Hundreds of Ways

Album: Upside Down Mountain (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The first song to be released from Upside Down Mountain is a Country-flavored tune that finds Oberst singing about disappointment and needing to find a way to get through the day.
  • The song features backing vocals from Johanna and Klara Soderberg of the Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit. The sisters provide backing vocals for Oberst throughout Upside Down Mountain. The Bright Eyes leader previously featured on the Swedish sisters' 2012 track "King Of The World."
  • A limited-edition seven-inch of the song was released on Record Store Day on April 19, 2014.
  • The song finds Oberst addressing his own legacy:

    "Maybe no one really seems to be the person that they mean to be.
    I hope I am forgotten when I die."

    "I think a lot of times there's the sense that we have of ourselves and then there's the perception of people we interact with in the world, and those two things are not congruent," he explained to Billboard magazine. "It's a bit of a snarky line, but it's essentially saying that once I'm out of the picture I hope no one talks about me, because it won't be me they're talking about — it'll be their perception."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."

Glen Ballard

Glen BallardSongwriter Interviews

Glen Ballard talks about co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album, and his work with Dave Matthews, Aerosmith and Annie Lennox.

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn YankeesSongwriter Interviews

Revisit the awesome glory of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees: cheesily-acted videos, catchy guitar licks, long hair, and lyrics that are just plain relatable.

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.