Did you expect it all to stop
At the wave of your hand?
Like the sun�s just gonna drop,
If it�s night you demand.
Well, in the dark we�re just air,
So the house might dissolve.
Once we�re gone, who�s gonna care
If we were ever here at all?
Well, summer�s gonna come.
It�s gonna cloud our eyes again.
No need to focus when there�s
Nothing that’s worth seeing.
So we trade for liquor for blood,
In an attempt to tip the scales.
I think you lost what you loved
In that mess of details.
They seemed so important at the time
Now you can�t even recall
Any names, faces, or lines;
It�s more the feeling of it all.
Well, winter�s gonna end,
I�m gonna clean these veins again.
So close to dying that I finally can start living.
Interviewer: Hi, we�re back. This is Radio —x. We�re here with Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes. How are you doing, Conor?
Conor: Fine, thanks. Just a little wet.
Interviewer: Oh, it�s still coming down out there.
Conor: Yeah, I sorta had to run from the car.
Interviewer: Well, we are glad you made it. Now, your new album, Fevers and Mirrors, tell us a little bit about the title. I noticed there is a good deal of repeated imagery in the lyrics�fevers, mirrors, scales, clocks. Could you discuss some of this?
Conor: Sure, let�s see. The fever is�
Interviewer: First, first, let me say that this is a brilliant record, man. We�re really into it here at the station. We get a lot of calls it�s really good stuff.
Conor: Thanks. Thanks a lot.
Interviewer: So, talk a little bit about some of the symbolism.
Conor: The fever?
Interviewer: Sure.
Conor: Well, the fever is basically whatever ails you or oppresses you. It can be anything. In my case it�s my neurosis, my depression…but I don�t want to be limited to that. It�s certainly different for different people. It�s whatever keeps you up at night.
Interviewer: I see.
Conor: And the�and the mirror is like, as you might have guessed, self examination or reflection in whatever form. This could be vanity or self-loathing. I-I know I�m guilty of both.
Interviewer: That�s interesting. Uh, how �bout the scale?
Conor: The scale is essentially our attempt to solve our problems quantitatively, through logic or rationalization. In my opinion it�s often fruitless but, always�ah, not always. And the clocks and calendars, it�s just time, our little measurements. It�s always chasing after us.
Interviewer: It is, it is. Uh, how �bout this Arienette? How does she fit into all of this?
Conor: I prefer not to talk about it, in case she�s listening.
Interviewer: Oh, I�m sorry, I didn�t realize she�s a real person.
Conor: She�s not. I made her up.
Interviewer: Oh, so she�s not real.
Conor: Just as real as you or I.
Interviewer: I don�t think I understand.
Conor: Neither do I, but after I grow up, I will, I mean�a lot�a lot of things are really unclear for me right now.
Interviewer: That�s interesting. Now, you mentioned your depression.
Conor: No I didn�t.
Interviewer: You�re from Nebraska right?
Conor: Yeah so.
Interviewer: Now let me know if I�m getting too personal, but it seems to me that there�s a pretty dark past back there somewhere. What was it like for you growing up?
Conor: Dark. Not really. Uh-actually, I had a great childhood. My parents were wonderful, I went to Catholic school. They had money so it was all�easy. But basically, I had everything I wanted handed to me.
Interviewer: Really. So some of the references like babies in bathtubs are not biographical?
Conor: Well, I did have a brother that died in a bathtub. Drowned. Actually, I had five brothers that died that way.
Interviewer: Tahuh.
Conor: No, I�m serious. My mother drowned one every year for five consecutive years. They were all named Padraic, so thats-they all got one song.
Interviewer: Hm.
Conor: It�s kind of like walking out a door and discovering it�s a window.
Interviewer: But your music is certainly very personal.
Conor: Of course. I put a lot of myself into what I do. But it�s like, being an author, you have to free yourself to use symbolism and allegory to reach your goal. And a-and a part of that is compassion, empathy for other people, and understanding their situations. So much of what I sing about comes from other people�s experiences as well as my own. It shouldn�t matter. The message is intended to be universal.
Interviewer: I see what you mean.
Conor: Can you make that sound stop please?
Interviewer: Yes. And your goal?
Conor: I don�t know. Uh, create feelings, I guess. A song it never ends up the way you plan it.
Interviewer: That�s funny you would say that. Do you think that�
Conor: Do you ever hear things that aren�t really there?
Interviewer: I�m sorry, what?
Conor: Nevermind. How long have you worked at this station?
Interviewer: Oh, just a few minutes. Now, you mentioned empathy for others. Would you say that that is what motivates you to make the music you make?
Conor: No, not really. It�s really just a need for sympathy. I want people to feel sorry for me. I like to feel the burn of the audience�s eyes on me when I�m whispering all my darkest secrets into the microphone.
(From the side, two teenage thugs start swearing about the music, talking over the conversation.)
Conor: When I was a kid I used to carry around this safety pin everywhere I went in my pocket and when people weren�t paying enough attention to me I�d dig it into my arm until I started crying. Everyone would stop what they were doing and ask me what was the matter. I guess I kind of liked that.
Interviewer: Really, you�re telling me you�re doing all this for attention?
Conor: No, I hate it when people look at me. I get nauseous. In fact, I could care less what people think about me. Do you feel alright? Do you wanna dance?
Interviewer: No, I�m feeling sick.
Conor: I really just want to be warm yellow light that pours all over everyone I love.
Interviewer: So, uh, you�re going to play something for us now. Is this a new song?
Conor: Yeah, but I haven�t written it yet. It�s one I�ve been meaning to write, called, �A Song to Pass the Time.�
Interviewer: Oh, that�s a nice title.
Conor: You should write your own scripts.
Interviewer: Yeah, I know.
(Conor says from the side, �I kept singing today�It would be eeeeasyyy…�)
