Bright eyes- Waste Of Paint

[@xsadsappysuckr6710]

One of the most honest, truely brilliant songs EVER written.

[@Tsumami__]

I have a friend, he's mostly made of pain. He wakes up, drives to work, and then straight back home again. He once cut one of my nightmares out of paper. I thought it was beautiful, I put it on a record cover. And I tried to tell him he had a sense of color and composition so magnificent. And he said "Thank you, please, but your flattery is truly not becoming me. Your eyes are poor. You are blind. You see, no beauty could have come from me. I am a waste of breath, of space, of time." I knew a woman, she was dignified and true. Her love for her man was one of her many virtues. Until one day, she found out that he had lied and she decided the rest of her life, from that point on would be a lie. But 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? In that big, old house with the cars she kept. "Oh!" and "such is life," she often said. With one day leading to the next, you get a little closer to your death, which was fine with her. She never got upset and with all the days she may have left, she would never clean another mess or fold his shirts or look her best. She was free to waste away alone. Last night, my brother he got drunk and drove. And this cop pulled him off to the side of the road. And he said, "Officer! Officer! You have got the wrong man. No, no, I'm a student of medicine, the son of a banker, you don't understand!" The cop said, "No one got hurt, you should be thankful. And your carelessness,it is something awful. And no, I can't just let you go. And though your father's name is known, your decisions now are yours alone. You're nothing but a stepping stone on a path to debt, to loss, to shame." The last few months I have been living with this couple. Yeah, you know, the kind who buy everything in doubles. They fit together, like a puzzle. And I love their love and I am thankful that someone actually receives the prize that was promised by all those fairy tales that drugged us. And they still do me. I'm sick, lonely, no laurel tree, just green envy. Will my number come up eventually? Like Love is some kind of lottery, where you can scratch and see what is underneath. It's "Sorry", just one cherry, "Play Again." Get lucky. So I have been hanging out down by the train's depot. No, I don't ride, I just sit and watch the people there. And they remind me of wind up cars in motion. The way they spin and turn and jockey for positions. And I want to scream out that it all is nonsense. All your lives one track, can't you see it's pointless? But then, my knees give under me. My head feels weak and suddenly *it is clear to see* *that it is not them but me,* *who has lost my self-identity.* *As I hide behind these books I read,* *while scribbling my poetry,* *like art could save a wretch like me,* *with some ideal ideology* *that no one can hope to achieve.* *And I am never real; it is just a sketch of me.* *And everything I made is trite and cheap* *and a waste* *of paint,* *of tape,* *of time.* So now I park my car down my the cathedral, where floodlights point up at the steeples. Choir practice was filling up with people. I hear the sound escaping as an echo. Sloping off the ceiling at an angle. When voices blend they sound like angels. I hope there is some room still in the middle. But when I lift my voice up now to reach them. The range is too high, way up in heaven. So I hold my tongue, forget the song, tie my shoe and start walking off. And try to just keep moving on, with my broken heart and my absent God and I have no faith but it is all I want, to be loved and believe in my soul, in my soul.

[@Tsumami__]

*****​ listen.

[@bradley3759]

bambi raptor

[@barkermush7147]

I love the fact you put all the lyrics, really appreciate that. But one part. where you put 'everything is trite and made of cheap' I thought the song said 'tripe' which would make more sense for this song and it's meanings. Tripe _ Definition.. Slang . something, especially speech or writing, that is false or worthless; rubbish.

[@LD-xk2lw]

His brother passed according to Wikipedia

[@jedwalsh4055]

the way you typed this up makes me appreciate how truly beautiful these lyrics are and how they are poetry. thanks

[@haskna]

I remember watching this exact video 15 years ago in 2007 back when KZbin was an infant and this video was the first I had ever heard of bright eyes. I was 15 and now 30. since then I've always mentally associated this song with this paintbrush image as if it was synesthesia. weirdly moving to see that this video is still up here.

[@m-tetsuo]

I was here with you then and am now

[@xxxsummer_cold1xxx]

I came to the comments to say the same thing :.•) this video has been so good to me, thanks for being here through it all ^.^

[@pksegrin]

Ah..... college. This is all personal member-berries for me. 🍇🍇

[@wordfreaks]

His voice, and his rhyming, and that repetitive meter. All perfect.

[@MsCocohaha]

The only thing I want to do when I'm depressed is drink and listen to bright eyes. They just go together.

[@Ishouldnthavetodothi]

Fuck yeah, dude. Me when I was 22 in the bedroom of my apartment

[@JayliWolf]

my kinda people

[@lisee3669]

@@Ishouldnthavetodothi me when i was 16 l:( im better now, just revisiting

[@wholenewmess]

"And try to just keep moving on, with my broken heart and my absent God and I have no faith but it is all I want, to be loved and believe in my soul, in my soul..." *sighs* gives me chills every damn time.

[@brookejones787]

Jake Bliss same, literally the most true and just raw song lyrics I have EVER heard . Conor 😩

[@MakaylaPaterson]

I can't wait for the day this song doesn't perfectly reflect myself, so I can listen to it as a dizzying memory of what this pain is. I hope by now when Connor plays this song its a long past patch of his soul

[@gypsy_jes]

I completely agree.

[@19hibbityjibbity19]

How are you holdin up? Writing this with a freshly shed tear on my cheek for my past self

[@jordanbaggett4425]

its been 2 years u ok?

[@MakaylaPaterson]

@@jordanbaggett4425 I happened to be on KZbin right this second to actually click on the notification that was cool, thank you for asking I actually got a call today saying I got a free counsellor which I’ve coincidentally been on a two year waiting list for. I don’t think it’s to the day, but I applied in early-ish 2019 so that was really good. Also kinda ironically I started painting again a couple weeks ago, hopefully I’ll start writing again soon. Idk if you’ll see this or want to respond but I really hope you’ve won some little battles of your own and I’d love to hear them ☺️ Also, are you okay today?

[@MakaylaPaterson]

@@19hibbityjibbity19 thank you for asking that’s really sweet. I made this comment on a really really tough day, I still remember everything that happened that day but a lot of days have gotten easier since. That all comes with time I’m now glad I decided to afford myself, hopefully two years from now my past self will be proud me. I hope you’re proud of whoever you are or who you are becoming ❤️

[@jamiepetgirl]

as a heart broken artist...i love every bitter sweet tune from that voice and guitar. Always feeling worthless but trying and getting pushed down by terrible people..Feeling like a waste. And seeing lovely people..makes you hope even though it hurts.

[@danielblack5829]

the 1st verse and the last is how i feel each day of my life...he articulates the words in a way i could never image

[@theofficefan234]

When I was 14 Someone told me to look up Bright Eyes, this was the first song I heard. From the moment I heard this I was like, this isn't just regular music, this was art.

[@coradify]

I love how each one of his songs is a story. They never get boring. He's one of my favourite artists I can always listen to him. His voice is perfection... with all of it's flaws. He's a wonderful poet, so very talented.... I was so glad when I discovered his music, it was exactly what I was looking for.

[@cresudek]

I don't remember ever getting chills listening to a song. Simply amazing.

[@19ladybug95]

I heard this song a few months ago, and I really liked it, but it was so sad and beautiful I didnt want to listen to it again for a long time, and then a few weeks ago I remembered it, but all I could remember was that the picture had a paintbrush with colors, so I started going through all of my history trying to find it, but I couldnt, and I was all sad. Then, today, Im scrolling through my dash, and someone posted a link to another song, and this was in the suggestions. I was so happy I cried

[@trafficconeincorporated]

Commenting to hope that you get the notification and feel the same happiness

[@PeteJake100]

Still his most raw, honest song from his best album

[@memesonswings7804]

In my opinion his best album is I’m wide awake it’s morning

[@hamboogurhelpa2147]

And girls are still all just skanks.

[@alrightalright4585]

@@memesonswings7804 That was the most trendy one, well-known one. I preferred the album with Lifted, my favorite song. Cassadaga too really grew on me even tho I initially despised it.

[@ilikebeingsad]

Most raw song is the calendar hung itself.

[@NoahEchols]

Agree this is his best album. Musically not his best, but lyrically it is genius. Wide Awake is close, but this is raw and real in a way that no other album is.

[@1337longhini]

I can easily say Bright Eyes is my favorite band for the simple fact that I am in love with every song because each song affects me in such a way.

[@atomc636]

The second verse really makes you think. Just how many wives have just given up and kept their silence? Finally free from the judgment of society and they wear it proudly in revenge, in rebellion. How many others just give up but don't want to be alone?

[@beautifulstranger101]

And I love their love and I am thankful that someone actually receives the prize that was promised by all those fairy tales that drugged us. And they still do me. I'm sick, lonely, no laurel tree, just green envy.

[@kylebroussard5952]

Yeah... "All those fairy tales that drugged us"

[@julie_c]

*Lyrics* I have a friend, he's mostly made of pain. He wakes up, drives to work, and then straight back home again. He once cut one of my nightmares out of paper. I thought it was beautiful, I put it on a record cover. And I tried to tell him he had a sense of color and composition so magnificent. And he said "Thank you, please but your flattery is truly not becoming me. Your eyes are poor. You are blind. You see, no beauty could have come from me. I am a waste of breath, of space, of time." I knew a woman, she was dignified and true. Her love for her man was one of her many virtues. Until one day, she found out that he had lied and she decided the rest of her life, from that point on would be a lie. But 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? In that big, old house with the cars she kept. "Oh!" and "such is life," she often said. With one day leading to the next, you get a little closer to your death, which was fine with her. She never got upset and with all the days she may have left, she would never clean another mess or fold his shirts or look her best. She was free to waste away alone. Last night, my brother he got drunk and drove. And this cop pulled him off to the side of the road. And he said, "Officer! Officer! You have got the wrong man. No, no, I'm a student of medicine, the son of a banker, you don't understand!" The cop said, "No one got hurt, you should be thankful. And your carelessness, it is something awful. And no, I can't just let you go. And though your father's name is known, your decisions now are yours alone. You're nothing but a stepping stone on a path to debt, to loss, to shame." The last few months I have been living with this couple. Yeah, you know, the kind who buy everything in doubles. They fit together, like a puzzle. And I love their love and I am thankful that someone actually receives the prize that was promised by all those fairy tales that drugged us. And they still do me. I'm sick, lonely, no laurel tree, just green envy. Will my number come up eventually? Like Love is some kind of lottery, where you can scratch and see what is underneath. It's "Sorry", just one cherry, "Play Again." Get lucky. So I have been hanging out down by the train's depot. No, I don't ride. I just sit and watch the people there. And they remind me of wind up cars in motion. The way they spin and turn and jockey for positions. And I want to scream out that it all is nonsense. All your lives one track, can't you see it's pointless? But then, my knees give under me. My head feels weak and suddenly it is clear to see that it is not them but me, who has lost my self-identity. As I hide behind these books I read, while scribbling my poetry, like art could save a wretch like me, with some ideal ideology that no one can hope to achieve. And I am never real; it is just a sketch of me. And everything I made is trite and cheap and a waste of paint, of tape, of time. So now I park my car down my the cathedral, where floodlights point up at the steeples. Choir practice was filling up with people. I hear the sound escaping as an echo. Sloping off the ceiling at an angle. When voices blend they sound like angels. I hope there is some room still in the middle. But when I lift my voice up now to reach them. The range is too high, way up in heaven. So I hold my tongue, forget the song, tie my shoe and start walking off. And try to just keep moving on, with my broken heart and my absent God and I have no faith but it is all I want, to be loved and believe in my soul, in my soul...

[@Kdawn1995]

I don't even know why I love this song so much. I don't even think I like his voice, or the music...But something about the lyrics just wrenches at my heart and I listen to it over and over again...

[@CH41R.jp3g]

2022, and still relate to this so much, sadly ….

[@xxKaylaxxShereexx]

This is everything I've ever searched for...

[@Sesshomaru666000]

i think this song is basically a portrayal of many break-downs. everyone's world is crumbling down around them and no one is worthy or lucky or great. everyone is trying so hard and everyone is mediocre. and there comes a moment when you just open your eyes and realize that this is what's in front of you and your whole reality is tumbling down.

[@spencerr2323]

How the hell is this guy not more famous? Oh, he's just the best poet of the last 50 years, sings with ACTUAL emotion, probably has an I.Q. of 150(ish), and is probably sending the most important message of our generation. But still I turn on the radio and hear..........kesha.....disgusting.

[@cheekyxroboxdino]

This guy is just amazing. All his lyrics have such great flow. Inspiring. :)

[@Opcode_]

This song hurts. It's pain. It's sharp. It's rust.

[@shipa71890]

Conor's voice and sense of feeling is absolutely amazing! People that like to be negative all the time just make me sad, let us be, if you don't like the music, don't comment. okay?

[@Trumpour93]

I get chills when he says "Play again, get lucky." He's an extremely talented guy, Conor is.

[@Faithfightsfoes]

This is really, honestly, one of the loveliest songs I've ever heard. I really love how it sounds like Conor is just adlibbing, like everything is so spur of the moment. Conor is such a genius. Really the greatest musician alive, I think.

[@weezybfree]

Such HEAVY lyrics!!

[@lazerlo]

Louise Maxwell It's a heavy world

[@jackthegreen]

This song not only reminds me of myself, but everyone I've ever known. I know someone from every verse, and I love them all. If you ever feel like a waste of paint, just know that we're all in this together, moving through life, finding ourselves. The person who hurt me the most once told me "It wasn't a waste of time," and I can feel it in my soul that she was right. Our fights were terrible, but our time together was beautiful, and it made me who I am. So it's never actually a waste of paint - just using a little bit more. So keep on painting, because I know if you're here, then you know love.

[@nikisoul]

poetry. pure, honest, painful, magical poetry.

[@barkermush7147]

Such an amazing song. Lyrics touch home for alot of people that may be struggling in life. Can listen to this song over and over again..

[@unicorniomagico374]

At 19 I thought I understood this song but I didn’t. Now at 31, I do and I don’t what is more sad. The fact that I finally understand its poetry or the fact that it resonates with my present.

[@matthewbeasley2869]

It definitely hits different 15 Yeats later, then you start thinking... Damn I could relate to this as a teen? Yet, as an adult, its depth is more than we could have ever imagined. I guess it's some kind of subconscious understanding or knowing that takes a lot of living to unravel.

[@RealStrangeSteve]

I'm 25. My wife won't take me back. I'm a raging alcoholic. I'm severely depressed. And a waste of paint. Cheers.

[@yoshishrooms9086]

I understand, exactly what you're going through. That's why I came to this song. We will make it through.

[@johnarundell7951]

You're still young :) quit drinking man.

[@scibiscuit6061]

+RealStrangeSteve 23, heroin, lost my home lost every job i ever had lost my health... getting it all back now, things can look up if you look up.

[@RealStrangeSteve]

+sci biscuit It's fucked up that I was so drunk, I don't even remember typing my original comment. But keep it up man. We can both make it through. I believe in you.

[@belac0911]

+sci biscuit same, 15 years of heroin addiction,now i have a decent job, a 6 yr old son, he is my everything, his favorite band is bright eyes, so im doing something right.

[@Tomorrow_Big]

holy fuck the feels

[@dulleyes4732]

Beautiful, just beautiful.

[@sungyultaylor1354]

A amazing song from one the most amazing albums of my life (out of hundreds, it's easily top 20). Connor Oberst is a damn genius and poet.

[@OLDMANWAFFLES]

literally crying everytime

[@ksmiles124]

I fell in love with this song.

[@lizetstylez]

Am I the only one who can't hold in the tears when listening to this song?

[@Faithfightsfoes]

every time i listen to this album i really feel like he just walked into the studio and just started playing whatever he felt like. and i love that. it all sounds so raw, and like it's improvised. fucking excellent. conor is such a genius.

[@UNCtarheelvids]

this song personifies why i love conor oberst so much. he is HONEST. he doesn't sugar coat things, he just comes out and says it. and it is beautiful

[@cyndjop]

love his poems of life

[@kkiraah]

If your listening to this on 2020 almost 2021 your a legend

[@rgefseds]

that ridderall is having a very strange effect on you...

[@BrittonDeJong]

can't explain this feel

[@GrandmasCelery]

I LOVE BRIGHT EYES! And Im in love with this guys voice

[@Finnigamos]

He is so artistic in his lyrics. I love it so much. They are really good titles for paintings, or good writing prompts.

[@yoIsaiah259]

This song makes me happy. Honestly. The beauty brings me joy.

[@moneyasusual]

I always have this lump in my throat when I listen to this

[@TropicalVibee]

It's crazy I grew up listening to Conor and now that i'm 28 these songs hit so differently, so much more emotion.

[@matthewbeasley2869]

We knew before we could even understand...

[@morsssssssssss]

This is the saddest song ever

[@nathanasper9945]

draven doesnt cry

[@morsssssssssss]

this draven cries himself to sleep everynight

[@dukelorange007]

Mors :(

[@jesse6891]

lol how can u say its not sad to him/her? its an opinion, thats how they felt in that moment in time. u have no right to say its wrong or right. peace and love.

[@superbowlchamps52]

but by your logic he does have a right... its his opinion... opinions are more than 2 point of view...peace and love peace and love

[@Zkamper]

Beautiful. Just, beautiful. I love you.

[@dhasanmetamorphosis4889]

oh gosh ! sweet nectar of honey ! THE FEELS !!

[@paigecouture1]

I believe that the imperfections of his voice makes it all the more perfect. If you listen to what he's talking about you'd completely understand. Conor Oberst is the most amazing man I've ever heard of.

[@LesSavyFan1]

this was the first bright eyes song i heard. that was a few years back, and i'm still hooked.

[@wazzawazza121]

Regardless of what the song means (Even though I think you're right), it's a work of art and gives me goosebumps every time. One of the most moving songs I've ever heard. :')

[@houstoncambodia1]

I asked almost that exact same question to my then girlfriend of 22 months left me. Honestly, you've got a rough road ahead of you. But it'll smooth out. Pull your loved ones closer and love yourself more than you did before. You just need to let your heart fill that you made for your loved one in. Good luck.

[@supersonic666666]

conor oberst's voice is my favorite sound

[@genericusername337]

listening to this song at work, i actually started crying... without warning.... :|

[@bruhstfuu]

Idk how i got here but i really like this :D this was posted when i was like 3 lmao

[@matthewbeasley2869]

Come back in a decade or so & lemme know the feels. You still have a lot of life left, you don't have to be a waste if paint.

[@TheSerialnumberzero]

I like about half a dozen songs by this guy and this is one of my favorites. If i wanted to introduce someone into bright eyes the songs would be This, road to joy, poison oak, land lock blues, at the bottom of everything.

[@johnshears5160]

I love their love and I am thankful!

[@hissymcrlovezten]

There are days you can make it through to the night, but there are some days... and those days are the ones you listen to Bright Eyes the most with tears covering every inch of skin on your face.

[@1coyotemutt]

My life is one dark room. Conor makes me realize darkness surrounds us and we should embrace it cause it ain't goin away :-)

[@geansaimusic]

Brilliantly deep analyses i never thought about that before i wonder is that what conor had in mind if it was then i idolise him evn more!!!!!!!!

[@IAmNadir]

This reminds me of tunnels, top down convertible, bottles of wine, canvassing for equal rights, dancing with no regards for other people, and Jakie

[@shelbieFxCwhore]

when he sings about the woman & her man, is basically my life story... thats y i love conor. i feel his music.

[@adammacintyre89]

"With my broken heart and my absent God And I have no faith but it's all I want To be loved, and believe In my soul, in my soul ." isn't the feeling of worthlessness a correlation you have the capacity to feel worthy. "When the voices blend they sound like angels" I believe he still has hope....Beauty is Truth and truth is Beauty and isn't that a reason to live.

[@thereisneverquiettherightn1789]

IN MY SOUL!!!! IN MY SOUL !!!!!!!!!

[@Trywm]

"So now I park my car down my the cathedral... Choir practice was filling up with people... When voices blend they sound like angels I hope there is some room still in the middle... The range is too high, way up in heaven So I hold my tongue, forget the song... Try to just keep moving on, with my broken heart and my absent God and I have no faith but it is all I want, to be loved and believe in my soul." Even skipping some, it clearly ends on the topic of religion.

[@yaaman25]

Sometimes I am ok. Today, even though nothing bad has happened, necessarily, I am not ok. So I'm going to stay up all night, listening to Conor and blubbering like an idiot. It's beautiful, and it's sincere, and it's even catchy. Even though it can be depressing as hell, his music helps me out a lot.

[@kathrynhettinger1321]

Jeeze, do people have to argue about religion right now? Just shut up and listen and whatever it means to you, just enjoy it and don't bother arguing about it because it will probably mean something different to someone else, and their leaning is probably different from Conor's when he wrote the song. That's the great thing about music. It doesn't matter. Just enjoy it for yourself.

[@weezybfree]

I so agree with you Kate! I never understand why people want to argue over their different interpretations of songs.... Just enjoy it and whatever it means to you is whats important!! relax :D

[@universalwoman]

I love this song , the lyrics are simple yet so amazing. I don't how he does it

[@peaveysteve]

I heard their new stuff. And I came immediately back here to remind myself of a time when Conor still wrote lyrics that were simple, yet meaningful; when he still told stories, and didn't just use excessive imagery.

[@VictoriaaNone]

This song inspires me to smoke and right some poetry. And reconsider why I am on Earth.

[@msarod91]

Part 2: The cop then tells him that he cant rely on his dad and that his life is doomed to mediocrity. Then - my favorite part- he talks about the happy couple he met who are in love. This is true love and they live blissfully happy. He wants to know where his fairy tale ending is and hes just looking for his place in life.

[@eccentricsimpleton]

Amazing song. =) And that image is genius; it really makes me smile.

[@Iep74]

Took on A new meaning,makes me imagine that somebody has showed much patience in me. I want to believe in that.

[@MonsterMisunderstood]

Idk why bet Conor can channel all the depression I feel and make it better. I thank you for that. I would be in a pretty bad condition without you Conor.

[@Tinkerbelll89]

I love his way of singing... If you have ever asked yourself a question like: what is Art... Here you have the Answer... not much of today known music is art anymore... but there still seem to be people who do it...

[@marjoriemorningstar3533]

I think its very tongue in cheek. Makes me realize just how silly worrying about the small shit really is. I love this man.

[@originaltigeress]

Reminds me of an early Bob Dylan... very cool.

[@lazerlo]

Mina Jensen Dylan never reached this level of emotional expression

[@TheAntiChr1st]

lazerlo :')

[@bubbles6044]

+lazerlo how very dare you speak such blasphemy.

[@thedevilsapprentice6302]

+lazerlo exactly!

[@MrShahid0072]

Dylan's sense of vocal melody doesn't do much for me..he is a good poet though

[@SeanMcCannMusic]

this song covers so much beautiful!

[@kmacmuzikmafia27]

I can't even explain just how fucking amazing this is. The words, the emotion in his voice, the stories, the introspective-ness, god.

[@BenMacGregor8]

Yeh ive never heard this one before until now, the lyrics are amazing!

[@Hh5556]

this song brought a tear to my eye, in a good way.

[@xoloverlyxoable]

Good song! I didnt think it'd b catchy but 10minutes later I stil got the guitar notes playin in my head:)

[@myconman95]

just enjoy the music, people. there's no point in arguing! just listen to the great music!

[@victorbuehler9482]

There is no such thing as "Wasted Time". Time, like God, is nothing more then what you make of it, envision within every thought moment of one's existence.

[@jekrijekuri8305]

I have a friend, he's mostly made of pain He wakes up, drives to work and straight back home again He once cut one of my nightmares out of paper I thought it was beautiful, I put it on a record cover And I tried to tell him he had a sense Of color and composition so magnificent And he said, "Thank you, please But your flattery It's truly not becoming me Your eyes are poor, you're blind you see No beauty could have come from me I'm a waste Of breath, of space, of time" I knew a woman, she was dignified and true Her love for her man was one of her many virtues Until one day she found out that he had lied And decided the rest of her life from that point on would be a lie 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? In that big old house with the car she kept And, "Such is life," she often said With one day leading to the next You get a little closer to your death Which was fine with her, she never got upset And with all the days she may have left She would never clean another mess Or fold his shirts or look her best She was free To waste away alone Last night, my brother he got drunk and drove And this cop pig pulled him off to the side of the road And he said, "Officer, officer, you've got the wrong man No, no, I'm a student of medicine, a son of a banker, you don't understand" The cop said, "No one got hurt, you should be thankful And your carelessness, it is something awful And no, I can't just let you go And though your father's name is known Your decisions now are yours alone You're nothing but a stepping stone On a path To debt, to loss, to shame" The last few months I've been living with this couple Yeah, you know the kind who buy everything in doubles Yeah, they fit together like a puzzle I love their love, and I am thankful That someone actually receives the prize that was promised By all those fairy tales that drugged us And still do me, I'm sick, lonely No laurel tree, just green envy Will my number come up eventually? Like love's some kind of lottery Where you scratch and see what's underneath It's sorry, just one cherry I'll play again, get lucky So now I hang out down by the train's depot No, I don't ride, I just sit and watch the people there They remind me of windup cars in motion The way they spin and turn and jockey for positions And I want to scream out that it all is nonsense And their life's one track and can't they see it's pointless? 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 Who's lost my self-identity And I hide behind these books I read While scribbling my poetry Like art could save a wretch like me With some ideal ideology That no one could hope to achieve And I'm never real, it's just a sketch of me And everything I've made is trite and cheap And a waste Of paint, of tape, of time So I park my car down by the cathedral Where the floodlights point up at the steeples Choir practice is filling up with people I hear the sound escaping as an echo Sloping off the ceiling at an angle When the voices blend they sound like angels I hope there's some room still in the middle But when I lift my voice up now to reach them The range is too high way up in heaven So I hold my tongue, forget the song Tie my shoes, start walking off And try to just keep moving on With my broken heart and my absent God And I have no faith but it's all I want To be loved, and believe In my soul, in my soul

[@estrallaeyes]

love the raw emotion of his voice....

[@xxrachelyolandexx]

I listen to this when I feel like a waste of paint... Cheers me up strangly :)

[@sexyshoes99]

new fav Bright Eyes song i love the lyrics to this.

[@JadeyMason1995]

First time I've came across this singer. And all I have to say is ... wow.

[@idiotgarageband]

If people say "OMG, all the good music was written in the past, and there's no good music today," I'm sure they've never heard Conor Oberst.

[@QuanticChild]

This song is so cathartic, it empowers me

[@Isabelle-js3ln]

this is actually the saddest song ever

[@matthewbeasley2869]

It's up there. Yet 13+ yrs later, it's so much deeper.

[@brandonmellis]

im so glad that someone actually realizes he sounds like daniel johnston and not the other way around

[@nikisoul]

10 years later and this still hurts the same.

[@Parkj11]

Common chord patterns like this can't be tagged to the most famous song that uses it. Otherwise, every other band would be sued. Besides, this song is really about these AMAZING lyrics and the passion that seeps through in it.

[@DaveDaysIsMyHero1]

To those that don't like his voice, its not the voice you're listening to, because the lyrics are pure art