On August 13, 2002, “Saddle Creek” label released “Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground”, the fourth Bright Eyes album. It was recorded December 2001 – January 2002, at “Presto!”, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was produced by Mike Mogis.

Personnel:

• Conor Oberst– voice, guitar, piano, rhodes, organ
• Mike Mogis– banjos, bells, hammered dulcimer, vibraphone, glockenspiel, mandolin, guitar, dobro, pedal steel
• Andy LeMaster– electric guitar, keyboards, vocal harmonies
• Ted Stevens– electric guitar
• Maria Taylor– piano, organ, vocal harmonies
• Matt Maginn, Casey Scott– bass
• Matt Focht, Clint Schnase, Mike Sweeney– drums
• Clark Baechle– drums, clarinet
• Clay Leverett – drums, vocal harmonies
• Jiha Lee– flute, vocal harmonies
• Chris Brooks – piano
• Sean Cole– harmonica
• Julee Dunekacke– French horn
• Margaret Fish – bassoon
• Orenda Fink– trumpet, vocal harmonies
• Jason Flatowicz– trombone
• Katie Muth– oboe
• Tiffany Kowalski– violin
• Gretta Cohn– cello
• Todd Baechle, Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Choir – vocal harmonies

Track listing:

1. The Big Picture
2. Method Acting
3. False Advertising
4. You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will
5. Lover I Don’t Have to Love
6. Bowl of Oranges
7. Don’t Know When But a Day Is Gonna Come
8. Nothing Gets Crossed Out
9. Make War
10. Waste of Paint
11. From a Balance Beam
12. Laura Laurent
13. Let’s Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and to Be Loved)