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.
The City Has Sex
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the concrete collides, the scenery grows
And the lonely once bandaged lay fully exposed
Having undressed their wounds for each other
And there is a boy in a basement with a four track machine
He's been strumming and screaming all night, down there
The tape hiss will cover the words that he sings
In a graveyard or garden that waits for the spring
To awake from its sleep and burst into green
And I've cried and you would think I would better for it
But the sadness just sleeps and it stays in your spine
For the rest of your life
And I've learned and you'd think I'd be something more now
But it just goes to show it is not what you know
It's what you were thinking at the time.
This feeling's familiar, I've been here before
In a kitchen this quiet I waited for a sign or just something
That might reassure me of anything close to meaning or motion
(With a reason to move)
I need something I want to be close to
And I scream, but I still don't know why I do it
Because the sound never stays, it just swells and decays
So what is the point?
Why try to fight what is now so certain?
The truth is all that I am is a passing event that will be forgotten
The City Has Sex by Bright Eyes is a poignant portrayal of the perpetually lonely, hopeless and disturbed in the city. The song opens with the singer speaking about the city being self-involved, selfish and indulgent, indulging in its own concrete collision and the exponential growth of its own scenery. This is followed by the lonely, emotionally broken, shedding their covers and revealing their vulnerabilities to each other in the hope of some kind of human connection. This is a metaphorical representation of the impersonal nature of the city that is disturbing its inhabitants.
The second stanza speaks of a boy, who is a musician, singing about his own problems, and recording them in the hopes that the tape hiss will hide his sadness. There is an acknowledgment of the cultural habit of hiding one's problems and pretend they don't exist. The singer, in the first stanza, uses the metaphor of a graveyard or a garden that awakens from sleep in the spring to describe his desire for change and hope, but the sadness only sleeps and stays in one's consciousness. The human experience, the suffering, the joy, the sadness, all of it is a fleeting thing that eventually disappears and is forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
The city has sex with itself, I suppose
The city is constantly growing and developing, which can be seen as it collides with itself
As the concrete collides, the scenery grows
The city's infrastructure continues to expand and change, impacting the surrounding environment
And the lonely once bandaged lay fully exposed
People who were previously protected or hidden away are now vulnerable and exposed in the city
Having undressed their wounds for each other
People in the city rely on each other for support and comfort, revealing their struggles in the process
And there is a boy in a basement with a four track machine
There is a young, creative individual working hard in a solitary space to produce music
He's been strumming and screaming all night, down there
The boy is deeply passionate about his music and is devoted to his craft
The tape hiss will cover the words that he sings
Technical limitations may prevent the boy's music from sounding perfect, masking the true meaning of his lyrics
But then they say it's better to bury your sadness
Some people believe it is healthier to hide or suppress one's emotions in order to move on
In a graveyard or garden that waits for the spring
Nature carries on with its cycles of growth and change, regardless of human emotion and action
To awake from its sleep and burst into green
Nature will ultimately prevail and flourish, even after periods of rest and dormancy
And I've cried and you would think I would better for it
Experiencing deep emotions often does not automatically lead to feeling better or finding solutions to problems
But the sadness just sleeps and it stays in your spine
Emotional pain can linger and cause lasting impacts on a person's well-being
For the rest of your life
Emotional experiences can shape and define a person long after the initial event occurred
And I've learned and you'd think I'd be something more now
Learning from past experiences does not always translate into immediate growth or change
But it just goes to show it is not what you know
Simply having knowledge or understanding is not enough to navigate difficult situations and emotions
It's what you were thinking at the time.
The specific circumstances and mindset surrounding a situation greatly impact one's ability to cope and move forward
This feeling's familiar, I've been here before
Experiencing similar emotions and situations can feel repetitive and overwhelming
In a kitchen this quiet I waited for a sign or just something
Even in mundane, everyday spaces, a person may yearn for some kind of guidance or relief from emotional turmoil
That might reassure me of anything close to meaning or motion
One may hope for something to give their life purpose or direction, especially during difficult times
(With a reason to move)
Something to motivate or inspire action is necessary in order to move forward
I need something I want to be close to
Desiring connection and closeness is a natural human impulse when feeling lost or alone
And I scream, but I still don't know why I do it
Expressing emotions through screaming or other means can be cathartic, even if the reason for doing so is unclear
Because the sound never stays, it just swells and decays
The release of emotions through sound is temporary and fleeting, not necessarily leading to a permanent resolution
So what is the point?
Feeling like there is no clear purpose to one's actions and emotions can be disheartening and overwhelming
Why try to fight what is now so certain?
Struggling against natural processes or accepting difficult truths can be discouraging and exhausting
The truth is all that I am is a passing event that will be forgotten
Acknowledging one's own mortality and insignificance in the grand scheme of things can be a humbling realization
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Conor Oberst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind