The First Day of My Life

Album: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005)
Charted: 37
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Conor Oberst is the primary songwriter for the Bright Eyes project, and his lyrics are usually hailed as one of the band's strongest aspect. They're emotional, often melancholy, and generally introspective. Like many other Bright Eyes songs, "The First Days of My Life" deals with powerful emotional material through poetic, allusive lyrics.

    The song is about a lover realizing that meeting their partner started their life anew, "First Day of My Life" captures the transformative power of relationships - not only romantic ones. The love song is now a wedding classic.
  • Conor Oberst described the song as being about "waking up from a long nightmare." Since the lyrics are overtly about falling in love and the ensuing beginning of a meaningful relationship, the implication is that this experience was the most meaningful part of Oberst's life so far that felt like a rebirth.
  • The song appears on Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, one half of the band's two simultaneous 2005 releases. It's a more acoustic, instrumental album compared to its electronic inspired counterpart, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. I'm Wide Awake, was the band's highest charting release at the time, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 200.
  • The song appeared in the 2007 film, Elvis and Annabelle, starring Blake Lively and Max Minghella.
  • It was also featured on the NBC TV show, Chuck, in the season 4 episode Chuck Versus the Last Details.
  • The music video was directed by noted film director John Cameron Mitchell. It received special recognition at the 2006 GLAAD Awards for its positive representations.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Randy Houser

Randy HouserSongwriter Interviews

The "How Country Feels" singer talks Skynyrd and songwriting.

Gilby Clarke

Gilby ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

The Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist in the early '90s, Gilby talks about the band's implosion and the side projects it spawned.

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Krishna Das

Krishna DasSongwriter Interviews

The top chant artist in the Western world, Krishna Das talks about how these Hindu mantras compare to Christian worship songs.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.