The story's in the soil
Loose leaves cover the ground
There are volumes in the forest no one reads out loud
If I could take them down, off of that mountain shelf
We used to climb but no one tries to go up that far now

Yeah, we're all too busy working
Entertaining ourselves
40 hours, television, and prescription pills
Well, I take two a day to make my brain behave
It never does, but who's to say?
At least my doctor gets paid

So that is fine, yeah, come by
We'll take the afternoon off
We can kiss and undress
Or if you want, just talk
Because I have got nothing real
Just empty space to fill
And you're my girl, I like your style
Just imagine all the time we could kill

And time's not poison
But once you drink it all, you'll die
So let's just sip it real slow
Yeah, we can nurse it all night
Try to believe that once it's gone
They'll pour another round, we'll come back to life
Yeah, we'll come right back...

It's all moving fast now, yeah
And that's what they say
And though some days still take forever
I can't disagree
Because it seems to me
That I wake up and sleep
Look in the mirror and have no idea
What happened in-between

But I remember counting days down
Until the year could be done
So I could scatter all my notebooks on the prep school lawn
And disappear into a summer's bliss
Of staying out and sleeping in
And getting drunk with my friends

And that's gone and I know
That it won't ever come back
I accept, I won't cling to what I had in the past
But life is a slippery slope
Regret the steepest hill
Hope for the best, plan for the worst
And maybe wind up somewhere in the middle

And I'm not saying that I know what I want
But I know what I don't
Don't want to rot in my room
And never know what could have been
Believe what everyone else tells me is true...

Yeah, what they'll say; "True!"
That is what they'll say
That's it
Believe what everyone else tells me is true
They will say: "True!"
That is what they'll say
That's it...



Lyrics submitted by iddonuk

Track duration: 03:42


Loose Leaves song meanings
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50 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:The beginning of this song is definitely about his high school girlfriend Neely Jenkins. All the references to "the story" are about her. He also references the same summer in multiple songs, including "A Perfect Sonnet" and "I Will Be Grateful For This Day".

    I love how it's all tied together, it's sooo romantic.
    Flag manicdepressivestoneron December 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"and time's not poison but once you drink it all you'll die, so let's just sip it real slow, yeah we can nurse it all night, try to believe that once it's gone we'll pour another round and come back to life"

    absolutely brilliant, cannot get enough of this song, loved it within 10 seconds the first time i heard it.
    Flag tashamjson December 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:What a song, what a song. To me this song is almost completely about nostalgia and hoping the future is as good as the past. Though as they say, you always look at the past through rose colored glasses, and the future always seems bright. So who knows how it's going to go.
    Flag Copaceticon July 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't think this is about summer specifically, or growing up, but just being free. Doing what feels good, living your life, not staying cooped up in your room while you listen to everyone else's stories. Enjoy every bit of your life, don't hold anything back, and make no regrets.
    Flag DeadDiscoDanceron December 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:hahaha, prisoner you rock! Conor is totally a bodhisattva!
    But so am I, and so are I bet... Conor Oberst is very much absorbed in that inward-outward-journey-ness about life, so he writes traveler's songs, bodhisattva songs if you will.

    Anyway, I don't have anything to say about this song, except that I think it is beautiful.
    Thank you Songmeanings.com. I would never have known the brilliance of bright eyes without this site.

    jamous
    Flag Jamouson September 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"But I remember counting days down
    Until the year could be done
    So I could scatter all my notebooks on the prep school lawn
    And disappear into a summer's bliss
    Of staying out and sleeping in
    And getting drunk with my friends

    And that's gone and I know
    That it won't ever come back"

    That part always make me want to cry.
    Flag Birnstiehlon September 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:40 hours, television, and prescription pills
    Well, I take two a day to make my brain behave
    It never does,

    this song is amazing ! why would anyone want conor's brain to behave, it's excellent as it is.
    Flag screamingchoirson June 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I first listened to this song during my Bright Eyes obesession two years ago. The infatuation with his lyrics since subsided, and not all of Conor's songs/albums mean as much to me as they did then, but this song still rouses something inside. True, now I fixate on different lyrics then I did at first, but the same love is still there.
    Flag saperlipopetteon June 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:conor oberst.
    i fucking love you.

    And I'm not saying that I know what I want
    But I know what I don't
    Don't want to rot in my room
    And never know what could have been
    Believe what everyone else tells me is true...

    this means a lot to me.

    so does this:
    40 hours, television, and prescription pills
    Well, I take two a day to make my brain behave
    It never does, but who's to say?
    At least my doctor gets paid
    Flag Lack of x coloron May 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is fucking amazing. it describes my life
    Flag LifeLikeWeedson January 11, 2008   Link

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