Even tracks like “The First Day of My Life,” which threatened to become a Hallmark greeting card, were fresh and heartfelt, as if Oberst were reinventing basic human emotions. This politicized television appearance occurred the year Oberst (under the name of Bright Eyes) released his masterpiece I’m Wide Awake, it’s Morning, a youthful, passionate meditation on mortality and love.
Jay Leno seemed just a little put off and nervous when he shook the young troubadour’s hand. In the tradition of great protest songs such as “Masters of War,” the tune questioned the President’s wisdom and mocked his supposed religiosity. In 2005, Conor Oberst appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” to perform the B-side, non-album track, “When the President Talks to God.” His simple performance, with just an acoustic guitar, a cowboy hat and his wobbly voice, was relevant, ballsy and even dangerous.
