids bunch
This is Santa's big scene
And above all the bustle you hear
Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day
The song "Silver Bells" by Bright Eyes captures the essence of the holiday season in the city. The lyricist describes the hustle and bustle of city sidewalks, dressed in holiday cheer and busy with people rushing to and fro. Despite the chaos, there is still a feeling of joy and anticipation in the air, with children laughing and strangers exchanging smiles. The jingling sound of silver bells can be heard on each street corner, symbolizing the approach of Christmas day. Against the backdrop of blinking red and green street lights, shoppers hurry home with their treasures and kids gather excitedly, making it Santa's big scene.
The song perfectly captures the magic and excitement of the holiday season in the city. It is a time when people come together to celebrate and share their joy with others. The ringing of bells serves as a reminder to slow down and cherish the moment, instead of getting lost in the chaos of the season. The lyrics also touch on the idea of Christmas as a time for giving, with shoppers rushing home with their newly bought treasures.
Line by Line Meaning
Silver bells, silver bells
The sound of silver bells ringing in celebration of Christmas is heard.
It's Christmas time in the city
The city is bustling with the festivities and cheer of Christmas.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
The sound of the silver bells ringing joyfully can be heard.
Soon it will be Christmas day
The arrival of Christmas day is imminent and highly anticipated.
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
The sidewalks of the city are crowded and bustling with people.
Dressed in holiday style
People are decked up in their best holiday attire and accessories to match the festive mood.
In the air there's a feeling like Christmas
The air is imbued with a special feeling that is uniquely associated with the Christmas season.
Children laughing, people passing
Children are filled with joy and laughter as people pass by on the streets.
Meeting smile after smile
The festive cheer is radiated through the smiles of people as they pass by each other.
And on every street corner you hear
The sound of the silver bells ringing can be heard on every street corner.
Strings of street lights
The streets are adorned with decorative strings of holiday lights.
Even stop lights
The stop lights also follow the holiday theme by blinking red and green.
Blink a bright red and green
The stop lights blink in bright red and green colors to signal the arrival of Christmas.
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures
Shoppers hurry home with their bags of holiday treasures and presents to be shared with loved ones.
Hear the snow crunch
The sound of the snow crunching underfoot can be heard as people move about in the chill winter air.
See the kids bunch
Children have gathered in groups and are enjoying the holiday season.
This is Santa's big scene
The festive scene and the arrival of Christmas is a highlight for Santa Claus.
And above all the bustle you hear
Over the bustle of the crowd and celebrations, the sound of the silver bells ringing can still be heard.
Contributed by Carter E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeffrey Jeffrey
Anybody listening for Christmas 2019?
modarXmodar
Such a special album....
Auden Ryan
I love how I'm listening to the entire album (thanks to you ♥ ) in the end of July, haha. Christmas is no where near but it's okay.
fullmetal78745
screw it i don't care if it's not Christmas i'm gonna listen to these songs either way :)
summer black
Conor Oberst makes the best christmas music, so authentic
strawberryfizz0
TIME TO START LISTENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Floydthefuckbag
Merry Christmas Bright Eyes fans!
Slyme Green
Well, damn. It would have been nice if I found this a week or so ago...
meli
thanks for uploading! :D
Stacey Morris
gorgeous