Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst (1980 -) is a singer-songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska who has been making music since he was thirteen. Others often describe him as a “singing poet” in his band, Bright Eyes. His brilliant lyrics flawlessly put into words the ideas and paradoxes many understand, but lack the talent to convey. LIFTED or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, his album released in 2002, contains thirteen thought-provoking songs that tackle issues familiar to many young adults trying to understand the complexities of life. In the song “False Advertising,” Oberst sings about superficiality and the fear of being yourself in front of other people. A paradox seemingly forms in “Bowl of Oranges” when an upbeat melody masks the lyrics which acknowledge sad truths no one wants to accept. Oberst is, arguably, at his best while he sings about the unavoidable misfortunes that everyone encounters in the song “Waste of Paint.” Conor Oberst proves to be a unique artist because of his interest in the harsh reality of the world and his ability to express those realities in a poetic song.

Brought into the world on February 15, 1980, Oberst grew up in the small town of Omaha along with two older brothers. He was raised in a Catholic family and attended a Jesuit High School but spent most of his time learning guitar chords and writing amateur songs . His music is generally classified under independent-rock, although some of his later CDs sound more folk-rock. The songs recorded during the years 1995-1997 by Oberst became Bright Eyes’ first album, put out by the independent record label Saddle Creek. Saddle Creek Records is based in Omaha and signed Oberst’s band, Bright Eyes, soon after their establishment. Oberst recorded Letting off the Happiness in 1998 and dropped out of the University of Nebraska to give music his full attention1. Two years later Bright Eyes released another album, Fevers and Mirrors, which included increased sound quality and the incorporation of new instruments not familiar to rock bands. Oberst’s unique way of creating music became apparent when his album, LIFTED, received attention from various media groups across the country.

The third track on LIFED, “False Advertising,” breaks down the superficiality seen on a day-to-day basis. The first line of the song starts out with “…on a string, I was held, the way I move, can you tell,” while an orchestra plays nicely in the background. The perfect collaboration of lyrics and music suggests the joyful melody is all just a show for the crowd in order to make money and please everyone. Oberst goes on to sing “…if I could act like this was my real life…then I could tell you the truth like I used to, and not be afraid of sounding fake. 2” This line shows the twisted nature of phoniness by implying that rare truthfulness will be harder to believe than the lies that are constantly circulating society. In his closing verse he offers the only solution he sees fit, “And I know, what must change, fuck my face, fuck my name. They are brief and false advertisements2.” Oberst finds a unique and passionate way to state the obvious fact that appearances are only skin deep and ultimately mean nothing.

A few songs later listeners come across the upbeat and cheerful-sounding song, “Bowl of Oranges.” In fact, this song proves to be one of the more cheerful on the album because although the content may not be completely comforting, the final verse leaves a trace of hope. Oberst sings about an encounter with “…a doctor who appeared in quite poor health, I said there is nothing that I can do for you that you can’t do for yourself. ” He goes on to say that the doctor was cured only by his company, which gives a seemingly too simple answer to a problem. This idealistic meeting created by Oberst seems to suggest the answer to current problems may depend on the amount of social contact that takes place. He also comments on how imperfection has the potential for beauty in the following verse:

And we’ll keep working on the problem we know we’ll never solve

Of love’s uneven remainders, our lives are fractions of a whole

But if the world could remain within a frame like a painting on a wall

Then I think we’d see the beauty there and stand staring in awe.3

This verse implies that if more people realized the existence of an individual contributes to a bigger picture, the simply beauty of the world will be understood. Oberst acknowledges that imperfection essentially makes the world perfect because it was meant to exist in that way.

Towards the end of the breathtaking album lies the brilliantly composed song, “Waste of Paint,” which carefully looks at different characters in his or her weak moment. Each verse is composed of three different parts starting with Oberst presenting a normal situation through the eyes of an outsider. Quickly following comes the realization that things are not always as one would hope. He ends each verse with blunt honesty that sounds depressing but accurately depicts reality. The second verse is about a woman who finds out her husband committed an act of infidelity, “…she was grateful for everything that had happened and she was anxious for all that would come next. But then she wept, what did you expect…. ” This example shows Oberst’s transition between two separate parts of the verse. This specific part of the song illustrates a woman trying, in vain, to conceal her sorrow and disappointment only to breakdown in the end. Later on in the song, Oberst uses himself as the subject when singing, “…I want to scream out that it all is nonsense…but just then my knees give under me, my head feels weak and suddenly it’s clear to see it’s not them but me….4” Oberst voices his frustration with all the senseless routines performed by those around him only to reach the depressing conclusion that the only one with the problem is himself. The last verse works as a continuation from the previous verse with Oberst still the subject:

But when I lift my voice up now to reach them, the