There's a boy I know he has a heart of glass
It is gold inside but it has crystalized
It is beautiful but in it's tragedy
It is hard to hold without shattering
He calls himself at night, in soft overchords

Keeps coming back to it his voice in echo chords
Till the sound's so thick it turns the sky to smoke
And the greyest days the predictions told
But this boy I know, he is pure of soul
Just get's lost sometimes in his chemicals
Under a coat of night, it's oh-so-comforting
And that first breaking light becomes his enemy

He calls so late tonight, it is 4 a.m.
He is drunk, he can't find his apartment
I don't like how it feels when I think of him
All hooded in black, also stumbling
The days start to fade out of the frame
Like the blurring end to someone else's name
You try your hardest to do what it takes
But you're prepared everyday
To make the same mistakes
Step out of that life
It's nowhere near your time
Just remember you called it all bullshit
Well, it isn't if you stop giving into it
You can walk away the freest man

There's a boy I know lives in a bell jar
But I've been there too, and I swear to god
If I can help you, please, you've got to tell me how
I know you've been away, and it can break you down
And I don't want you gone

All the cracks you see can be repaired
And if you start to fall, we will be there
Don't drown yourself in all your old regrets


Lyrics submitted by delial

The Freest Man Lyrics as written by Jamie L Williams Derek Pressnall

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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The Freest Man song meanings
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39 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    it has to be conor, to me because of the mention of 'chemicals' its not a common thing to call drugs but conor does in 'lover..' plus the members have such a long history.. it all makes sense

    mojo172on July 14, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I adore this song. I love the lines. "I don't like how it feels when I think of him" because you can just imagine thinking of someone ywho you know is hurting themselves and there really isn't anything that you can do for them. And the lines. "he's trying not to upset his conscious afraid it's so fallen that no one will catch him but i've been there too and i swear to god if i can help you, please, you gotta tell me how i know you been away and it can break you down and i don't want you gone." I can just relate to that so much because i have a friend that i'm in love with and i just feel really bad when i see him hurt himself becasue of the girls he dates and the things that he gets himself involved in, but i feel so helpless when it comes to him

    nrdominguezon May 01, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I just thought I should point out that there is in fact a Bright Eyes song entitled "We are free men".

    shortcakeon July 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    these lyrics aren't complete

    constanton April 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this boy i know lives in a bell jar it is balancing upon his pedestal he's trying not to upset his conscious afraid it's so fallen that no one will catch him but i've been there too and i swear to god if i can help you please you gotta tell me how i know you've been away and it can break you down and i don't want you gone

    all the cracks you see can be repaired and if you start to fall, we will be there don't drown yourself in all your old regrets cuz all the heaviness will steal away your breath step out of that life it's no where near your time and don't forget you called it all bullshit it still is and if you stop giving into it you will walk away the freest man shake your head loosen your grip raise up your fist you are the freest man open your mouth scream it out loud forget all your doubt you are the freest man

    constanton April 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Does this remind anyone else of Conor Oberst?

    blueoftheskyon May 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this is my favorite song off of the new album, and I think it's pretty much self-explanitory.

    and yeah, can see a Conor Oberst connection

    hannaaahhon June 13, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a great song, and definitely makes me think of Conor Oberst. Being 'Free' is a big theme in Conor's music, especially the newer Bright Eyes stuff (easy/lucky/free, 'you'll be free, child, once you have died,' so on and so forth), and elsewise the general description of this kid would go hand in hand with Conor Oberst - 'hooded,' drunk, stuck in a certain lifestyle, 'i know you've been away and it can break you down;' Oberst left Omaha, so on and again so forth.

    But at the same time, maybe it's just a song about a generic beat down kid. Given their connection to Conor Oberst, though, I would make that my guess.

    Steven Johnon July 02, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "he calls so late tonight, it is 4 a.m. he is drunk, he can't find his apartment I don't like how it feels when i think of him all hooded in black, also stumbling"

    i can totally relate to this song

    punkybreesteron July 13, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it has to be conor, to me because of the mention of 'chemicals' its not a common thing to call drugs but conor does in 'lover..' plus the members have such a long history.. it all makes sense

    mojo172on July 14, 2006   Link

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