An in depth look into Bright Eyes' "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" - Part 2

A few more themes and motifs in Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (part 1 is here):
City - The album was at least partly conceived while Oberst was living in NYC during a rather tumultuous time in his life. The city with its high rises, sidewalks and neon signs, to name a few items (including the subway and the village in "Train under water") is very present in the album. This is done not just as a backdrop to the theme of loneliness, but almost to an accompanying presence in itself.

Loneliness - An almost existential anxiety is pervading large parts of the album, dealing with death and being alone, living with yourself. The final line in the first song sums the starting point: "I found out I am really no one". I'm not sure this point changes much throughout the album, but more sides of it are explored.

Drugs and Alcohol - Help deal with the constant sense of loneliness and the pains of being alive. Treated with ambiguity ("We might die from medication, but we sure killed all the pain").

Telephone and Camera - The telephone is an important means for communication that should be utilized more ("to talk to strangers"). The camera is a symbol for truth and memories ("Polaroids").

Moon - provides a sense of calmness, fantasy and false clarity (especially in comparison with the harsh reality of morning).

War - A strong sentiment against war (presumably the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, though there are plenty of metaphorical wars I can think about as well) in several songs. The main message is "If you love something, give it away" or "If we walk away, they'll walk away", but by the end there's almost a pragmatic (and very cynical) stance saying "It's best to join the side that's gonna win". This surrender, also articulated by "I'll fight like hell to hide that I've given up", seems a bit surprising for Oberst. By the closing lines Conor looks as though he's accepting the fact that he cannot change things, but he still keeps his own voice (and conscience: "Well I could have been a famous singer, If I had some one else's voice, But failure always sounded better; Let's fuck it up boys, make some noise!").

The last stanza of the last song is both a conclusion to the album and at the same time an open ending. With "The sun came up with no conclusions, Flowers sleepin' in their beds; The city cemetary's hummin', I'm wide awake, it's morning!" uttered in energetic despair, Conor, now in possession of his yellow bird, leaps to grasp at life, with all its memories, pains and loneliness; but there is bitterness to it, even then. And the four lines that may best sum up a great portion of the album are these: "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's one way to live, 'Cause what is simple in the moonlight by the morning never is". So in essence, this is also about getting to the morning and living it.

What remains of the optimist in me says that it's better to choose life, morning-ugly clarity and all. The pessimist within agrees as well.

Is there a message for us to find in the album or are we just guessing within our own thoughts and feelings? Either way, thank you Conor for this beautiful mystery.

Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward - Train Under Water (Live) {MP3} (from An Evening with Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward - February 20, 2004)
Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward - One Foot in Front of the Other (Live) {MP3} (from An Evening with Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward - February 20, 2004)
Get I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning on Amazon or iTunes.

An in depth look into Bright Eyes' "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" - Part 1

Bright Eyes' "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" is one of my favorite albums of all times, though I was a bit late in getting to know it. Listening to it and reading the lyrics recently have made me think there may be more to it than meets the eyes (and ears).

The album is arranged with a determined order, from an introductory song in the beginning, contrived shifts and passages leading from one song to the next (not only in melody but also in terms of connecting lyrics and themes) and finally a concluding song. In addition, there seem to be several themes laced throughout it, perhaps in slightly different meaning in each song, but they all help to bind the album together as a single work of art and provide it with added layers of meaning. Here are some of the most noteworthy of themes, all of them interacting with one another in some way:

Morning - A reference to "morning" or "dawn" appears in 8 out of 10 of the songs, and the other two share a theme that does not appear on any of the other songs (see below). The name of the album is the last line of the last song, a sort of conclusion in its own (more on that in part 2). The morning in the album usually stands for something expected, a sort of "clearing up" or disillusion, a return to the "normal" situation.

Yellow Bird - Appears in the two songs mentioned earlier (without a "morning" reference). In its first occurrence, in "We are nowhere and it's now", the song's protagonist (apparently Oberst himself) is urged: "By now you probably should have learned. Did you forget that yellow bird? But how could you forget your yellow bird?".
On the second instance, in "Poison oak" (a rather mysterious song, possibly to a very close friend), Oberst continues: "And I never thought this life was possible. You're the yellow bird that I've been waiting for". It seems the yellow bird is expected, desired and recognized when it finally appears. In both cases it could be a symbol for hope and liberation, an intrinsic positive value that can manifest in others; especially good friends for example. It is evident that the recognition of the yellow bird triggers an invigorating transformation, a realization, though not exactly happiness: "The end of paralysis, I was a statuette, Now I'm drunk as hell on a piano bench, And when I press the keys it all gets reversed, The sound of loneliness makes me happier".

End of part 1 - tomorrow the conclusion, including the rest of the themes and why this album is still a beautiful mystery to me (second part is here). Please feel free to share your insights about this album. Buy it on Amazon or iTunes.

Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life {MP3} (Live on KCRW 4.10.03)
Conor Oberst, Jim James, and M. Ward - At the Bottom of Everything (Live) {MP3} (from An Evening with Conor Oberst, Jim James and M. Ward - February 20, 2004)

Song of the Morning: Lover's Spit

I've finally got all my tests and papers back. My M.A. is complete. I probably should feel happy about it, or at least a bit more relaxed.

It finally begun sinking last night, as I finished updating the iTunes library. I closed it and then turned - there was nothing I had to do, no special reason to check the university's website, no deadline in which to read or write a paper. That is, one that was not of my own making and design.

I went back to school to escape the imposing banality of work, the repeating made-up tasks and the bite of dull-teethed routines; it was my purpose to invigorate those brain cells that survived the gaping mouth of an existence I was taught both to loathe and admire. I believe I was successful, at least in part.

The point now is to find the next challenge, to give my life the definition and direction it requires and through it meaning.

I woke up this morning with two lines from two distinct songs playing in my head. First, there was Feist's rendition of "Lover's Spit", in particular the opening line "All these people drinking lover's spit". The second was a part of the chorus for Bright Eyes' "If the Brakeman Turns My Way" - a repeating "moving out". Reading both these songs' lyrics now, I find they share a certain degree of uncertainty and expectation for the coming future, probably in hope of a better one.

So, here's to the future and the great unknown.

Feist - Lover's Spit {MP3} (Broken Social Scene cover), live on the famed Black Sessions, 2007. The song is originally from You Forgot It in People.

Bright Eyes - If the Brakeman Turns My Way (a lovely fan made video clip, originally from Cassadaga)

Merry Christmas

When I was a child I used to go to my grandparents up north on the summer holidays. Other than the usual treats (and mis-treats), they also had the advantage of living on a mountain where they could pick up on antenna (no cable back then) some CBN transmissions. Other than the occasional Star Trek re-run, this was also my first exposure to Christianity.

The most played on show there then was the '700 Club', which introduced me to what I still call "the weeping Christians" for fairly obvious reasons. They were always so serious and pleading, occasionally tearing at something I didn't understand. I used to switch channel whenever that show was on (just too boring for a child and probably too tedious for me today, though for other reasons).

The network also had two of my favorite anime tv series of the day: "Superbook" and "The Flying House". Aside from improving my fledgling English, it also introduced me to something strange: the bible stories I was sort-of raised on were not the whole story. In fact, there were a lot more characters and plots in there than I was told. Who knew there was a small mechanical robot involved in the story of Abraham? And who is this Jesus? He seems kinda nice but I've never heard of him before.

When I asked around my parents told me a bit more, in a slightly different version from what was on TV. I didn't understand. I was impressed by what I saw and the stories that were told but there were no Christians where I grew up. What's the deal?

Fortunately, by my Bar Mitzva (at 13) I've had it with religion (as in, Any religion). I don't know if there really was such a person or what his exact exploits were (I personally don't believe he was anything more than a man, which makes him a more powerful Human symbol in my eyes), but I still keep a warm place for that anime-introduced Jesus and what he seemd to have stood for: Love, Compassion, Humility and Justice. Is that a shallow, Christian-missionary derived, globalization sanctioned perception? Maybe. The child in me enjoyed those naive anime and perhaps that's all it takes.

Have a Happy Hanuka, Merry Christmas and a Great New Year.

Bright Eyes - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas {MP3} (from A Christman Album)
I'm sharing Bright Eyes' rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for the next couple of days only (unless Blogger deletes it first). Bright Eyes' picture is from his Last.fm page.