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 Movement of a Hand
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Echoes leading down the hall to a room
There is music playing
Tiny bells with moving parts
Here the shadows make things ugly
An effect quite undesirable
The bold and yellow daylight
And it bounces off of the painted porcelain
A tiny dancing doll
Her body spins as she pirouettes again
The world suddenly seems small
On an off white subtle morning
You stretch your legs in the front seat
And the road has made a vacuum
Where our voices used to be
And you lay your head onto my shoulder
Pour like water over me
So if I just exist for the next ten minutes of this drive
That would be fine
And all these trees that line this curb
Would be rejoicing and alive
Soon all the joy that pours from everything
Makes fountains of your eyes
Because you finally understand the movement of a hand
Waving you goodbye
The Bright Eyes song "The Movement of a Hand" is a reflective and emotional piece that tackles themes of loss and the fleeting nature of time. The first verse begins with a description of a room, specifically the sound of music playing from it. The shadows in the room are described as making things "ugly," which could imply a sense of emotional weight or darkness that is present in the room. The use of the word "undesirable" only emphasizes this connotation further. The description of the "bold and yellow daylight" growing like ivy across the wall provides a contrast to the shadows mentioned before, almost like a symbol of hope and renewal. However, this image is followed by the description of a "tiny dancing doll" that spins and pirouettes like time itself — constantly moving and never truly stopping. This sudden juxtaposition of ideas may symbolize the futility of trying to stop the passage of time or the inevitability of change.
The second verse shifts to a more personal story, describing a drive with someone sitting next to the singer in the passenger seat. The use of the phrase "off white subtle morning" creates a sense of stillness and calmness, almost like the world is holding its breath. The idea that the road has made a vacuum where their voices used to fill the space could mean that something significant or important has changed, leaving a void. The imagery of water pouring over someone emphasizes the idea of change and the passage of time. The mention of trees rejoicing and being alive seems to emphasize the importance of appreciating what we have while we have it, because everything is fleeting.
The final verse is perhaps the most poignant, as it talks about the joy that comes from truly understanding something as simple as the movement of a hand waving goodbye. This idea may represent acceptance, coming to terms with a loss, or simply learning to appreciate the moments that we have. The image of joy pouring from someone's eyes like fountains is a powerful one, suggesting a sense of release or catharsis. Overall, the song is a meditation on the passage of time and the importance of appreciating life's fleeting moments.
Line by Line Meaning
You follow the footsteps
You're tracing someone's path
Echoes leading down the hall to a room
Sounds are guiding you towards a particular room
There is music playing
You can hear music
Tiny bells with moving parts
The music features small, tinkling bells that have internal components
Here the shadows make things ugly
In this setting, the darkness distorts things and makes them less appealing
An effect quite undesirable
This is not a desirable occurrence
The bold and yellow daylight
Strong, vibrant sunlight
Grows like ivy across the wall
The light spreads across the wall like a vine
And it bounces off of the painted porcelain
The light reflects off of a ceramic statue
A tiny dancing doll
A small figurine that moves rhythmically
Her body spins as she pirouettes again
The doll twirls in a circle once more
The world suddenly seems small
The surroundings seem to shrink in perspective
On an off white subtle morning
It's early morning and the light is dim
You stretch your legs in the front seat
You're sitting in the front seat of a vehicle with your legs extended
And the road has made a vacuum
The road has created a void
Where our voices used to be
Where there used to be conversation between people in the car
And you lay your head onto my shoulder
You lean your head on someone's shoulder
Pour like water over me
You feel like someone's emotions are flooding over you
So if I just exist for the next ten minutes of this drive
You don't need to do anything else on this drive but exist
That would be fine
That would be okay
And all these trees that line this curb
The trees on this street
Would be rejoicing and alive
They would seem cheerful and vibrant
Soon all the joy that pours from everything
There is happiness emanating from everything around you
Makes fountains of your eyes
This happiness makes you cry tears of joy
Because you finally understand the movement of a hand
You finally understand how simple actions can be meaningful
Waving you goodbye
Someone is saying goodbye to you with a wave
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Conor Oberst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind