Messersmith is not only a musician is half-truth, but also a storyteller. His first full-length release The Alcatraz Kid is a moving collection of acoustic-driven lullabies with titles like “Novocain” and “Beautiful Children” that innocently question the purpose of things to come. The integrity of these delicate songs immediately struck a chord with critics and fans alike, and captured the attention of Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, who offered to produce Messersmith’s follow-up album, The Silver City.
The Silver City was a natural progression in sound and reflection: the compositions grew fuller and more dynamic with a classic-pop feel inspired by the Beach Boys and Beatles: While the topics focused on midlife struggles with tracks like “Dead End Job” and “Miracles.” Local and national attention soon followed with NPR and college stations around the country, followed by U.S. tours and sold-out shows in New York, Chicago and Minneapolis.
The Reluctant Graveyard bookends this trilogy of lifelong (ahem, literary) observations with songs like “Lazy Bones” and “Organ Donor,” and sonically continues on the ’60s chamber pop path Messersmith set out with his sophomore release. He continues to share stages with notables such as Sondre Lechre and The Watson Twins, and has been featured on MTV and Ugly Betty.
Lazy Bones
Jeremy Messersmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waves at the dawn
With a stretch and a yawn
He has to go to work at eight
But he might have a cough
So he's sleeping it off
Lazy bones
Never worked so hard
Well, I hope you never break
Lazy bones
Oh, you're working so hard
He sleeps like he's got something to prove
Somewhere to explore
With a wink and a snore
He's at the end of misspent youth
Just a blur in a dream
Too quick to be seen
Lazy bones
Never worked so hard
Well, I hope you never break
Lazy bones
Oh, you're working so hard
Lazy bones
Never worked so hard
Well, I hope you never break
Lazy bones
Oh, you're working so hard
The song Lazy Bones by Jeremy Messersmith is a commentary on our modern lifestyle and what it means to work hard. It talks about a person who parties all night and sleeps all day without a care in the world. He has a job to go to at eight, but he may take a sick day to sleep it off. Despite his seemingly lazy ways, the lyrics reveal that he is actually working hard, perhaps harder than most people who are consumed by their jobs.
The song is essentially cautioning us against being too obsessed with our work and pushing ourselves too hard. It urges us to find a balance between work and play and to not let work consume our lives entirely. The idea is to work hard but also take some time out to explore the world and enjoy life.
Overall, the song gives a gentle reminder that it's okay to take a break from work and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. With the chorus repeating “Lazy bones, never worked so hard… Oh, you're working so hard”, Jeremy Messersmith is pointing out that sometimes what we see on the surface is not the full story.
Line by Line Meaning
He plays all night, then sleeps all day
He spends his nights entertaining himself and then spends his days sleeping.
Waves at the dawn
He greets the sunrise from his bed but stays asleep.
With a stretch and a yawn
He lazily wakes up and stretches his body before going back to sleep.
He has to go to work at eight
He has a job to attend to, still he chooses to be lazy.
But he might have a cough
He may have an excuse or an ailment to miss work.
So he's sleeping it off
He's sleeping to avoid work, even if it's for a minor reason.
He sleeps like he's got something to prove
He sleeps as if he has a reason or something to prove by being lazy.
Somewhere to explore
He has unfulfilled desires, which he subconsciously seeks in his dreams.
With a wink and a snore
He falls asleep carelessly with a wink and a snore.
He's at the end of misspent youth
He's already past his prime but still acts like a lazy teenager.
Just a blur in a dream
He's not aware of his surroundings when he's sleeping like it's all a blur.
Too quick to be seen
He sleeps fast, making it hard to notice anything.
Lazy bones
Never worked so hard
Well, I hope you never break
The idiom used here refers to someone who is lazy despite having a lot of energy or youth. He is still hopeful that he does not burn himself out.
Lazy bones
Oh, you're working so hard
The irony of calling someone lazy when their sleep patterns reflect someone who works themselves to the bone.
Contributed by Mateo F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.