Vic Chesnutt was an important musician to many in the ’90s and ’00s. Most famously, he was honored on the 1996 compilation album Sweet Relief II: Gravity Of The Situation, which featured covers of his songs from folks like R.E.M., Garbage, and Madonna. Now his music has been covered again, and this time, it’s Bright Eyes tackling “Flirted With You All My Life.”
Conor Oberst says of the cover, “I had the pleasure of seeing Vic perform many times over the years and from a young age. I can truly say he deeply changed my worldview and what it meant to write a really unique and thought-provoking song. One of the greatest ever. Always missed. Here is our humble version of one of his best.”
This recording is actually one Bright Eyes fans have heard before: It was a B-side on the vinyl single “Persona Non Grata” released in August 2020. However, this is the first time the cover is available on streaming services.
The song was a tragically prophetic one for Chesnutt. The song addresses his thoughts on death, with lyrics like, “I flirted with you all my life / Even kissed you once or twice / And to this day, I swear it was nice / But, clearly, I was not ready.” The song appears on his 2009 album At The Cut, which was released shortly after the artist died on Christmas 2009 due to an overdose of muscle relaxers.
Listen to Bright Eyes cover “Flirted With You All My Life” above.