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Bright Eyes: First Day of My Life
by Matthew Butler
The tracks on this Bright Eyes single are as bittersweet as lemon and chocolate flavoured ice-cream, although the radio-friendly ‘First Day of My Life’ couldn’t be any sweeter if Micky Mouse was singing it you on your birthday. It has none of Conor Oberst’s usual dark undertones (or warbling off-kilter vocals), dealing instead with the feeling of seeing the world in a completely different light because of somebody special.
Let’s face it, it can be fucking annoying to have your faced rubbed in such lovey-doveyness, but the tune is so gorgeous you can’t help but feel a little fuzzy inside. It contains a melody so infectious that it seems like it has existed for an eternity already. In that sense it’s very similar to ‘Memory Lane’ from the late, great Elliot Smith, but here there's a sense of hope in life which sadly Mr Smith was so lacking in.
However, any faith in the future of the planet dissolves on the bitter B-side ‘When The President Talks To God’. An acoustic attack on religious fundamentalists (i.e. him in the White House), there's enough bile here to strip wallpaper. Thankfully, an involvement in the ‘Vote For Change’ tour with 'The Boss' hasn’t turned Bright Eyes into a hoary-voiced Springsteen clone - this is a spiteful but intelligent attack, and every American who voted for George Bush should be glued into a chair and made to listen to it repeatedly until they apologise for their actions.
Finally ‘True Blue’ appears to be an alt. country take on Eiffel 65 (ie: fucking awful). Containing 49 uses of the word 'blue' (yes I actually counted...) in increasingly stretched variations, this is harmless and throwaway stuff, but after two songs of such striking quality it’s hard not become spoilt like a kid with too much ice-cream.
From the archive
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Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
great song ... it is pretty sweet....mickey mouse would only ruin it though, hes got a crap voice. -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
Hey who the hell do you think you are to diss my childhood hero? You freek of nature?!?!
Grrrrrrrr... -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
Wooaaaaa there... just one second... you're from Segga? Hey i used to live there too (live in Beamish now)! Next to the Doc's surgery heading down to Witton Gilbert! -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
sacriston rocks ! :P
i live up by fyndoune school -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
Know that ice-cream van (its blue and white) that drives all around Segga with a Blonde woman driving it? Well, thats my mam!! hahah! She's been driving round there for 15yrs! I did it for a couple of years in my youth! -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
i think i know the one does it have popeye painted on it ?
cos thats the one that comes round ours -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
erm... blue and white is about as intimate as i'd like to admint!!
;-)
PS. In other words: Not a clue! -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
"I'm glad I didn't die before I met you" is such a sweet lyric
I like this song. -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
its probably the same one -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
This is just so lovely, as is every other song on the album. That line about "spreading blankets on the beach" is beautiful. -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
Damn it, I really want to hate Bright Eyes cos it seems like the thing to do, but this is just too fantastic. Really reminded me of Elliott Smith. -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
outstandigly gorgeous song, interesting video.
mr oberst is a complete genious! -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
i love this song so much! i agree, conor is a lyrical godsend. It's love to my ears. And I agree, what a video, it's really touching. -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
the videos done by John 'hedwig' Cameron Mitchell -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
i agree - "I'm glad I didn't die before I met you" is so sweet, and nice, and lovely, and makes me smile everytime i hear it. as does the whole song really. especially the video. although, cant say i'm too keen on that guy with the beard - the one who stares into the camera lense for a while, with the most expressionless face. still very sweet though. -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
I think that True Blue is quite sweet, my 18 month son loves it, it beats head nodding to the Tweenies Although playing it in Glasgow was rather risky.
As for First day just one of 22 brilliant songs. -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
OK, I haven't heard the single. But I did buy a Bright Eyes record and I listened to it once. It was good. It was very good. But I'm afraid to listen to it again because I might start dressing like Jennifer Lopez and being attracted to a man's hairy arse. Are my fears unfounded? I did survive the glam scene though admittedly I was only six at the time. But I'm thinking: why tempt fate twice.
Conner is a poster child for the emo crowd, right? I'm usually good about separating the music from the scene but just here I'm having some trouble. Maybe I need counseling. -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
He still sounds like a goat. -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
I'm guessing by 'Elliot Smith' you mean 'Elliott Smith'...
DOUBLE T PEOPLE! -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
i love "first day of my life" but i have to say i love "landlocked blues" more...and yes that song does remind me of ellioTT smith (i made sure well whiskey there was two T's) -
Re: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
I thought the video was just toilet. -
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
You can't knock the song..... there is an underlying message that we all have at least wished we could sing about. He connects with this song without going too deep. -
Flava'
This song makes the rocks in my shoe seem that much less uncomfortable.
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