Land Locked Blues

This song is about the Iraq war, which the band feels is completely unnecessary. Conor Oberst sings, "There are kids playing guns in the street/and one's pointing his tree branch at me, so I threw my hands up, I said enough is enough, if you walk away, I'll walk away, then he shot me dead." This song suggests that even the youth are marred with violence.

As with many Bright Eyes songs, "Land Locked Blues" depicts both lovelorn relationship woes and a biting sociopolitical commentary. Sung with the Country star Emmylou Harris, the song makes a wrenching duet. Its title likely refers to the geographically landlocked status of Oberst's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska in the heartland of the United States.

The trumpet line refers to "Taps," played by both the military and the scouts to rouse the troops to begin their days, and played at funerals.