Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
I'm staring out into that vaccum again
From the back porch of my mind
The only thing that's alive
I'm all there is
And I start attacking my vodka
Stab the ice with my straw
My eyes have turned red as stoplights
You seem ready to walk
You know I'll call you eventually
When I wanna talk
Until then you're invisible
Because there's a switch that gets hit
And it all stops making sense.
And in the middle of drinks
Maybe the fifth or sixth
I'm completely alone
At a table of friends
I feel nothing for them
I feel nothing
Nothing
Well I need a break from the city again
I think I'll ship myself back west
I got a friend there, she says
"Hey, anytime"
Unless that offer's expired
I have been less than frequent
She's under no obligation
To indulge every whim
And I'm so ungrateful, I take
She gives and forgives
And I keep forgetting it
And each morning she wakes
With a dream to describe
Something lovely that bloomed
From her beautiful mind
I said "I'll trade you one
For two nightmares of mine
I have some where I die
I have some where we all die"
I'm thinking of quitting drinking again
I know I said that a couple of times
And I'm always changing my mind
Well, I guess I am
But there's this burn in my stomach
And there's this pain in my side
And when I kneel at the toilet
And the morning's clean light
Pours in through the window
Sometimes I pray I don't die
I'm a goddamn hypocrite
But then night rolls around
And it all starts making sense
There is no right way or wrong way
You just have to live
And so I do what I do
And at least I exist
What could mean more than this?
What could mean more?
Mean more?
From the back porch of my mind
The only thing that's alive
I'm all there is
And I start attacking my vodka
Stab the ice with my straw
My eyes have turned red as stoplights
You seem ready to walk
You know I'll call you eventually
When I wanna talk
Until then you're invisible
Because there's a switch that gets hit
And it all stops making sense.
And in the middle of drinks
Maybe the fifth or sixth
I'm completely alone
At a table of friends
I feel nothing for them
I feel nothing
Nothing
Well I need a break from the city again
I think I'll ship myself back west
I got a friend there, she says
"Hey, anytime"
Unless that offer's expired
I have been less than frequent
She's under no obligation
To indulge every whim
And I'm so ungrateful, I take
She gives and forgives
And I keep forgetting it
And each morning she wakes
With a dream to describe
Something lovely that bloomed
From her beautiful mind
I said "I'll trade you one
For two nightmares of mine
I have some where I die
I have some where we all die"
I'm thinking of quitting drinking again
I know I said that a couple of times
And I'm always changing my mind
Well, I guess I am
But there's this burn in my stomach
And there's this pain in my side
And when I kneel at the toilet
And the morning's clean light
Pours in through the window
Sometimes I pray I don't die
I'm a goddamn hypocrite
But then night rolls around
And it all starts making sense
There is no right way or wrong way
You just have to live
And so I do what I do
And at least I exist
What could mean more than this?
What could mean more?
Mean more?
Lyrics submitted by _aeronautical, edited by betasunlight
Track duration: 04:47
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
Brick: It's like a switch, clickin' off in my head. Turns the hot light off and the cool one on.
It would be so cool if Oberst was inspired by this ahahha
"I'm completely alone at a table of friends
I feel nothing for them, nothing..."
I keep finding myself wanting to move from the town I'm stuck in, because there aren't many truly genuine people here.
"My eyes turn red as spotlights" I think that's obviously referring to him smoking weed... And the following lines
"You know I'll call you eventually
When I wanna talk
Until then you're invisible"
I think that means he's talking about calling up his buddies to hang out at smoke... But maybe not, haha... that's kinda a leap of an interpretation... Maybe it's just referring to hanging out in general.
Anyways, I really feel like this is the song I can relate to most in life.
I don't think I've listened to a song that pretty much sums up everything I've felt in the last couple of years.
You just have to live
And so I do what I do
And at least I exist"
i wrote that on my door when i was 15, but i messed up on one part of it and had to scribble over it, which made it ironic because of the lyric "there is no right way or wrong way"
that moment always stuck with me.
i think the hypocrite bit is like...drinking, he knows, is self-destruction...and yet even still, it gets to the morning and he prays to live, despite it being his own doing that he feels this way.
the last verse is like....resigned to himself. He knows he should stop, but really the drinking gives him meaning, and he reasons that without it, there'll be nothing to concentrate on...so he's just going to keep at it.
you guys probably knew all that. ahha.
You just have to live
And so I do what I do
And at least I exist"
some of my favorite Bright Eyes lyrics, I wrote this on all of my binders, and my walls, and my self a few times, lol
I just read every single comment on this song, it is by far a stand out from Digital Ash for me...And I want to say, thank you, fans of Bright Eyes and Conor Oberst.
You all bring beauty to the world every single day! You are all so intelligent, with amazing minds and the profound ability to appreciate true art!
It is so rare to find fans of a band/singer who aren't just saying "omg, he is sooo hott!! Marry me, have my babies!"
Sure, we all have to agree he is an attractive man, but I just adore that you are all so intelligent as to appreciate the songs, the in-depth yet beautifully subtle way he explains things.
So, thank you, I love you all and appreciate you keeping Bright Eyes in the world!
We are a rare breed; we who can appreciate true art, and every single one of you are perfect in the most imperfect way, just like our beloved Conor.
That is all.
I adore this song, this man and this band!
Xox