There is no band, no song, no video, no sound, that is more “now” than AJR. The band — three brothers born and raised in New York City — has achieved a startling quick level of success with “I’m Ready,” a buoyant electro-pop single that’s taking off on social media. The numbers: over 1.5M views on YouTube, thousands of singles sold each week, features in Billboard, the NY Post, and on MTV. Festival performances in front of 10,000+ people.
AJR started to become popular with their track "Weak", which they wrote in a few hours and released 16th September 2016, that was made Platinum in 5 countries, including the US, and Gold in 4 more. It has more than 500 million Spotify streams.
They followed this up with their album The Click, released 9th June 2017, featuring the single Weak as well as "Drama" and "Sober Up", the latter of which features Rivers Cuomo. The album reached no. 1 on Mediabase's alternative singles chart the following year. An extended "Deluxe" version of the album was released 21st September 2018, including an acoustic version of Pretender, a track they worked on with Steve Aoki and Lil Yachty.
30th January 2019 saw the release of "100 Bad Days", which was performed on Jimmy Kimmel on 11th March (coinciding with the release of another single, "Birthday Party"), and got included on Taylor Swift's "Playlist by ME!" in May of that year. Dear Winter was released 5th April, and got a sequel, Dear Winter 2.0, on 25th October.
Neotheater was their next album. It was debuted 26th April 2019 and was possibly where the band got noticed the most, hitting number one on Billboard's Top Rock and Top Alternative charts, and 8th on the Top 200 Albums. It featured 100 Bad Days, Birthday Party, and Dear Winter.
"Bang!" came next on 13th February 2020, at first intended for a Deluxe version of Neotheater, but later integrated into their next album OK Orchestra. "Bummerland" was then released 31st August 2020. 22nd of December 2020 saw the release of My Play, 2 days after they announced OK Orchestra as an album. Then 17th February 2021 saw the release of "Way Less Sad".
OK Orchestra, often teased as OKO, was released 26th March 2021, featuring these 4 singles and a track with the Blue Man Group. Merchandise was release on the 23rd March, and a game called OKO World was released on the 21st.
Bud Like You
AJR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I've got a bud like you
There's no celebrities here
So why's the bouncer taking everything so seriously
It's you, and I
It's cool you feel the same
Like why's the DJ here, if he's just pressing play
Kicking in the basement
Kicking in the basement
Hating all the same things too
If I need a pick me up
Would you come and pick me
I could really use a bud like you
To pick me way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Enough, enough
There's no one here that we know
I think I knew a girl, who knew the host
But she's heading home
We'll stand a lot
Stare at the disco ball
Like who'd invest in that
When no ones looking at it
Kicking in the basement
Kicking in the basement
Hating all the same things too
If I need a pick me up
Would you come and pick me
I could really use a bud like you
To pick me way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
To pick me way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
In "Bud Like You," AJR sings about going to a nightclub with a friend and feeling overwhelmed and out of place among the crowd. The duo contrasts the flashy superficiality of the partygoers with their own genuine connection and shared experiences. They may not fit in with the alcohol-fueled revelers but they are grateful to have each other, a "bud" who understands them.
The chorus of "Way up, way up / Way up to the sky / When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high / Way up, way up / Way up to the moon / Boy it's good to know I've got a bud like you" is an expression of gratitude for their friendship. They are acknowledging their link to each other, even when they don't fit in with the rest of the crowd. Lines such as "So why's the bouncer taking everything so seriously" and "Why's the DJ here, if he's just pressing play" are dismissive of the nightclubs they find themselves in - these questions suggest that they are not impressed by the superficialities of the club scene.
Overall, "Bud Like You" speaks to the value of true friendship and shared experiences, even in the face of societal pressures to conform. It reminds us to be grateful for the people who stick by us and keep us grounded, even when we feel left out or out of place.
Line by Line Meaning
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Despite the partying and drug use around us, we are happy to be with each other and feel elevated.
Boy it's good to know I've got a bud like you
I am grateful to have you as my friend during these wild parties.
Enough, enough
There's no celebrities here
So why's the bouncer taking everything so seriously
Since there are no famous people present, it seems unnecessary for the bouncer to be so strict.
It's you, and I
It's cool you feel the same
Like why's the DJ here, if he's just pressing play
I am glad we share the same perspective on the underwhelming DJ and wonder why he even bothers attending.
Kicking in the basement
Hating all the same things too
If I need a pick me up
Would you come and pick me
I could really use a bud like you
We can bond over our mutual dislike of things and I know I can count on you for support when I need it most.
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Our friendship is so valuable to me that it propels me higher and higher, even to the point of reaching the moon.
Enough, enough
There's no one here that we know
I think I knew a girl, who knew the host
But she's heading home
We are strangers to everyone else at the party and the few people we know seem to be leaving.
We'll stand a lot
Stare at the disco ball
Like who'd invest in that
When no ones looking at it
We are unimpressed by the disco ball and question its presence since nobody seems to be paying attention to it.
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
I am grateful to have you as a friend.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Adam Brett Metzger, Jack Evan Metzger, Ryan Metzger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
gk32
[Chorus]
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
[Verse 1]
Enough, enough
There's no celebrities here
So why's the bouncer taking everything so seriously?
It's you and I
It's cool you feel the same
Like why's the DJ here?
If he's just pressing play
[Pre-Chorus]
Kickin' in the basement
Kickin' in the basement
Hatin' all the same things too
If I need a pick me up
Would you come and pick me up?
I could really use a bud like you
To pick me
[Chorus]
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
[Verse 2]
Enough, enough
There's no one here that we know
I think I knew a girl who knew the host
But she's heading home
We're standing
Laughing at the disco ball
Like who'd invest in that?
When no one's looking at it
[Pre-Chorus]
Kickin' in the basement
Kickin' in the basement
Hatin' all the same things too
If I need a pick me up
Would you come and pick me up?
I could really use a bud like you
To pick me
[Chorus]
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky (Way up to the sky)
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you (Go!)
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you (Like you)
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
[Outro]
Boy it's good to know
Boy it's good to know
To pick me
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Way up, way up
Way up to the sky
When everybody here is sneaking in and getting high
Way up, way up
Way up to the moon
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you (Go!)
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
Boy it's good to know I got a bud like you
pr!ncess
I love how the lyrics are chill and loving, "BUD LIKE YOU!", and then there's just the intense bass in the back like "BOOM, BOOM ,CRRRCK, CCRRCK BOOM CRCCCK" - I will ALWAYS love the AJR music aesthetic
William Amo
I like your energy
Team Forbush
a gre
EVERYTHING HURTS
@jinks plays boom boom crrrk
jinks plays
wtf is boom crcck mean?
Derric Harrison
My friend who recently died from a car accident sent me a message hours before he died and it said "We should hang out more. God knows I could use a bud like you." for while I wondered why he said bud then someone told me the last part was this song and he really liked it.. When I listened to this song.. I realized how much of a friend he thought of me as I wish I could have hung out more with him. R.I.P Nathan Ivey.
Jacob Angle
I know what it feels
Leo Fox
rip
Fady Ghobrial
F in the chat
soul knight
My mother died it's hard to keep your self to gather when someone important has left R.I.P Beatriz samenego I miss her