Southern State
Bright Eyes Lyrics


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Well, the songs you sung spiraled
And hung round like echoes
Or ripples on a pond
So you circled the globe
Spent a year on the road
Without ever going home
More than a couple of days
Then you leave right away
Run to a girl you barely know
But you like how she sings
And you can't help but think
That there's something that she knows
And could teach you

Well you're sleeping in that southern state
Where the bars are filled
With people you can't hate
But try as you try
You still can't relate to them
You drink that whiskey down
As they ask you:
Are you who you say you are?
The fact that we can't tell
Makes us like you even more

So now you're trying again
Or just visiting friends
One had just had his heart broke
For the first time in his life
He realized there are times
When you can't make it alone
So now you are giving advice
As if you had the right
To use a word like love
It's a negotiable term
What gets said's not what is heard
So it's different then for everyone

But you've been hanging
Around that college town
With your new life
Your new lover you found
And you are keeping her up at night
Bringing her down
She'll watch you drink yourself to death
But won't ask you
Is this really what you want?




Or are you just sticking with it now
Cause it's all you got?

Overall Meaning

In Bright Eyes’ song True Blue, Conor Oberst sings about the life of a musician and the constant traveling, which makes it hard to connect with people and maintain relationships. The lyrics describe the singer’s journey around the world, where he meets a girl who teaches him new things, but he has to leave her to continue his travels. He then finds himself sleeping in a southern state, surrounded by people he can’t relate to. Even though they question his identity, the fact that they can’t discern who he really is draws them closer to him. The singer then finds himself trying to offer advice to a friend who recently experienced a heartbreak. He tries to use the word “love” even though he doesn’t feel qualified to define it. The final verses of the song reveal that the singer has found a new lover and is living in a college town, but his lifestyle is taking a toll on him as he drinks himself to death. Although his partner can see the damage being done, she refuses to question his choices as she believes that he knows what he’s doing.


Overall, True Blue’s lyrics touch on the themes of isolation, identity, and relationships. The singer of the song is constantly moving, never staying in one place for too long, which makes it hard to maintain relationships with people. The songs he writes and sings are like echoes, circles that never really connect. The people he meets ask him if he is who he says he is, which highlights his struggle to establish a solid identity that isn’t defined solely by his music. The song touches on how love is a complicated and personal concept that can’t be easily defined or explained. The repetition of the phrase “true blue” might appear to be meant in the sense of loyalty, but its meaning is open-ended, allowing listeners to draw their interpretations based on their experiences.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, the songs you sung spiraled
Your music spread like a spiral to different parts of the world


And hung round like echoes
Your music lingered in people's minds like echoes


Or ripples on a pond
Your music caused a ripple effect in the world


So you circled the globe
You traveled across the world


Spent a year on the road
You spent a year traveling and performing


Without ever going home
You didn't ever return home


More than a couple of days
You didn't stay in one place for too long


Then you leave right away
You always left quickly


Run to a girl you barely know
You visit a girl you just met


But you like how she sings
You appreciate her singing voice


And you can't help but think
You feel she has knowledge to offer you


That there's something that she knows
You believe she has valuable information to share


And could teach you
You want to learn from her


Well you're sleeping in that southern state
You're staying in a southern state


Where the bars are filled
The bars are crowded


With people you can't hate
You don't hate the people surrounding you


But try as you try
Even so you struggle


You still can't relate to them
You don't feel a strong connection to them


You drink that whiskey down
You drink whiskey


As they ask you:
They ask you a question


Are you who you say you are?
They question your identity


The fact that we can't tell
They can't determine your true identity


Makes us like you even more
They appreciate your mysterious persona


So now you're trying again
You're attempting something new


Or just visiting friends
You're visiting your friends


One had just had his heart broke
One of your friends recently had a heartbreak


For the first time in his life
This is a new experience for him


He realized there are times
He comprehends there are moments


When you can't make it alone
You can't always succeed on your own


So now you are giving advice
You're offering guidance


As if you had the right
You speak as if you're knowledgeable


To use a word like love
You feel entitled to mention love


It's a negotiable term
Love is subjective and open to interpretation


What gets said's not what is heard
What is told may not be what is understood


So it's different then for everyone
Love is individual and experienced differently by each person


But you've been hanging
You've been spending time


Around that college town
In that university city


With your new life
With your new way of living


Your new lover you found
The person you're in love with now


And you are keeping her up at night
Your behavior is affecting her sleep


Bringing her down
Making her feel unhappy


She'll watch you drink yourself to death
She'll observe and allow you to harm yourself with alcohol


But won't ask you
She won't inquire


Is this really what you want?
Questioning if this is truly what you desire


Or are you just sticking with it now
Continuing what you're doing out of habit or necessity


Cause it's all you got?
Continuing because you feel you have no other options




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Conor Oberst

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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