Diction in Bright Eyes.
Bright Eyes is a small band developed in Omaha, Nebraska. They have remained signed to Saddle Creeks Records since the beginning of the band. They use many literary devices in their music, such as diction. Diction is the choice and use of words in writing. Bright Eyes shows exemplary diction in "At the Bottom of Everything" and in "Sunrise, Sunset".
"At the Bottom of Everything" starts with Connor Oberst describing a scene on a plane that is about to malfunction, with no instrumentals in the background: "So there was this woman and she was on an airplane, and she was flying to meet her fiance seaming high above the largest ocean on planet earth. She was seated next to this man she had tried to start conversations, but the only thing she had really heard him say was to order his Bloody Mary. " Then, the transition into the rest of the song, with the instruments is extremely peculiar, songs are not typically introduced in this way. "And then he starts humming this little tune, it kind of goes like this: 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4." He makes it seem as if the man on the plane he depicts is singing the song. The rest of the song is completely different from the introduction. It does not comply with the typical song structure. He ends each verse with a repetition, telling the reader/listener, that they and Connor Oberst must do something, that honestly has nothing to do with the rest of the verse. "We must take all of the medicines too expensive now to sell. Set fire to the preacher who is promising us hell, and in the ear of every anarchist that sleeps but doesn’t dream, we must sing, we must sing, we must sing." In this song, he sings that song, and in that song he sings the rest of a new song starting it as "It’ll go like this: While my mother waters plants My father loads his guns He says death will give us back to God Just like this setting sun is returned to this lonesome ocean." This is an extremely unique way of composing the song's lyrics. This is an example of how Bright Eyes is so extra-special.
In "Sunrise, Sunset"he creates a whole new tone. The song is still dark, but the sound takes a turn. It's more eerie and calming. You can almost predict the amount of words or syllables in the next line, without seeing the lyrics or ever listening to it before: "To the sunrise and the sunset. The master and his servant have exactly the same fate. It's a sunrise and a sunset. From a cradle to a casket. There is no way to escape. The sunrise and the sunset." "Sunrise, Sunset" is nothing but a poem with instruments put to it. As opposed to "At the Bottom of Everything", which is more used to the idea of death coming sooner or later, "Sunrise, Sunset" has a much more depressed tone: "She raised her hands in the air, asked you, When was the last time you looked in the mirror? 'Cause you've changed. Yeah, you've changed." Connor Oberst is not convincing you everything will be okay, this time: "You're manic or you're depressed. Will you ever feel OK?". Everything is very unified however. The lyrics just flow, and it flows nicely. There is an extreme amount of unity. Even though, in the beginning he says "The sunrise and the sunsets. You are lying while you confess, keep trying to explain. The sunrise and the sunsets. You realize then you forget what you've been trying to retain." and in the end he says something totally not related: "Go home to your apartment and put the cassette in the tape deck and let that fever play. Sunrise, sunset. Where are you Arienette?". He seems so uncontrollably shaken, and almost like insanity is taking over, when his voice shakes, and his lyrics ramble on and on.
Bright Eyes had made a huge contribution to indie rock music. Connor has given off so many types of indie rock. Acoustic in "First Day of My Life", psychedelic in "Neely O'Hara", happy in "Bowl Of Oranges", hopeful in "Four Winds", and just utterly depressive in "Lover, I don't have to love." With eight albums, and seven EP's Bright Eyes has a type of style for everyone, leaving indie rock with a huge impression in the music timeline. Despite the typical love, heartbreak, lost love, love found again, and loving someone who doesn't know you exist. He manages to make it different, and not one bit annoying. You can truly hear the pain in his voice as he sings. Bright Eyes will always be forever in the heart of indie rockers everywhere.
"At the Bottom of Everything" lyrics
So there was this woman and
she was, uh, on an airplane and
she's flying to meet her fiancé
sailing high above the--the largest ocean
on planet earth and she was seated
next to this man who, you know
she had tried to start conversations
an really--really the only thing
she heard him say was to order his bloody mary
and she's sitting there and she's reading
this really arduous magazine article about a
third world country that she couldn't
even pronounce the--the name of and
she's feeling very bored and very despondent
and--and then, uh, suddenly there's this huge mechanical failure and one of the--the engines gave out
and they started just falling -an- thirty thousand feet
and the pilot's on the microphone and he's saying,
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Oh My God, I'm Sorry"
and apologizing and she looks at the man and she--and she says,
"Where are we going?" and he looks at her and he says,
"We're going to a party, it--it's a birthday party.
It's your birthday party, happy birthday darling.
We love you very, very, very, very, very, very, very much."
And then, uh, he starts humming this little tune and--and, uh, it kind of goes like this, it's kinda:
One, Two, One, Two, Three, Four
We must talk in every telephone, get eaten off the web
We must rip out all the epilogues from the books we have read
And to the face of every criminal strapped firmly to a chair
We must stare, we must stare, we must stare.
We must take all of the medicines too expensive now to sell
Set fire to the preacher who is promising us hell
And in the ear of every anarchist that sleeps but doesn't dream
We must sing, we must sing, we must sing.
And it'll go like this, alright
While my mother waters plants my father loads his gun.
He says, "Death will give us back to God,
just like the setting sun
is returned to the lonesome ocean."
And then they splashed into the deep blue sea.
(Oh,)It was a wonderful splash.
We must blend into the choir, sing as static with the whole,
We must memorize nine numbers and deny we have a soul,
And to this endless race for property and privilege to be won
We must run, we must run, we must run.
We must hang up in the belfry where the bats in moonlight laugh
We must stare into a crystal ball and only see the past
And (in)to the caverns of tomorrow with just our flashlights and our love
We must plunge, we must plunge, we must plunge.
And then we'll get down there,
way down to the very bottom of everything
and then we'll see it, oh we'll see it, we'll see it, we'll see it.
Oh my morning's coming back
The whole world's waking up
Oh the city bus is swimming past.
I'm happy just because
I found out I am really no one.
"Sunrise, Sunset."
Sunrise, sunset.
Sunrise, sunset.
Swiftly go the days.
Sunrise, sunset.
You wake up, then you undress.
It always is the same.
a sunrise and the sun sets.
You’re lying while you confess, keep trying to explain.
a sunrise and the sun sets you realize
then you forget what you’ve been trying to retain.
But everybody knows it’s all about the things
that get stuck inside of your head,
like the songs your roommate sings
a vision of her body as she stretches out on your bed.
and she raised her hands in the air asked you,
When was the last time you looked in the mirror?
cause you have changed.
Yeah, you have changed.
Sunrise, the sun sets.
You are hopeful and then you regret.
The circle never breaks.
With a sunrise and a sunset there’s a change of heart or address.
Is there nothing that remains?
For a sunrise or a sunset.
You’re manic or you’re depressed.
Will you ever feel ok?
for a sunrise or sunset, your lover is an actress.
Did you really think she’d stay?
For a sunrise or sunset.
You’re either coming or you just left but you’re always on the way.
Towards a sunrise or a sunset, a scribble or a sonnet.
They are really just the same.
To the sunrise and the sunset.
The master and his servant have exactly the same fate.
It’s a sunrise and a sunset.
From a cradle to a casket.
There’s no way to escape.
The sunrise and the sunset.
Hold your sadness like a puppet, keep putting on the play.
But everything you do is leading to the point
where you just won’t know what to do.
And at that moment you may laugh
but there is someone there who will be laughing louder than you.
So it’s true, the trick is complete.
become everything you said that you never would be.
You’re a fool! You’re a fool!
Sunrise, sunset.
Sunrise, sunset.
The sunrise and the sun sets.
Sunrise, sunset.
Sunrise, the sun sets.
Sunrise, the sun sets.
Sunrise, sunset.
Go home to your apartment
put the cassette in the tape deck and let that fever play.
Sunrise, sunset.
Where are you Arienette?
Where are you Arienette?
