Grey light, new day leaks through the window
An old soul song comes on the alarm clock radio
We walk the forty blocks to the middle
Of the place we heard that everything would be
And there were barricades to keep us off the street
But the crowd kept pushing forward
Until they swallowed the police

Yeah, they went wild
Yeah, they went wild
Yeah, they went wild
Yeah, they went wild

We left before the dust had time to settle
And all the broken glass swept off the avenue
And on the way home, held your camera like a bible
Just wishing so bad that it held some kind of truth
And I stood nervous next to you in the dark room
You dropped the paper in the water
And it all begins to bloom

Yeah, they go wild
Yeah, they go wild
Yeah, they go wild
Yeah, they go wild

And just when I get so lonesome I can't speak
I see some flowers on a hillside
Like a wall of new TVs
Yeah, they go wild



Lyrics submitted by keely, edited by pixelcreme, Mellow_Harsher

Track duration: 04:29


Old Soul Song (For the New World Order) song meanings
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77 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Conspiracy my ass, you think Conor cares about that stuff?
    Flag pixelcremeon December 14, 2012   Link
  • -3
    General Comment:Are you guys kidding me. Its about the conspiracy. The government is making measures to contain us, AMERICAN citizens and decrease the population. theextermination.com/
    Even in the new Tour he talks about the government not giving us information. Read and listen.
    Flagged gabrielamarie91on August 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I think bright eyes left this song up to multiple interpretations... like many of their songs.

    how I interpret its is how the guy perceives how the girl(the photographer) sees the world. I'm a photojournalism student so I think this song really touches a part of me that many outside the field would never get. (so once again depending on who you are, the artist left many meanings)

    the first part "gray light.....swallowed the police.." sets up the event, the riot (which could be multiple real events 9/11..and such) or just a made up event that has much action and emotion.

    the next part is that verse that really holds meaning to me(and ill interpret by each line)
    "We left before the dust had time to settle
    And all the broken glass swept off the avenue"

    - the riot/event i has JUST ended and everyone is gone


    "And on the way home I held your camera like a bible
    Just wishing so bad that it held some kind of truth"

    - the girl/photographer holds her camera as important as a bible. Now i know a lot of you have been saying that this is an anti religious statement saying religion is BS and such, but if you read/listen she "hold the camera like a bible" most people who hold a bible carry it with care because they believe in in because it is important. This is not a statement of religion
    per-se but comparison of how important the photos, which the camera holds, are. Much like people who carry a bible believe that the words which is carries are important

    And I stood nervous next to you in the dark room
    You dropped the paper in the water
    And it all begins to bloom"
    - I'm not trying to be condescending but many people have not been exposed (pardon the pun) to film development, In a darkroom there is three types of liquid in which you place exposed paper in. During the first submersion one can physically watch the photo appear on the paper. so this line refers to the anxiety of watching the photo appear. watching waiting, and hoping that something meaningful was captured.

    The last line I have a little trouble with.

    Flag thePJartiston March 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the new world order is big brother and the lepers are warning it's coming
    Flag park3662on December 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the song is about when the government goes big brother on us and we don't take it
    Flag park3662on December 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:wow... it stunts me to see how many are not aware of the New World Order (at least on this web page)...

    Search it. At least its clear Bright Eyes are against it.


    Oh, and before you begin searching, Be aware that many fantasies have been atributed to the NWO. But the truth is still there. Just make sure to use your critical judgment in order to separate facts from lies.

    Its all around you.
    Flag RicoBoudreauon April 16, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this songs about 9/11. "Grey light, new day leaks through the window." "We walk forty blocks to the middle." "And there were barracades to keep us off the street." " But the crowd kept pushing forward until they swallowed the police." "We left before the dust had time to settle." Conor Oberst lived in New York City while writing and recording Im Wide Awake, Its Morning. He wrote and recorded this album in 2002. Very good chance this is what this song is about.
    Flag musicislife112on February 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Its fairly obvious the kind of meaning Conor is putting into the song, the only thing up for debate is what EXACTLY he's touching upon.
    As said in the title, and shown in the lyrics, its about the New World Order, which is largely conspiracy theories, though (me being a believer in a lot of it) is backed up by alot of evidence. I dunno what Conor thinks about it all but from his lyrics about discontent about politics, ethics, the world in general he seems to be a person that would be open to conspiracies.

    I'd say for anyone who's interested to look into the New World Order stuff, then to go back and listen to this song again. To me, its all about the day this New World Order (which is basically a world government that controls everything) comes public and people realise what has been done, and begin to revolt. I Believe Conor is singing about the resistance of the public against the leaders.

    The Resistance album by Muse that came out in '09 is also very much about the same stuff that Conor is singing about here.

    As for the Bible/Camera reference, so far as I can tell they went to teh centre of the town, where the riots were happening and took pictures of this historic event, then took it home so they had pictures of this world-changing place in time, perhaps incriminating evidence (even considered UFO's?) and that standing nervous in the dark room is wondering how the pictures have turned out as they're being developed.

    Sorry for the essay, but I've obsessed over this song for days :)
    Flag shearersonon February 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Obviously this song is about a protest. It seems to be a protest concerning war, considering the title of the song including NWO makes it political, he mentions wars on tv, and he uses wild flowers as imagery which represents peace in a way, which the protesters dream of, right? I mean, it's pretty obvious to me.
    Flag scrletbegoniason September 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree with what someone else said, I just see 9/11 imagery here, and that's the personal meaning I take from the song.
    Flag griseceriseon July 06, 2009   Link

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