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The Joy in Discovery Lyrics

Why do you lay in the grass?
Don't you want to be found?
Don't you want that?
Isn't the sun even going to try to find a hole in the clouds?
Isn't it even going to try?
Why won't it try that?
Why do you lay so low in the grass?
Don't you want to be found?
Don't you want to be found?
I thought you wanted that
21 Meanings

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Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

connor sounds like such a sheep in this song, I just see this sheep standing in some field going "Whhhyyyy do you lay in the graaaaassssssss?" to like some guy or homeless dude or something...lol But I love it none the less, and I sure do love me some Bright Eyes!

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

yeah, i suppose he does sound like a sheep. everytime i hear it, though, all i can think of is Filbert the turtle, from Rocko's modern life. remember him? sounds just like him.

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

to me its about a girl who does all these things and puts herslef in all these situations that makes her seem like she wants one thing. probably love. but when it comes down to her getting what she wants its almost as though she pulls away. im only hitting the surface of what i think the song means. its so deep in its simplicity, there really is no way to narrow it down to one meaning.

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

When I listen to this song I hear it as a variation on the theme explored in his other songs "A New Arrangement" and "The Joy in Discovery/ The Joy in Acceptance." This song, to me, is someone asking a person suffering from depression why they aren't trying to be happy. I've always been very curious as to whether Conor believes that depression can be overcome by choice or personal will, and, in his song, his answer seems to be no, and a criticism of those who believe that it can. He seems to equate the question of why a depressed person is not trying to be happy to why the sun is not trying to find a hole in the clouds; he seems to be saying that that's just not how it works, and the question itself is as ridiculous as it is insensitive.

On a less related note, my best friend and I recently had a conversation of sorts about this same topic; she said I had once told her to just try to be happy when she was depressed, and the bitterness in her voice when she said this sort of blew me away. She said sometimes she wanted to say to me, when she knew I was in a low spell, and the irony sort of hit me, because she had told me before after a two year relationship of mine had ended, "You should be trying harder to get over this." This song reminds me how depression is impossible to understand unless you're going through it, often even by those who have experienced themselves.

My Interpretation

she wanted to say the same to me*

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

lmao!!! That was single-handedly the most hilarious comment I have ever read, lumosnox. Good call.

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

the simplicity of the lyrics is what makes this song so beautiful. Whenever I feel really desolate and like I'm going to give up, I put this song on, and it makes me feel better. And, although he sounds a little like a sheep, I love the raw vocals. :) In my eyes, Conor can do no wrong, I guess.

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

Wow...he does sound like Filbert the turtle... I dunno, I mean, I'm pretty hardcore about Bright Eyes, but this is prolly my least favorite song of Conor's...

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

I love Filbert! Rocko's Modern Life <3333

This song is missing that.. something.. that blows me away

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

I love Filbert! Rocko's Modern Life <3333

This song is missing that.. something.. that blows me away

Cover art for The Joy in Discovery lyrics by Bright Eyes

Isn't the Sun even going to try to find a hole in the clouds?

no the sun wont

 
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