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Bright Eyes — Arc of Time
Album: Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Avg rating:
5.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 384









Released: 2005
Length: 3:51
Plays (last 30 days): 1
You can make a plan
Carve it into stone
Like a feather falling
That is still unknown
Until the clock speaks up
Says it's time to go
You can choose the high
Or the lower road

You might clench your fist
You might fork your tongue
As you curse or praise
All the things you've done
And the faders move
And the music dies
As we pass over
On the arc of time

So you'll nurse your love
like a wounded dove
in the covered cage of night
Every star is crossed
by phrenetic thoughts
They separate and then collide

And they twist like sheets
'til you fall asleep
and they finally unwind
It's a black balloon
It's a dream you'll soon deny

I hear if you make friends
With Jesus Christ
You'll get right up
From that chalk outline
And then you'll get dolled up
And you'll dress in white
All to take your place
In his chorus line

And then in you'll come
With those marching drums
In a saintly compromise
No more whiskey slurs
No more blonde hair girls
For your whole eternal life

And you'll do the dance
That was choreographed
At the very dawn of time
Singing "I told you son,
The day would come,
You would die, you die, you die, you die
You would die, you die, you die, you die
You would die, you die, you die, you die
You would die, you die, you die

To the deepest part
Of the human heart
The fear of death expands
'til we crack the code
we've always known
But could never understand

On a circuit board
We'll soon be born
Again, again, again, again
And again, again, again, again
And again, again, again, again
And again, again, again
Comments (47)add comment
 erikbjohn wrote:

Love the song, love the CD. Why don't people get this stuff? The lyrics sell themselves.


It's fingernails on the chalkboard to me
did anyone else think this was cloud cult?
horrible {#Beat}
A bit catchy, on the first listen. 
A bit pretentious, but it's thoughtful. I could listen to it hence. More than some other tracks I hear here, about which people rave.  
 Ed222 wrote:
so so bad holy shit

 
Brutal
so so bad holy shit
Love the song, love the CD. Why don't people get this stuff? The lyrics sell themselves.
This CD pales in comparison to "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning". I tried to hate that CD, but it was just too well done.
Lyrics are pretty good, interesting, but the delivery and Bright Eyes himself, well . . . and who would choose to name himself after some goldfish anyway?
Spliff wrote:
This months White Stripes. All hype, no substance, no talent.
Now Spliff, that ain't fair to Jack White. I really dig White Stripes. Ball & a Busicuit? Heard that? Outstanding. Jack's is a HELLA good guitar player. But I agree--Some critic somewhere is betting the farm on Bright Eyes. Hyping them like he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I say sell the farm. :)
stellarblue11 wrote:
And the funny thing is, I think this is the most tolerable song of them all! The one with the horribly painful monologue makes me want to run for the hills where no one has ever heard of Bright Eyes and if I can help it never will!!
I agree "tolerable". And that is definitely not from a lack of hype.
where are they guys from? not heard of them before, but i'm liking this tune!
dna1532 wrote:
I think this would be a good song if it was coverd by Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen or somebody with some friggen soul. The lyrics are clever if they were delivered right.
insult bright eyes all you want, but don't say he has no soul.
it's no Haligh Haligh but it's damn good
And the funny thing is, I think this is the most tolerable song of them all! The one with the horribly painful monologue makes me want to run for the hills where no one has ever heard of Bright Eyes and if I can help it never will!!
I think this would be a good song if it was coverd by Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen or somebody with some friggen soul. The lyrics are clever if they were delivered right.
These guys really really really really suck. They sound like a '80s church band that you are subjected to instead of the weekly sermon. Please no more ever!
its getting worse, i had originally ho-hummed it at a 3, but every time i hear it i just dislike it more and more, and at that rate i decided he just gets a 1, cause i'm too lazy to stop at 2 when i know it'll end up at a one. I know some people love this guy, but i just cant do it, hes just not good, oh well not everyone is good.
This months White Stripes. All hype, no substance, no talent.
artmarcia wrote:
I do not understand at all the media's hot attraction for this group. Maybe they'll grow on me........but not yet.
Me neither. This guy sings astonishingly poorly.
bright eyes... as in planet of the apes? wasn't that what zira the good ape called charton heston?
samiyam wrote:
I'm beginning to believe it's a corporate plot to make us ignore Dylan... Insipid lyrics and lousy vocals with decent guitar work does not make a super star... But with lots of hype you can make people like Yoko Ono's singing!
lousy vocals, with decent guitar = Dylan. I have to give Dylan the lyrics though. All I have to say about Dylan is thank god for cover bands.
I do not understand at all the media's hot attraction for this group. Maybe they'll grow on me........but not yet.
getting a little tired of this song.... I'm not impressed by Bright Eyes. they can go away now.
Gregorama wrote:
I concur with your puzzlement. I saw the guy/or Bright Eyes on SNL a month ago or so and he really sucked live--horribly out of tune or off key or something. Maybe it is because some Nebraskans, like Brando, Fred Astaire or Johnny Carson achieve fame--that it's noteworthy when one does so...But it usually takes a LOT of talent, that I opine, lacks in his case.
I'm beginning to believe it's a corporate plot to make us ignore Dylan... Insipid lyrics and lousy vocals with decent guitar work does not make a super star... But with lots of hype you can make people like Yoko Ono's singing!
darthblav wrote:
i also saw him on austin city limits and he was just as terrible. luckily wilco was on and they made up for the half hour of bright eyes crap.
Saw the same show and came away even more impressed.
This really is awful!
Does every line of this song have to be sung: "Da da Dahhh Dahhh Dahhh"? Gets kinda annoying and repetitive...
I am definitely not impressed with this guy whatsoever. I heard how great he was, and if this song is any indication, the two cds out will be marked off my wish list.
darthblav wrote:
i also saw him on austin city limits and he was just as terrible. luckily wilco was on and they made up for the half hour of bright eyes crap.
Maybe that was where I saw him. P.U.
i also saw him on austin city limits and he was just as terrible. luckily wilco was on and they made up for the half hour of bright eyes crap.
Nebules wrote:
I really don't get the Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst thing that's going around the critics' circles like a virus. Is there a song that I should listen to that is, without any doubt, representative of the "greatness" of this "phenomenon"?
I concur with your puzzlement. I saw the guy/or Bright Eyes on SNL a month ago or so and he really sucked live--horribly out of tune or off key or something. Maybe it is because some Nebraskans, like Brando, Fred Astaire or Johnny Carson achieve fame--that it's noteworthy when one does so...But it usually takes a LOT of talent, that I opine, lacks in his case.
i have tried to like bright eyes many times, but at the end of the day, i still just don't get into him. it seems always the same thing, whitty ironic like poetry lyrics w/ whiny voice. i do like the one song jim james from my morning jackets sings with him.
the drums - yes! the singing - no!
pretty cool,, have been meaning to check these guys out,, what about their other album?
This song is great! The more I hear this guy the more I like him.
yay!
I read about Blue Eyes recently...in the forums.It'll take a few listens.Well maybe not. 5
Nebules wrote:
I really don't get the Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst thing that's going around the critics' circles like a virus. Is there a song that I should listen to that is, without any doubt, representative of the "greatness" of this "phenomenon"?
Yeah, I would recommend the album "Lifted: Or the Story...." (one of those long album names). Put on the head phones and give it a couple of listens. It was written mostly in the Fall of 2001, I believe.
I really don't get the Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst thing that's going around the critics' circles like a virus. Is there a song that I should listen to that is, without any doubt, representative of the "greatness" of this "phenomenon"?
Local boy makes good A pretty decent tune, also!
Finally. .. I've been looking forward to hearing this CD. Very nice !! I had a friend of mine burn me a copy of their appearance on Austin City Limits. Outstanding band. Wilco was on the same show. Oh... it doesn't get much better than that !!
Ya gotta have faith, faith, faith... Catchy tune. Likeable anyway.
Lot's of cool stuff going on here! That off-tempo drum riff is captivating!
lol...i've never given a song a 9 rating and had it lower the average :)
OMG so happy this song is being played. Conor oberst is frickin amazing. Great CD everyone should pick it up and the more stripped down "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning"