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Everybody's Happy Nowadays
Buzzcocks Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was so tired of being upset
Always wanting something I never could get
Life's an illusion, love is a dream
But I don't know what it is

Everybody's happy nowadays
Everybody's happy nowadays

I was so tired of being upset
Always wanting something I never could get
Life's an illusion, love is a dream
But I don't know what it is

'Cause everybody's happy nowadays
Everybody's happy nowadays

Life's an illusion, love is the dream
But I don't know what it is
Everyone's saying things to me
But I know it's okay, okay

Everybody's happy nowadays
Everybody's happy nowadays

Everybody's happy nowadays
Everybody's happy nowadays

Life's an illusion, love is a dream
Life's an illusion, love is the dream
Life's the illusion, love is a dream
Life's the illusion, love is the dream

Everybody's happy nowadays
Everybody's happy nowadays, days

Bet you are tired of being upset
Always wanting something you never can get
Life's no illusion, love's not a dream
Now, I know just what it is

Everybody's happy nowadays
Everybody's happy nowadays

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Buzzcocks's song Everybody's Happy Nowadays reflect the frustration of the singer who is exhausted from constantly wanting something that they cannot attain. The first stanza repeats an internal monologue where the singer laments the illusory nature of life, while the second and third stanzas repeat the title line that "everybody's happy nowadays," suggesting that others seem to be content despite the problems and difficulties of existence. The repetition of the lines stresses the monotony of life and highlights the singer's feeling of isolation and alienation.


There are several possible interpretations of the song. One could argue that the lyrics reflect a sense of disillusionment with the world, questioning the value of striving for happiness when it seems unattainable. Alternatively, the song could be interpreted as a critique of society's façade, where individuals are expected to be happy regardless of the circumstances. The lyrics suggest that people may pretend to be happy, but this does not reflect an actual state of well-being.


Line by Line Meaning

I was so tired of being upset
I felt exhausted from feeling sad all the time


Always wanting something I never could get
I had a constant desire for things I could never attain


Life's an illusion, love is a dream
Life seems unreal and love seems unattainable


But I don't know what it is
I'm confused about the nature of life and love


Everybody's happy nowadays
Despite this confusion, it seems like everyone else is happy


Everybody's happy nowadays
This idea is repeated to emphasize its importance


Life's an illusion, love is the dream
The idea that life and love are not what they seem is repeated


But I don't know what it is
The artist is still unsure about what life and love truly are


Everyone's saying things to me
People are talking to the artist


But I know it's okay, okay
Despite their confusion, the artist feels okay


Everybody's happy nowadays
The repetition of this line suggests that it's a common sentiment


Everybody's happy nowadays
This idea is reiterated to emphasize its prevalence


Life's an illusion, love is a dream
The singer repeats this line to emphasize their confusion about life and love


Life's an illusion, love is the dream
This line is repeated again, reinforcing the idea that life and love are not what they seem


Life's the illusion, love is a dream
The same idea is expressed with slightly different wording


Life's the illusion, love is the dream
This idea is repeated to really hammer it home


Everybody's happy nowadays
The idea that everyone else is happy despite the confusion is emphasized again


Everybody's happy nowadays
This line is repeated to really drive home the point


Bet you are tired of being upset
The singer is making an assumption about the listener's emotions


Always wanting something you never can get
This line is addressed directly to the listener, suggesting they have felt this way too


Life's no illusion, love's not a dream
The artist has come to a realization that life and love are real


Now, I know just what it is
This line shows that the artist has gained some clarity about life and love


Everybody's happy nowadays
The repetition of this line suggests that happiness is still a common experience for others


Everybody's happy nowadays
This line is repeated again, implying that happiness is still the prevailing emotion of others




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Peter Shelley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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