Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

Desert Island Questionnaire Lyrics by Conor Oberst

Upside Down Mountain

2014

[Verse 1]
Say that you were stranded on a desert island
What books you gonna bring?
What friends would tag along?
Say you had a month, you knew you were dying
How'd you spend your time?
What goodbyes would take too long?
You don't like this game and you take exception
Who wants all this trouble, even hypothetical?
With the charging sky above
And the ground below that could swallow everyone
[Verse 2]
Staring at your phone at another party
Spend a lot on clothes, got a lot of skin to show
People in the pool like a drowning army
Smoke alarm emotes and the hotel lobby glows
Wish that you could dance, but you got no partner
Keep tapping on your glass 'cause you wanna make a toast
To the ennui of our times
To the selfishness in everyone you know
[Chorus 1]
Made a lot of friends, but they can't be trusted
Don't know what their angle is
Post up at the bar and I'm double-fistin'
Talking to a mannequin
I don't know what it means when he takes my pulse
And says that I'm a lot like him
I say, "that's fair enough
That's why I'm tryin' to loosen up"
[Verse 3]
In every lunatic must be well-intentioned
Sets himself apart, he's an instrument of god
I took her from the playground to the farmhouse cellar
Kissed her while he killed her like a good Samaritan
They finally found her body many Autumns after
Interviewed her mother, said, "She'd now be 21
And although we lost her young
I know the good lord has a plan for all of us"
[Chorus 2]
Mormons at the door, they look clean and handsome
Always have a good sales pitch
Your little sister swears that she can read my aura
But I can't take her serious
Need something to blame for this human nature
Is that what this condition is?
I'm so bored with my life, but I'm still afraid to die
[Chorus 3]
Everyone's asleep in this burning building
And I can't wake 'em up in time
You go on ahead, I'll be right behind you
We're headed to the finish line
I can't get closer till this is over
[Verse 4]
Pretend that you were stranded on a desert island
What would be the message that you'd spell out for the plane?
Say the engine failed when that plane was flyin'
If you were the pilot, would you curse or would you pray?
No one's gonna cry at this John Doe funeral
Not a lot to say, didn't even have a name
Light a candle just in case he was someone's friend
Throw some flowers on the grave
Credits
Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst

About “Desert Island Questionnaire” by Conor Oberst

Read the complete lyrics to "Desert Island Questionnaire" by Conor Oberst from the album "Upside Down Mountain" in 2014. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock, Folk Rock, Indie Rock.

"Desert Island Questionnaire" is performed by Conor Oberst. from the album "Upside Down Mountain" in 2014 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Desert Island Questionnaire", explore more songs by Conor Oberst using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Conor Oberst · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Desert Island Questionnaire" is credited to Conor Oberst. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Desert Island Questionnaire" appears on "Upside Down Mountain" in 2014.

Visit the Conor Oberst artist page at /artist/conor-oberst for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.