March 19, 2005
One of those out of leftfield posts
In an effort to both restore the indie cred lost through incessant rap listening (although, really, I think 'indie' music is so mainstream now that I should get real indie cred for listening to people with bullets lodged in their face) and also to prove that not every politically idiotic performer is talentless, I bought, 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning', one of the two new releases by Bright Eyes.
Conor Oberst, essentially the only permanent member of Bright Eyes, and I have had a complicated relationship. I fell deeply in love with his last album 'Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground'. Songs like 'Lover I don't have to love', 'Bowl of Oranges' and my personal favorite with a silly name 'You will? You? Will. You? Will. You? Will.' rounded out that stunning album. I've seen him perform twice, once at Townhall in New York, easily one of the best shows I've ever seen, and once at the 'Field Day' festival, a day I remember for the rain that would not stop more than for the music.
But, oy, his politics. It's not that I can't listen to leftist musicians, if that was the case my music selection would be rather limited, it's just that Mr. Oberst makes it all about politics and it's hard to ignore. He was part of the troupe that toured for Kerry, he has a song about hating Fox News, he's running a contest with PETA and notes on his record label's website that 'Saddle Creek and Bright Eyes are proud to support Amnesty International's Music For Human Rights, without human rights we couldn't sing and you couldn't listen'. It gets exhausting and one can't help think the common thought 'seriously, dude, shut the hell up and sing', or some variation on that theme.
In between their last release and the current ones, I downloaded a song by them called 'One Foot In Front Of The Other'. It isn't entirely an anti-Bush song, it's more of a story about a relationship on the eve of the Iraq war, but still annoyingly political. A lyric: 'We made love on the living room, with the noise in the background from a televised war, and in that deafening pleasure I thought I heard someone say, if we walk away, they'll walk away. But greed is a bottomless pit. And our freedom's a joke, we're just taking a piss and if you're still free start running away, cause we're coming for you.' Because his voice is hauntingly beautiful and because his music is interesting, I love this song. But, again, how can one really overlook that he considers Iraq before we invaded 'free' and that our freedom is a joke?
Anyway, the new album just isn't good enough to ignore the political insanity. The song mentioned above is renamed 'Land Locked Blues' and features a female vocalist singing along with Conor. So bad. The first song, 'At The Bottom Of Everything' is something of a protest song with lyrics like 'to the ear of every anarchist who sleeps but doesn't dream, we must sing, we must sing, we must sing.' The rest of the songs aren't so much political as just uninteresting. I always think that art is corrupted by an abundance of politics and I can't help but think that is what has happened to Conor Oberst. The two standout songs on the album are 'First Day of My Life' and 'Poison Oak'. Download them for $2 off itunes and forget the rest of the cd.
Posted by Karol at March 19, 2005 08:20 PM | TrackBackTechnorati Tags:
I fail to see your point about rap giving you more indie cred, especially since guys like 50 Cent are far more mainstream than Bright Eyes will ever be. Regardless, I wasn't impressed with this album either (to be fair, I only listened to it once). I didn't pay attention to the lyrics, it's just uninteresting musically. Get Letting Off The Happiness instead. That's my favorite Bright Eyes album.
Posted by: Peter at March 20, 2005 12:55 AM"One foot in front of the other" is my favorite Bright Eyes song.
I don't think it's as politically overt as you do and not politically specific in it's lyrics as you make it out to be.
Here are the words. http://www.lyricsondemand.com/b/brighteyeslyrics/onefootinfrontoftheotherlyrics.html
I don't hear the lyrics and come away thinking it's an anti-Bush song. Or be about the war or Bush. The song probably has triple meaning and anti-war is one of them but it's not what the song is about.
The section you quoted, says "all freedoms a joke" not "our freedoms a joke" I don't interpet this song as saying that he considers Iraq before we invaded 'free' and that our freedom is a joke?
I can read those lyrics and come up with other explanations that are just a plausible and don't mean what you say it means.
Well, he says if you're 'still' free, start running away because we're coming... We've only 'come' for Iraq and Afghanistan lately, so, the assumption can only be that he thinks they were free before. This site has the lyric as 'our freedom's a joke', which is what it always sounded like to me.
Posted by: Karol at March 20, 2005 05:27 PMOh, and Peter, that's exactly my point. If both types of music are mainstream, then the one with the bullet in his face seems less so.
Posted by: Karol at March 20, 2005 10:47 PMi just bought this album yesterday! i haven't listened to it yet, but i had a feeling he was going to get all wacky on us. aaah, so cute yet so angry...
Posted by: Jessica at March 20, 2005 11:23 PMThe guy with a bullet in his face sold a gazillion records and has his own MTV specials. You can't get any more mainstream (and much less indie) than that.
Posted by: Peter at March 20, 2005 11:42 PMI don't see "we" as the USA and "you" as Iraq or any other country. Not much in the song would lead one to think that.
Oh god! I just will never get you Republicans. Only a Rebublican would destroy the world to prove a point.
In a word with so many countries that can destroy the world 10 times over. We CANNOT afford war any more. Nevermind a stupid war because G.W.B.'s daddy had an hit put on him by Saddam in the 90's. We don't need this war. Yeah like we are not enough in debt, like the dollar isn't falling against every other currency. The world would of been just fine with Saddam in power in Iraq, he's old and eventually would of dies or someone else would of taken power. The world would of been certianly better then it is now. God knows gas would of been cheaper.
Bush bent our anger from 9/11 to use us to invade a country, that had nothing to do with the World Trade Center. Let's just take over the world! That way we can control every one. It's working so well in Iraq! Now, where in history could we have learned that lesson? Hmmn vietnam?
Not, to mention Bushes new bullshit, Stem Cell's are babies too. Well let's make masterbation illegal also because every little sperm could be a baby.
Conor you keeping singing those hate bush songs. Although I'll hate Bush just fine either way.
-Hart Hansen
Posted by: Hart Hansen at July 23, 2006 06:32 PMok political songs are everywhere and judging from what is happening in the world today (all the problems the us has caused) it is only understandable that political songs would come out....If someone doesnt like anti-bush songs....go make a pro bush song....except i highly doubt anyone would give a fuck to listen to it.
Posted by: Hailey at March 22, 2007 05:07 PMI think you should listen to the bright eyes album Fevers and Mirrors. There is no political undertones and its definately the band/man's greatest work.
Although I completely disagree with your political ideology I do feel to much music is being fused with cliched and 'scene' politics. I already get it on the news, do I really need it in my music (which I use as an escape from the problems of the world)?
Cheers.
Posted by: Dan at December 21, 2007 12:34 PM
