sleepy jack

Bright Eye "Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground"



Label: Saddle Creek Records
Release Date: August 13, 2002
Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Indie
Tracklist:
1. "Big Picture" – 8:42
2. "Method Acting" – 3:42
3. "False Advertising" – 5:52
4. "You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will." – 3:25
5. "Lover I Don't Have to Love" – 4:00
6. "Bowl of Oranges" – 4:48
7. "Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come" – 6:31
8. "Nothing Gets Crossed Out" – 4:34
9. "Make War" – 6:16
10. "Waste of Paint" – 6:29
11. "From a Balance Beam" – 3:40
12. "Laura Laurent" – 4:56
13. "Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and to Be Loved)" – 10:07

The album starts off with "The Big Picture" the song itself is pretty boring and monotoned. Musically its the same thing over, but its the lyrics that make this good. After about two minutes of an intro most of which is talking, something about driving in a car. The lyrics start, this has some of my favorite Bright Eyes lines in it "You were carved from bone but your heart is just sand and the wind is going to scatter it and cover everything with love" and you can struggle in the water be too stubborn to die or you can just let go and be lifted to the sky"

"Method Acting" comes next, its probably one of the most aggressive/upbeat songs on the album. It talks about Conor accepting death, most likely suicide as an inevitable ending for him, "So I've made peace with the fallen leaves I see their same fate in my own body" and how his memory and love will always be with everyone "My love stays with you like sunlight and air". Like Fevers and Mirrors theres alot of repeated thoughts and imagery throughout the album, We have a problem with no solution but to love and to be loved" for instance appears on the last track.

Next we have "False Advertising" ( fun fact!This is where my band got its name from.) The music is sort of a slow waltz-y thing, if not a Waltz then a dance, it talks about Conor sort of having to hold up an image "Now I lie when I talk with a careful eye on the cue cards onto a stage, I was pushed with my sorrow well rehearsed", possibly being told to do it by some other people "My actions are orchestrated from above". He also sings about disliking it, "Fuck my face, fuck my name they are brief and false advertisements".

"You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will." is next, I'm eager to talk about the lyrics so i'll skip the music. If you listen to " Oh, You Are The Roots That Sleep Beneath My Feet And Hold The Earth In Place" you'll find tons of lyrical similarities. The kissing in the attic, the book references. Its safe to say they're about the same girl. This is probably one of my favorite Bright Eyes songs, lyrically and the simplicity of it all, its sort of difficult to listen to for me at times. Its about treating a girl sort of like a fall back plan, but then realizing you loved her and she needs to love you too.

After that is "Lover I Don't Have To Love", which is probably my least favorite Bright Eyes song. Its the first I heard by him/them and I was obsessed with it for awhile but now I can't really listen to it. Musically its kind of haunting, particularly the chorus the violins are a very nice touch. Its a pretty depressing song, its about hooking up with a girl and doing drugs and loving hurt. I don't particularly care for the lyrics, other then "You write such pretty words but life's no storybook".

Next is "Bowl Of Oranges", also one of my favorite Bright Eyes song. Its a happy song, the music itself is cheery and Conors voice on this is excellent. I'm going to quote a whole verse here because its one of the best i've ever seen, the song is about healing despite sadness.

And I came upon a doctor
Who appeared in quite poor health
I said, "There's nothing I can do for you
You can't do for yourself"
He said, "Oh, yes you can, just hold my hand
I think that that would help"
So I sat with him a while
And I asked him how he felt
He said, "I think I'm cured
No, in fact I'm sure of it
Thank you stranger
For your therapeutic smile"

"Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come" is next, this song is haunting, not just the music the lyrics are pretty spine chilling. It questions quite a few things, jesus's existence "Did he come to save? Did he come at all?". Talks about the end of the world, "They say they don't know when but a day's gonna come when there won't be a moon and there won't be a sun". It also talks about a girl, the way i interrupted it is a girl he loved changing personalities because she realizes shes pretty and becomes a stuck up arrogant conceited bitch and is no longer the girl he loved.

"Nothing Gets Crossed Out" is after that, also one of my favorite Bright Eyes songs. I actually know who the female vocalist is in this too, Maria Taylor (Azure Ray, Now Its Overhead, and Maria Taylor) and Jiha Lee (The Good Life). Alot of the lines here are amazing "Remember all the songs and the way we smiled in those basements made of music". Its about dealing with the fear of the future, and wanting someone else to take control

Well the future's got me worried
Such awful thoughts
My head's a carousel of pictures
The spinning never stops
I just want someone to walk in front
And I'll follow the leader

but in the end it talks about dealing with it,

Everything that happens
Is supposed to be
And it's all predetermined
Can't change your destiny
Guess I'll just keep moving
Someday maybe I'll get to where I'm going

It also reflects on the pass, the school boys crush "Because I been feeling sentimental for days gone by" and other such lines.

Now we have "Make War", it talks about society in it, not just Conor. "Our love is dead but without limit like the surface of the moon" and how messed up and unfaithful it all it is, and how materialistic it all is. "So we learn to be as faithless stand behind bulletproof glass exchanging our affections through a drawer", "standing there with all of my possessions piled higher than a house I felt closer to you than you ever would have known" and it also talks about other things, how superficial and gossipy society is. And he'll make war, oh, war, on who you were before and claim all that has spoiled in your heart" and "You can save face but you won't ever save your soul".

Next is "Waste Of Paint", which is about a number of things, just listen to the song for the lyrics, because there'd be like five paragraphs on it. Its probably the most simple song on the album, its just a guitar and Conor singing. The chord progression and the singing are matched in a weird manner, its rather interesting.

"From A Balance Beam", I can't listen to this song at all and I don't really remember the music so I won' touch on that. Its about changing, salvation, etc.

"Laura Laurent" is next, one of the most touching songs on the album. Musically its most similar to False Advertising. Its an apology to a girl, it reflects on alot of what happened between them. We shared a sleeping bag in your sister's apartment". The final line is one of my favorites ever. "Because it's the ones with the sorest throats, Laura who have done the most singing".

The album ends with "Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love And Be Loved)", the lyrics touch base on plenty things. This one of my favorite songs and also has a bunch of my favorite lines. It touches into alot of things, his political views on certain things and his alcohol poisoning.

In summary, next to Fevers and Mirrors this is my favorite Bright Eyes album in certain moods I like it better. Conor once again proves to be one of the best songwriters ever.


Album Rating: 8/10
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_Spinning_

9/10 review.

9.5/10 Album.

<3

tdoc210

ooh i do not have this one *downloads tommorrow*

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We went back there and they had come and hacked off every inoculated arm. There they were in a pile. A pile of little arms. And I remember... I... I... I cried. I wept like some grandmother. I wanted to tear my teeth out. I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I want to remember it. I never want to forget it. I never want to forget. And then I realized... like I was shot... like I was shot with a diamond... a diamond bullet right through my forehead. And I thought: My God... the genius of that.

A_Perfect_Sonnet

From A Balance Beam is one of the best songs on the album, other than You Will, You Will and Method Acting.