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Bowl of Oranges Lyrics

The rain had started tapping
On the window near my bed
There was a loophole in my dreaming
So I got out of it
And to my surprise my eyes were wide
And already open
Just my nightstand and my dresser
Where those nightmares had just been

So I dressed myself and left then
Out into the gray streets
But everything seemed different
Completely new to me
The sky, the trees, houses, buildings
Even my own body
And each person I encountered
I couldn't wait to meet

And I came upon a doctor
Who appeared in quite poor health
I said, "There's nothing I can do for you
You can't do for yourself"
He said, "Oh, yes you can, just hold my hand
I think that that would help"
So I sat with him a while
And I asked him how he felt
He said, "I think I'm cured
No, in fact I'm sure of it
Thank you stranger
For your theraputic smile"

So that's how I learned the lesson
That everyone's alone
And your eyes must do some raining
If you're ever gonna grow
When crying don't help, you can't compose yourself
It's best to compose a poem
An honest verse of longing
Or a simple song of hope

That's why I'm singing, baby, don't worry
Because now I've got your back
And every time you feel like crying
I'm gonna try to make you laugh
And if I can't, if it just hurts too bad
Then we'll wait for it to pass
And I will keep you company
Through those days so long and black

We'll keep working on the problem
We know we'll never solve
Of love's uneven remainders
Our lives are fractions of a whole
But if the world could remain within a frame
Like a painting on a wall
Then I think we'd see the beauty then
And stand staring in awe

At our still lives posed
Like a bowl of oranges
Like a story told
By the fault lines and the soil
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210 Meanings

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Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

This song is great, one of my favorites on lifted. I have to disagree with all of you though, the melody might be really uplifting but just look at the lyrics. It's not a happy song at all. "We'll keep working on the problems we know we'll never solve Of love's uneven remainders our lives are fractions of a whole. But if the world could remain within a frame like a painting on a wall then i think we'd see the beauty then.." The last verse is like a summation of the entire song, he talks about being happy and bouncy up until that point, but he realizes all of that's just a painting on the wall. He talks about how things are only beautiful in still lives, things that don't move and don't change.

The up beat melody and the lyrics up until the last verse seem almost sarcastic to me, but then maybe i'm just being cynical. In my opinion the song's not any happier than any other bright eyes songs. Still wonderful though.

Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

if a song makes someone cry... why do people have to like analyze it? everyone has their reasons. sometimes i cry when a song is nice and uplifting...

ummmm.... because they want to?

Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

word. this song makes me happy.

i agree. makes me feel happy too.

Not Valid
Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

whenever i listen to this song, i have an orange craving.

Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

HAHAHHA! everybody, check out my name, I just discovered bright eyes, but have been logged into this name forever, I choose it because it was beautifully melancholic sounding. AND now I've discovered bright eyes. Holy shit, its not good because i gravitate towards depressing stuff and he looked stupid at first but i heard this song once and i played it over and over again until 2 in the morning. This is bad, I have found my heroin, my drug.

Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

just a correction: "But everything seemed different and completly new to me"

Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

I love how this song is just so light and bouncy. It puts a smile on my face every time I listen to it.

Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

Its an amazing uplifting song. Its like an assurance that everything will be alright, specially in the second to last verse. This song, like many other written by that great artist CONOR OBERST, makes me weep.

Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

I love this song, but I have to ask you WeepingDonut, how can it make you cry? It's one of the happiest songs I have heard by Bright Eyes.

One of the happiest? "We'll keep working on the problem We know we'll never solve Of love's uneven remainders Our lives are fractions of a whole" That part right there isn't exactly the most happy thing i've ever heard. Besides, even if this song was meant to be a happy one, WeepingDount may have been "crying tears of joy" :P

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Cover art for Bowl of Oranges lyrics by Bright Eyes

maybe this song does make weeping donut cry. maybe he/she is depressed and it makes him/her jealous that her depressing song writer hero, is just a little bit hopeful. you know self pity.