Conor Oberst - You All Loved Him Once (Official Audio)

[@dustinbarnes4246]

once I decided to die and at the lowest point in my life I found your piercing voice saying fuck that just keep living I have a little girl now and I'm alive still thanks conor

[@darrindavis9887]

Dustin barnes same here brother, glad you made it

[@GroovyAnthropomorph]

Just curious where does Conor say that?

[@katherinebrennan5695]

@@GroovyAnthropomorph The strength and beauty and power of music is that we, the listeners, find in it what we need.

[@JTWBat]

24 weeks ago today I lost my dad in a plane crash. I'm studying abroad away from home and it's not been easy. It's been the hardest thing ever in fact. The lyrics of this song are so extremely close to home in very many ways. It makes me cry like a baby when I hear it, and I miss my dad. Thank you Conor for this beautiful song.

[@davis267]

💓

[@silverandexact]

I heard him play this this summer and it made me cry. Conor started crying too. It was just too much. I wish we could have that raw and broken version on the album.

[@danieluffner3298]

Would have loved to be there to hear that. Haven't been able to stop listening to the new album since it came out.

[@silverandexact]

***** The Folks (yes, plural) Festival in Lyons, CO

[@lancecowan6584]

I like how he never explicitly states a name so that it is up to our interpretation. Looking through the comments is a good reminder that we all have different worldviews and that some of us see a gold and white dress as black and blue.

[@davis267]

well said; one of Conor's many gifts and keeps bringing me back is the depth of interpretations. When he played Ruminations at the Ryman in November 2016, he introduced this song as being about "Julius Caesar, Jesus Christ, John Lennon, fill in the fucking blank"💜

[@tipsyGnostics]

Consider: *"His reassuring visions were the pillars of your faith."*

[@jesskunkle4716]

You all loved him once And not without cause He fed you through the winter He led you through the fog You hid behind his body to be sheltered from the mob You all loved him once And not without cause You all loved him once When his glory was unmatched Your signal when to celebrate was the bugle of his laugh Oh, when it came time to stand with him You scattered with the rats You all loved him once That time has passed You all loved him once When the future was opaque His reassuring visions were the pillars of your faith Through a thousand false horizons He would always fly it straight You all loved him once That turned to hate You all loved him once An uncommon love at that What you saw as a pedestal Was his elevated path So to satisfy the Philistines You stabbed him in the back You all loved him once Imagine that? You all loved him once Yes, you ate out of his hand He mirrored your confusion So that you might understand Then your soul was an experiment So he drew a diagram You all loved him once It ended bad You all loved him once And not without cause He helped carry your baggage When your strength was nearly gone And though more and more was put on him He tried his best to take it on You all loved him once Not without cause You all loved him once Now he is gone

[@louieo.blevinsmusic4197]

Why does this sound like it’s written about himself or Elliott Smith? lol.

[@JTC7007]

This song is song that describes me and best friend who passed. Depiction of our lives.

[@dannyfingersmusic]

Might be his best album!!!!! Love it!!!!!!!!!!!

[@deathislife1993]

I will wait til I can buy this album to listen to it all, but damn, is that wait not going to be easy. Love this song, looking forward to the album.

[@WillStephen1977]

This song drives me nuts because it's to amazing

[@carolineykins]

Love this song love you Conor thanks for making such beautiful music for us all to relate to 💙

[@GreyStages]

Just absolutely brilliant.

[@aapple3749]

I know this is not the topic of the song, but I just saw a documentary for which verses were the theme song. It was about a famous male champion powerlifter who was transitioning to female, as he always felt he'd been. His family, his struggles internal and external, where he found understanding & acceptance & support--love--and where he didn't. Those verses were perfect for the documentary. And I hope both the verses and the documentary help to reduce/eliminate the stigma and discrimination that trans people experience.

[@jonsaunders2179]

daaaamn. fantastic

[@WestCoastIrk]

that time has passed...

[@WillStephen1977]

Beautiful

[@dylannmarie]

my heart is soar

[@pizazzpizazzpizazz1]

yo Conor is straight up talking about Santa Claus in this one

[@davidj.8216]

Santa as a symbol of Jesus whom the song is about.

[@greymurdock2]

Everyone’s interpretation of who he is singing about seems like a guess, like they’re not certain. When I first heard this, I couldn’t help but think of anyone other then Christ, I’ve felt his love and compassion in the darkest moments of my life as many of us do.. and yet we’re so quick to forget about his love and compassion, so we turn our backs when we become self absorbed. This song really touches me

[@davidj.8216]

Finally someone who understands the song on this thread...

[@NathanielWinkelmann]

Sure it is a broad song about general theme, and this may have more to do with rhos basic theme bir the allusion to Julius Caesar oa pretty obvious

[@whodat4064]

I think everyone has someone that fits it perfect. And few people who relates to both sides perfect..his voice cracking Holden tears back is the most genuine voice I ever heard and the hurt in it, I feel is felt in everyone...

[@gingernut2297]

Invited all my X gf’s over and sang this

[@drdongflex]

this is an under rated comment.

[@Tyippe99]

I wish he'd publish poetry :")

[@grantdejong770]

Am I wrong or is the refrain pretty much straight from Julius Caesar: Act 3, Scene 2?

[@adamprivett4779]

Every Jesus has his Judas and every Caesar has his Brutus. History is commonplace.

[@reredrumuoy]

@@adamprivett4779 I think my dude is talking literallty about the Shakespearean scene where Mark Antony is speaking to the Roman people. After Ceasers assassination. He sort of makes the people feel guilty because they all loved Ceaser.

[@carlinberg]

I watched this clip of Anthony's speech and when he said "You all loved him once" my brain automatically filled in "and not without cause". I didn't know Conor Oberst was a caesarian! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpPMYoOsjaiVqJo

[@aphonik23]

This is Conor Oberst's Springsteen-esque "Nebraska" moment isn't it.

[@takeshelter5313]

aphonik23 well he is from Nebraska lol he grew up there his whole life

[@jordanchance1826]

Wow

[@wmeighan]

As good as anything he's written

[@rossheathorn121]

His lyrics are genius I want to get mushrooms 🍄 and ttrriipp oouutt xx

[@-AtomsPhere-]

A surprisingly kind song about Jesus. I love the lack of cynicism. Christianity may be a mess, but Jesus was a pretty great guy

[@theangryinch8816]

A lot of Christians tend to (mistakenly) think that their belief excuses them from erring or being assholes. It's honestly contradictory given the fact that there are entire sections of the New Testament where the disciples go around criticizing different churches for various things. Even the disciples were criticized by Jesus himself. It's no secret that the church has always been a mess. the New Testament pretty much lays that out from the get go. It's pretty dumb that a lot of modern churches don't have that attitude. If the disciples and the early church can err and be criticized, then the modern church sure as hell is capable of doing the same thing.

[@nicolegillan2277]

Not about Jesus. This song is about Conor and his fans turning on him when he was caught up in controversy. Let’s not make everything about Christians.

[@mishaslilbae828]

Nicole Grose The beauty of music is that we can interpret however we want. Every song speaks differently to each person.

[@nicolegillan2277]

Misha's lil bae Except for the fact that he said in an interview exactly what the song was about. So in this case no.

[@FlapjackTaxi]

Nicole Gillan In the npr front row concert he explicitly mentions Jesus (among others). I'd say it has multiple meanings / interpretations.

[@morgandavies1836]

Saw him last night, he implied it was about John Lennon. Awesome and interesting!

[@anhumblemessengerofthelawo3858]

it's called a decoy

[@artyougladweallsuffer2490]

Ded

[@MattyRude910]

Harry Nihlson deserves this one

[@NathanielWinkelmann]

You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?

[@dragonballsy]

“Mirrored your confusion so that you might understand.” #Annihilation

[@X0MB1E]

Be my funeral song

[@NathanielWinkelmann]

You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

[@pkrish1424]

Reminds me of Dutch Van Der Linde for some reason

[@shawn4189]

What else is this melody from? I want to say Garth Brooks? But also probably like a traditional folk song.

[@KhidWzrd]

says of god

[@RobertKing00]

Bob Dylan?

[@buff3dn3rf26]

To satisfy the Philistines you stabbed him in the back.

[@tylerrooney89]

It's about Jesus right ? But he says to satisfy the philistines, does he mean Pharisees?

[@tylerrooney89]

"Dedicated to Jesus, Julius Cesar, and john Lennon". Okay got it. His lyrics' flexibility is the best part 👍🏾👍🏾

[@archer1949]

The title is taken from a line from Mark Antony's funeral oration in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar ("Friends, Romans, Countrymen/ Lend me your ears!")

[@nicolegillan2277]

Ummmm no. Not about Jesus.

[@greymurdock2]

Even without the philistines reference I had a sense he was referring to Christ and how we take his love for granted

[@davidj.8216]

@@nicolegillan2277 undoubtedly about Jesus. Every single verse...

[@heartofalion723]

I personally think this about Julius Ceasar or Obama

[@davidj.8216]

It's about Jesus. Look at every verse..."So to satisfy the Philistines (i.e . Romans), You stabbed him in the back..." reference after reference to Jesus' life.

[@adamprivett4779]

Easy answer: jesus incarnate in us at a time. Anyone have any other experience?

[@dragonballsy]

Read Knows Reign Dear. #Annihilation

[@TheMrpatches557]

THIS SONG IS ABOUT ME NOT YOU I AM JESUS CHRIST IN THE FLESH

[@ajkauthen]

I love Conor. and I love Bright Eyes. And I love the Mystic Valley Band. But the guy cannot play harmonica. I dont know if he is doing it on purpose or what. But it is pretty bad.

[@jonsaunders2179]

let him progresse

[@di5cipl3]

I would assume that someone who has been playing music and songwriting since he was a child was doing anything you think is a mistake on purpose.

[@abnewton88]

not a one of you.

[@daydrmnation]

i wonder what Conor thinks of the illuminati and if he's had any experience with it...