At fourteen years of age, Oberst became singer and guitarist of Commander Venus, an indie rock band. The former members of Commander Venus, Tim Kasher of Cursive, Robb Nansel (who now runs Saddle Creek), and Todd Fink of The Faint, would later go on to feature in many Saddle Creek recording groups. Conor was also a member of the band Park Ave, which he joined after terminating the difficult relationship he had with Megan Saienni, due to an affair with Maria Pantin.
Oberst was also guitarist and singer for the band Desaparecidos. The music and lyrics of Desaparecidos differ greatly from Bright Eyes, having more in common with punk rock than folk. The lyrics are generally social and political commentary on the state of affairs in America, the pitfalls of the suburban lifestyle, and America's love of capitalism as opposed to the more introspective lyrics of Bright Eyes.
Oberst is one of the founding members of the independent record label Saddle Creek Records, which hosts and has hosted bands including Cursive, Desaparecidos, The Faint, Rilo Kiley (who left to start their own label Brute/Beaute Records), Bright Eyes, Son Ambulance, Azure Ray, The Good Life, and Sorry About Dresden, among others.
Oberst is currently involved in a boycott of Clear Channel Communications. His broadcast television performances include a spot on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in March 2005, which sparked controversy with his performance of the incendiary "When the President Talks to God", The Late Show with David Letterman, on which he performed "The Trees Get Wheeled Away", and his guitar-smashing performance of "Road to Joy" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Oberst was a member of the Vote for Change tour in 2004 with Bruce Springsteen and REM. He has recently started his own label, Team Love, which is currently hosting bands such as Tilly and the Wall, M. Ward, Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins, A Weather, Capgun Coup, and David Dondero.
Bands:
Commander Venus from 1995-97
The Magnetas in 1996
Park Ave. from 1996-98
Desaparecidos from 2001-2
Bright Eyes since 1995
Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band since New Year's Weekend 2007
Monsters of Folk since 2009
Better Oblivion Community Center since 2019
Souled Out!!!
Conor Oberst Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Miguel, he's a friend of mine
With brick we've built a reputation
Like dry ice in the summertime
Now all you need's an electric razor
A magic bullet and a grassy knoll
The whole world's just a little oyster
I woke up in the age of wires
I fell asleep at the dusk of man
Now I'm cold,
Fingers crossed in the Promised Land
But you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
No you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
No you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
All souled out, in heaven
The Bario starts two streets over
Monsay, she's a friend of mine
Keeps the peace like a whistle blower
Flying kites in the wintertime
Magic carpet is the transportation
Went to the moon in a soda can
Not all my boys believe in science
Stretching truth in the Promised Land
But you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
No you won't be getting in
No you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
It's souled out, in heaven
You know by now
You know by now
You know by now
That you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
That you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
No you won't be getting in
It's souled out, in heaven
No you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
No you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
No you won't be getting in
(You know by now)
To heaven
(You know by now)
To heaven
(You know by now)
To heaven
The lyrics to Conor Oberst's "Souled Out!!!" are full of vivid imagery and references to popular culture, touching on themes of disillusionment, drug use, and the promise of a better life. Through references to friends like Miguel and Montse and their respective experiences with drug use and unique forms of transportation, Oberst paints a picture of a world that is fascinating and seductive, but ultimately unattainable.
The opening stanza of the song sets the stage, with the barrio (Spanish for neighborhood) just two streets over and a friend named Miguel who has built a reputation for selling brick weed. The comparison to dry ice in the summertime suggests a certain coolness and appeal of this lifestyle that can be hard to resist. The second stanza introduces another friend named Montse, who carries a weapon like a whistle blower and enjoys flying kites in the wintertime. The image of a magic carpet as a mode of transportation highlights the sense of magic and wonder that permeates this world, with Oberst describing his friends as stretching truth in the promised land.
The repeated refrain of "you won't be getting in" suggests a feeling of exclusion, as if there is no way to access this world even if you wanted to. The final lines of the song, with a quick reference to a volcanic mountain in Mexico and the repeated mantra of "to heaven," suggest a spiritual longing or desire for something beyond this world.
Line by Line Meaning
The barrio starts two streets over
The neighborhood begins just two streets away
Miguel, he's a friend of mine
Miguel is someone whom I know personally and consider my friend
With brick weed, built a reputation
Miguel has cultivated a reputation of being associated with low-quality marijuana
Like dry ice in the summertime
Miguel's reputation is fleeting and cannot sustain itself, like dry ice in hot weather
Now all you need's an electric razor
The only necessary tool is an electric razor
A magic bullet in a grassy knoll
A bullet that appears magically from a particular location, referring to the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's assassination
The whole world's just a little oyster
The world is small and manageable, which is alluded to in Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor
To Snow White and the poison apple leaves
Everything in life has two sides, good and bad - just like the poison apple from Snow White
I woke up in the age of wires
The artist was born into a generation where technology and connections dominate everyday life
I fell asleep at the dusk of man
The artist metaphorically went to sleep during a time of societal decline and struggle
Now I'm cold as Popocatepetl
The singer is emotionless like the dormant Popocatepetl volcano
Fingers crossed in the promised land
The artist is in the land of promise or hope, but remains cautiously hopeful
But you won't be getting in
The listener will be unable to access something
(You know by now)
The idea has already been understood by the listener
All sold out in heaven
Heaven is no longer accessible because everything is taken or unavailable
Montse, she's a friend of mine
Montse is someone whom I know personally and consider my friend
Keeps a piece like a whistle blower
Montse has some firearm that she keeps like a person who exposes secrets
Flying kites in the wintertime
Montse is having fun and being carefree all year round
Magic carpet is the transportation
The singer's mode of transportation is magical like a flying carpet
Went to the moon in a soda can
The artist has done something extraordinary and impossible like traveling to the moon in a soda can
Not all my boys believe in science
Not everyone in the artist's group believes that science is the answer to everything
Stretching truth in the promised land
People are exaggerating and not being completely honest in the hopes of achieving something greater
El Popocatepetl esta dormido
The Popocatepetl volcano is dormant
Pero pronto despertara
But it will soon awaken
To heaven
To the final resting place after death
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CONOR OBERST, JASON BOESEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ranchoboyeros
It is reassuirng to have Conor as part of our lives.His songs are a breathe of fresh air
@Plastikk2000
hahahah oh my god it sounds like weezer. conor has changed and i support him anyway, i like it, it's a happy song, i like the other ones though, from bright eyes, desaparecidos, commander venus and the ones when he was 12-13. I LOVE IT! go conor
@valeriacaldas
mike mogis is not a part of it.