Were you surprised that we never spoke?
Then in the still of the night, when nothing stirs
I woke and I gathered up some clothes
I never planned on this but it's the way it goes
And now it all seems so familiar
Like pages turned on calendars
We get the same twelve months to fuck things up
Year after year
And I can't believe how down I am
Like the well I'm being lowered in, now water stops,
The bucket drops us farther and farther down
Well, I guess that you never knew me
Or at least not well enough
So I fill my gut with dark red wine
Until my brain shuts off and my eyes go blind
You won't see me there in that thick black air, yeah
I'll finally make something disappear
Because I've been practicing disappearing
And I think that I've got it down
But now there is no sun, just a cellar
Nowhere is sky, it's just that black, black dirt
Expanding outwards, just echoes for answers
Not that it matters if it's back or it's forwards
Unhappy lovers with baskets of flowers
Use them as markers
The place where your bed once stood
A time when it still felt good
But you'll get that feeling back
You just need some time to drink
And so I'll fill my gut with that blood red wine
Until my insides swim and my veins unwind
I'll be lying there in that hot white air
Once that something is gone it might never reappear



Lyrics submitted by PLANES

Track duration: 03:08


The Vanishing Act song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:roshiene is correct, these lyrics are seriously lacking. However, his/her rendition left a bit to be desired as well. Here is the best I could do:

    Were you surprised that we never spoke?
    Then in the still of the night, when nothing stirs
    I woke, and I gathered up some clothes
    I never planned on this but it's the way it goes
    And now it all seems too familiar
    Like pages turned on calendars
    We get the same twelve months to fuck things up
    Year after year
    And I can't believe how down I am
    Like a well I'm being lowered in, now water stops,
    The bucket drops us farther and farther down
    Farther and farther down
    Well, I guess that you never knew me
    Or at least not well enough
    And so I fill my gut with dark red wine
    Until my brain shuts off and my eyes go blind
    You won't see me there in that thick black air, yeah
    I'll finally make something disappear
    Because I've been practicing disappearing
    And I think that I've got it down
    But now there is no sun, just a cellar
    Nowhere is sky, it's just that black, black dirt, yeah
    Now there is no sun, it’s just a cellar
    Nowhere is sky, just that black, black, black, black dirt
    Expanding outwards, just echoes for answers
    Not that it matters if it's back or it's forwards
    Unhappy lovers with baskets of flowers
    Use them as markers
    The place where your bed once stood
    At the time when it still felt good
    But you'll get that feeling back
    Yeah, you just need some time to think
    And to add up they’ll get it straight in your mind
    But to calculate costs, that may take some time
    But I’m sure you’ll get to feeling better
    Yeah, I just need some time to drink
    And so I'll fill my gut with that blood red wine
    Until my insides swim and my veins unwind
    I'll be lying there in that hot white air
    Once that something is gone it might never reappear
    It might never reappear
    It might never reappear
    It might never reappear
    Flag justletgoandbeLIFTEDon June 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:When he says

    "So I fill my gut with dark red wine
    Until my brain shuts off and my eyes go blind"

    I think he's referencing medication, because there's a common type of antidepressant (known as MAOIs) which come with really really strict dietary guidelines. You can't eat certain foods high in tyramine, because the MAOI keeps you from processing it correctly. So you can really easily die by eating normal food.
    Red wine is really high in tyramine.
    Flag lor4225on March 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i love this song so so so much!!! im a big bright eyes fan! i love conor oberst hes the best! but the lyric are wrong to this song!
    Flag gazsafaon October 06, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is a really interesting song about depression. The imagery is fantastic, with the well metaphor. He describes the falling into depression as the bucket of a well being dropped. For those who have felt that true depression all agree with that metaphor.
    Flag Chelseahotel.on August 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:these lyrics are wrong. they are mixing a big part at the end. these are the correct lyrics.

    The lyrics to The Vanishing Act by Bright Eyes are wrong.
    These are the correct lyrics.

    Were you surprised that we never spoke?
    Then in the still of the night, when nothing stirs
    I woke and I gathered up some clothes
    I never planned on this but it's the way it goes
    And now it all seems so familiar
    Like pages turned on calendars
    We get the same twelve months to fuck things up
    Year after year
    And I can't believe how down I am
    Like the well I'm being lowered in, now water stops,
    The bucket drops us farther and farther down
    Well, I guess that you never knew me
    Or at least not well enough
    So I fill my gut with dark red wine
    Until my brain shuts off and my eyes go blind
    You won't see me there in that thick black air, yeah
    I'll finally make something disappear
    Because I've been practicing disappearing
    And I think that I've got it down
    But now there is no sun, just a cellar
    Nowhere is sky, it's just that black, black dirt
    Expanding outwards, just echoes for answers
    Not that it matters if it's back or it's forwards
    Unhappy lovers with baskets of flowers
    Use them as markers
    The place where your bed once stood
    A time when it still felt good
    But you'll get that feeling back
    Yeah, You just need some time to think
    And to add up the hell, get is straight in your mind
    But to calculate costs, that may take some time
    But im sure youll get to feeling better
    Yes I just need some time to drink
    And so I'll fill my gut with that blood red wine
    Until my insides swim and my veins unwind
    I'll be lying there in that hot white air
    Once that something is gone it might never reappear
    Flag roshieneon April 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the first time i heard it, it reminded me a lot of eliot smith (i had just started getting into his music), mostly because of the fast paced folk rhythm that is one of his signatures. it seemed coincidental, but the more i listened to the lyrics, the more obvious it is that this song alludes to suicide, whether it be literal or metaphorical (for me it's more metaphorical), but maybe conar is an eliot fan and it was a sort of tribute... but i'm just talking out my ass --- what the hell do i know?
    Flag greensteveon April 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:me too..
    Flag charcoalsketchon June 28, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song... makes me want to disappear.
    Flag Surfpicoon September 16, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:l understand how people would like to disapear from the world and how theyre better off secluded on their own than with outside distraction that corrupts and robs them of everything, but l think that its those same people who make the greatest impact on me...
    lts everyone else that should disapear.
    Flag katerxdaisyon April 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh yeah. I forgot to say that there are quite a few pieces missing from the song.
    Flag ParadoxicalTruthon March 17, 2005   Link

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