One of my all time favorite songs, one of my all time favorite songwriters and performers - and one of the few (very eclectic) certainties in my Desert Island Collection. This album best highlights Oberst’s unique talent of writing lyrics with pathos, humour, cynicism and pure humanity. They are delivered with poetic and poignant use of phrase, and follow ‘Dylanesque’ narratives that drip equal parts joy and desolation - often at the same time.
I know that it is freezing but I think we have to walk I keep waving at the taxis; they keep turning their lights off But Julie knows a party at some actor’s west side loft Supplies are endless in the evening; by the morning they’ll be gone.
When everything is lonely I can be my own best friend I get a coffee and the paper; have my own conversations With the sidewalk and the pigeons and my window reflection The mask I polish in the evening, by the morning looks like shit.
And I know you have a heavy heart; I can feel it when we kiss So many men stronger than me have thrown their backs out trying to lift it But me I’m not a gamble you can count on me to split The love I sell you in the evening, by the morning won’t exist.
You’re looking skinny like a model with your eyes all painted black You just keep going to the bathroom always say you’ll be right back Well it takes one to know one, kid, I think you’ve got it bad But what’s so easy in the evening, by the morning is such a drag.
I’ve got a flask inside my pocket we can share it on the train If you promise to stay conscious I will try and do the same We might die from medication, but we sure killed all the pain But what was normal in the evening, by the morning seems insane.
And I’m not sure what the trouble was that started all of this The reasons all have run away but the feeling never did It’s not something I would recommend, but it is one way to live Cause what is simple in the moonlight, by the morning never is What’s so simple in the moonlight, now is so complicated
What’s so simple in the moonlight, so simple in the moonlight
All the while, his complex lyrical meanderings bely the simplicity of many of the arrangements - he is often best stripped back and accompanied by an acoustic guitar. A raw, beautiful and constantly reengaging masterpiece - it is never far from my playlist.
we must talk in every telephone, get eaten off the web we must rip out all the epilogues from the books that we have read into the face of every criminal strapped firmly to a chair we must stare, we must stare, we must stare
we must take all of the medicines too expensive now to sell set fire to the preacher who is promising us hell and into the ear of every anarchist that sleeps but doesn’t dream we must sing, we must sing, we must sing
we must blend into the choir; sing as static with the whole we must memorize nine numbers and deny we have a soul and in this endless race for property and privilege to be won we must run, we must run, we must run
we must hang up in the belfry where the bats in moonlight laugh we must stare into a crystal ball and only see the past into the caverns of tomorrow with just our flashlights and our love we must plunge, we must plunge, we must plunge
and then we’ll get down there
way down to the very bottom of everything
and we’ll see it, we’ll see it
we’ll see it…
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes)
das ve danya
And in the caverns of tomorrow with just our flashlights and our Love,
We must plunge, we must plunge, we must plunge.
And when we get down there, way down to the very Bottom of Everything
Oh then we’ll see it!
Oh we’ll see it, we’ll see it, we’ll see it, we’ll see it, we’ll see it!
YEAH!!! Only 5 hours till Bright Eyes @ HiFi Bar Melb! I am so Conor excited!
but me im not a gamble
u can count on me to split
the love i sell u in the evening
by the morning wont exist
we must talk in every telephone, get eaten off the web we must rip out all the epilogues from the books that we have read into the face of every criminal strapped firmly to a chair we must stare, we must stare, we must stare
we must take all of the medicines too expensive now to sell set fire to the preacher who is promising us hell and into the ear of every anarchist that sleeps but doesn’t dream we must sing, we must sing, we must sing
we must blend into the choir; sing as static with the whole we must memorize nine numbers and deny we have a soul and in this endless race for property and privilege to be won we must run, we must run, we must run
we must hang up in the belfry where the bats in moonlight laugh we must stare into a crystal ball and only see the past into the caverns of tomorrow with just our flashlights and our love we must plunge, we must plunge, we must plunge
and then we’ll get down there
way down to the very bottom of everything
and we’ll see it, we’ll see it
we’ll see it…
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes)
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