Written Conor Oberst Recorded 2002/2003 Length 3:54 | Released January 25, 2005 Genre Folk music Label Saddle Creek LBJ-68 | |
"Road to Joy" is the last song on Bright Eyes' 2005 album I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. It was written by Conor Oberst. The name of the album is taken from a lyric in the song.
Contents
Structure
The song begins with a fingerpicking section combined with an interpolation of the melody of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. As the song progresses, it builds into a march, with the introduction of trumpets and horns. Near the end, everything fades out as Oberst delivers the final verse, and then all of the instruments come in at once in a loud frenzy, and continue for about 30–45 seconds before fading out and ending the album.
Live performances
The song is a staple of Bright Eyes' live performances, and is often played as a concert finale. After performing the song on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Oberst and trumpeter Nate Walcott destroyed their instruments.