Sometimes I feel the need to point out important lyrics because I feel like a lot of people miss out on em. Recently, I re-discovered Bright Eyes' "Going For The Gold". The first time I really heard it and loved it was when I saw Oberst live this past December, and hearing the recording pales in comparison.
It's so raw and pure, and really sticks with you. "And though I know that my actions are impossible to justify, they seem adequate to fill up my time. But if I could talk to myself like I was someone else, well then maybe I could take your advice and I wouldn’t act like such an asshole all the time," is a brilliant lyric. The self-actualisation a statement like that requires is groundbreaking. Calling himself such a strong insult could be taken as asking for sympathy by the casual listener, but in reality, I'm pretty sure it's easily understandable. He's feeling regret, and that's a beautiful way to put it.
"There’s a film on the wall that makes the people look small who are sitting beside it, all consumed in the drama." This hints at the fact that Oberst is an extreme people-watcher. It's easy to notice if people are caught up in drama or obsessed with something, but the way this is crafted alludes to the fact that he is so introverted that he's basically forced by his psyche to take into account every nuance and detail of others. "They must return to their lives once the hero has died" is something that I strongly believe in, though could never articulate as eloquently. People are shot back into reality once the film or whatever that's enthralled them is over. All must eventually let go.
"They will detail their pain in some standard refrain; they will recite their sadness like it's some sort of contest." I feel like this is not only true for writers and musicians, but also everyday people. We're constantly attempting to one-up each other, and some attempt to one-up in the aspect of who's had a worse day, or who has had the saddest experience. It's disgusting; you can really tell that Oberst feels the same, but realises he's guilty of it. (Previous line: "I found out I was guilty" could be a reference to that?) Writing about sad things is kind of just proof you feel like your sob story is something new or fascinating or "worse".
Then, he recoils from the statement and blurts out the lyric: "Well if it is, then I'm winning it…. the champion of idiots." Conor hates how people "compare scars", but he knows he does it too. This is probably one of the most revealing lyrics he's ever written; he shamelessly shows how self-aware he is and it's almost like an apology. He resents that people try and out-sad one another, but he feels as though he's a large culprit of this issue.
"I know a girl who cries when she practices violin, 'cause each note sounds so pure it just cuts into her, and then the melody comes out her eyes. Now to me everything else just sounds like a lie." It's like this girl has won this "contest" Oberst's been referencing. She's truly feeling emotion through music as its meant to be, not because it's a competition to be the saddest. That's when Conor shakes it off, steps away, and ends the tune.
After hearing this song, everything else just sounds like a lie.