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.
Susan Miller Rag
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Relax your love
Relax your living
And cruise... past the People's Choice and their backwards attitudes.
When you're done all sleeping and all your dreams fall through
Relax your rush
Relax your grieving
Light in the corners of the room
In your Eighth House is a rising moon
Better get out of here soon...
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state you're stuck in
Relax your law
Relax your ego
And groove... from the deep-sea dive to the nose-bleed altitudes
When you divide the memories outside the photobooth
Relax your cause
Relax your feeling
And choose... not the one that you want but the one they just handed you
When the tequila gimmicks start soft but get you juiced
Relax your thoughts
Relax your breathing
And do... what you want, when you want, with whoever you wanted to
The sun is eclipsed as silence swoons
And you your Eighth House is a darkened room
Is it midnight or high noon?
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this marathon race you're running
Relax your costs
And dodge the zeroes
And prove... what you think that you can to whoever you needed to
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state you're stuck in
...You're stuck in
The song "Susan Miller Rag" by Bright Eyes is a beautiful composition that talks about letting go of the things that bind an individual in life. Conor Oberst, the songwriter of the song, presents various moments in life where people can feel trapped or stuck in certain situations that prevent them from moving forward. The first verse talks about the knots that keep a person from getting loose, be it physical or emotional. The solution offered is to relax and cruise past the People's Choice and their backwards attitudes.
The chorus talks about the need to move far away from the rag trade and the maritime state that an individual is stuck in, which could represent the status quo or societal expectations. The second verse talks about the importance of letting go of the memories or experiences that hinder an individual's growth. The solution presented is to relax and choose the path handed over, rather than the one a person may want to take.
The third verse talks about the tequila gimmicks that get a person juiced, indicating how people often numb themselves to avoid confronting their problems. The solution presented is to relax and do what a person wants with whoever they wanted to. The verses, interwoven with the chorus, present a beautiful picture of an individual who is aware of their situation and is encouraged to relax, let go of their ego, and do what they feel is right.
Line by Line Meaning
When all the knots' attention keep you from getting loose
When all your problems and struggles prevent you from being free
Relax your love
Relax your emotional attachment to things that are causing you stress
Relax your living
Relax your daily routine and lifestyle
And cruise... past the People's Choice and their backwards attitudes.
Take it easy and ignore the negative opinions of others.
When you're done all sleeping and all your dreams fall through
When you have lost hope and feel defeated
Relax your rush
Stop hurrying and stressing
Relax your grieving
Allow yourself to mourn and feel sad
And lose... yourself in the trill of your woodwind solitude
Find comfort and solace in something that brings you joy.
Light in the corners of the room
Faint hope in the darkness
In your Eighth House is a rising moon
Positive changes are coming
Better get out of here soon...
Leave before it's too late
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from the struggles and stresses of daily life
Far away from this maritime state you're stuck in
Far away from the place where you feel trapped
Relax your law
Stop being so rigid and following rules strictly
Relax your ego
Stop being self-centered and open-minded
And groove... from the deep-sea dive to the nose-bleed altitudes
Experience life to the fullest and explore uncharted territories.
When you divide the memories outside the photobooth
When you separate yourself from your past and old memories
Relax your cause
Stop obsessing over something that may not be worth it
Relax your feeling
Stop over-analyzing your emotions
And choose... not the one that you want but the one they just handed you
Choose the path that is given to you
When the tequila gimmicks start soft but get you juiced
When something seems harmless but ends up causing trouble
Relax your thoughts
Stop overthinking and worrying
Relax your breathing
Calm yourself down and relax
And do... what you want, when you want, with whoever you wanted to
Live your life without being held back by others or rules.
The sun is eclipsed as silence swoons
Darkness fell upon and quiet envelops the surroundings
And you your Eighth House is a darkened room
You feel lost and hopeless
Is it midnight or high noon?
Is it too late or too early to start over?
Relax your costs
Stop worrying about expenses
And dodge the zeroes
Avoid failures and problems
And prove... what you think that you can to whoever you needed to
Show yourself and others that you can achieve what you set your mind to.
...You're stuck in
You feel trapped and unable to escape.
Contributed by Elliot P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nathanael Mekis
This song is by Bright Eyes and appears on the pre-order release of the album Cassadaga (2007).
When all the knots' attention keep you from getting loose
Relax your love
Relax your living
And cruise... past the People's Choice and their backwards attitudes.
When you're done all sleeping and all your dreams fall through
Relax your rush
Relax your grieving
And lose... yourself in the trill of your woodwind solitude
Light in the corners of the room
In your Eighth House is a rising moon
Better get out of here soon...
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state you're stuck in
Relax your law
Relax your ego
And groove... from the deep-sea dive to the nose-bleed altitudes
When you divide the memories outside the photobooth
Relax your cause
Relax your feeling
And choose... not the one that you want but the one they just handed you
When the tequila gimmicks start soft but get you juiced
Relax your thoughts
Relax your breathing
And do... what you want, when you want, with whoever you wanted to
The sun is eclipsed as silence swoons
And you your Eighth House is a darkened room
Is it midnight or high noon?
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this marathon race you're running
Relax your costs
And dodge the zeroes
And prove... what you think that you can to whoever you needed to
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state you're stuck in
...You're stuck in
Nathanael Mekis
This song is by Bright Eyes and appears on the pre-order release of the album Cassadaga (2007).
When all the knots' attention keep you from getting loose
Relax your love
Relax your living
And cruise... past the People's Choice and their backwards attitudes.
When you're done all sleeping and all your dreams fall through
Relax your rush
Relax your grieving
And lose... yourself in the trill of your woodwind solitude
Light in the corners of the room
In your Eighth House is a rising moon
Better get out of here soon...
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state you're stuck in
Relax your law
Relax your ego
And groove... from the deep-sea dive to the nose-bleed altitudes
When you divide the memories outside the photobooth
Relax your cause
Relax your feeling
And choose... not the one that you want but the one they just handed you
When the tequila gimmicks start soft but get you juiced
Relax your thoughts
Relax your breathing
And do... what you want, when you want, with whoever you wanted to
The sun is eclipsed as silence swoons
And you your Eighth House is a darkened room
Is it midnight or high noon?
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this marathon race you're running
Relax your costs
And dodge the zeroes
And prove... what you think that you can to whoever you needed to
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state
Far away from the rag trade
Far away from this maritime state you're stuck in
...You're stuck in
Moomphs
I'm a big fan of Cassadaga and listened to it many times yet I've never heard this song. So excited to find this lol
flynajji
it's a b-side to cassadaga. it's accompanied by "tourist trap", "reinvent the wheel", "cartoon blues", "smoke without fire", "stray dog freedom", and "endless entertainment." :>
Pro 501
I ordered a few bright eyes shirts and a harmonica and I got 2 of the mini cds for this song
Moriah Mylod
Thank you for sharing this!
Hunter Benson
When in the world did this come out?
Lauren Voyles
I like the frog on the skateboard, haha. Thanks for the smile :)
Quintin Sarren
Its a toad, lol. It is very cute
Patricia Curtis
eternal radness
Cascadian Crow
relax your love, relax your ego....