A Literary Bright Eyes

Chronologically (click on the song to download it):

"And like Neely O'Hara, you swallow your sleep."

- Bright Eyes, "Neely O'Hara" (from Every Day and Every Night)

Valley of the Dolls was written by Jacqueline Susann. Neely O'Hara was one of three main characters. Neely became addicted to pills (she calls them "dolls"), including sleeping pills.

"'I want you to stay next door forever.' 'I can't,' said Mitchell."

- Bright Eyes, "A Spindle, a Darkness, a Fever, And a Necklace" (from Fevers and Mirrors)

In typical Bright Eyes-first-track-fashion, there is an interesting introduction on the first track (this has happened on all of the full-lengths, from A Collection... to I'm Wide Awake... (Motion Sickness intentionally excluded). On Fevers and Mirrors, the opener happens to be a seemingly Mexican boy reading from "Mitchell is Moving", a ready-to-read children's book. Allegedly, Oberst would teach Hispanic children to read English at a center in Omaha, NE.

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas..."

-Bright Eyes, "The Night Before Christmas" (from A Christmas Album)

I considered not adding this one for obvious reasons. Is Conor Oberst doing anything on this track? Who originally wrote this book? Literary? Yes. Bright Eyes? Yes.

"I heard you fell into a rabbit hole..."

- Bright Eyes, "Down in a Rabbit Hole" (from Digital Ash in a Digital Urn)

"The next song's like Alice in Wonderland," allegedly said Conor Oberst at a June concert in Germany - before playing "Down in a Rabbit Hole". Also, the first chapter oof Alice in Wonderland is entitled Down the Rabbit Hole.

"It was Don DeLillo, whiskey, me, and a blinking midnight clock."

- Bright Eyes, "Gold Mine Gutted (James Figurine Remix)" (this version is from the European "Easy/Lucky/Free" CD Single, the James Figurine remix. Originally, it is from Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.)

Don DeLillo is an author, mostly known for having written White Noise and Underworld. I am assuming that Oberst was just reading a DeLillo book, and not actually hanging out with Mr. DeLillo, though the latter is possible.

The music:

Bright Eyes discography for sale on Saddle Creek

The books on Amazon:

Valley of the Dolls
Mitchell Is Moving
The Night Before Christmas
Alice In Wonderland
Don DeLillo's Books