Ben Harper and Relentless7 are a Los Angeles, California-based rock band fo… Read Full Bio ↴Ben Harper and Relentless7 are a Los Angeles, California-based rock band formed in 2008 by Ben Harper.

The current lineup consists of Ben Harper (vocals, guitar/slide guitar), Jason Mozersky (lead guitar), Jesse Ingalls (bass and keyboards), and Jordan Richardson (drums).

Harper met Jason Mozersky in the late nineties when Mozersky was working for an Austin, Texas music promoter. Mozersky was chauffering Harper to a gig, and asked if he could play a demo for his band, Wan Santo Condo. Harper resisted initially, fearing the music would interfere with his mental preparation for the show, but then felt remorseful and agreed to hear the demo. He was "blown away," and the association led first to a record contract for Wan Santo Condo, and then to a collaboration between the two. He also recruited him to work on Harper's album Both Sides Of The Gun. Mozersky recommended Ingalls and Richardson to Harper, thus yielding the song Serve Your Soul.

In November 2008, the band debuted their new material on the Vote For Change Tour for Barack Obama's presidential campaign, where they also breathed new life into the Queen & David Bowie classic Under Pressure which has since become a staple of their live set. They ended the year cutting their teeth with a series of small club shows from famed venues such as Spaceland and The Mint in Los Angeles, to The Mercury Lounge and Kenny's Castaway in NYC. The band is scheduled to tour extensively across the world in 2009.

Their debut album White Lies For Dark Times released on May 5th, 2009.

http://relentless7.benharper.com

Why Must You Always Dress In Black
Ben Harper and Relentless7 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You may be a cheap date
But my therapy's expensive as hell
Then you pay a psychic healer who lets you know
Things aren't really working out so well
Tomorrow's shining off our face
Yesterday's shadow is at our back, at our back
So why must you always dress in black?

People, they don't take advice, they only give it
And the only way you're ever gonna learn is to live it
So what you spent your younger years
Parlaying on the wrong side of the track
Why must you always dress in black?

If you have to lie, do it as quickly
And as thoroughly as you can, as you can
This morning I woke up slow feeling like the shell of a man
Don't blame me for us, you cried!
Oh, cut me some slack (cut me some slack)
And tell me why why must you always dress in black?

She wore high heels, the ones that can pierce your heart, pierce your heart
Just cause you go down in history
Doesn't mean you're really all that smart
Like Robert E. Lee, you're at your best when under attack (under attack)
Why must you always dress in black?

You call in sick on Monday
Tuesday you show up late
Wednesday you left early
Thursday you fight with a boss you hate
Friday you up and quit
Saturday you want your old job back, old job back

Sunday morning you wake up all dressed in black
Why must you always dress in black?

Overall Meaning

The song "Why Must You Always Dress In Black" by Ben Harper and Relentless7 appears to be a commentary on a person who is struggling with various personal issues, possibly including mental health problems, and is portrayed as being somewhat defiant and resistant to change. The lyrics suggest that this person is not interested in taking advice or learning from their mistakes, and instead insists on continuing to dress in black and rejecting attempts to help them.

The opening lines of the song suggest that the singer is a "cheap date" but that their therapy is expensive, which could suggest that they are struggling with mental health issues or some other kind of personal problems. The lyrics go on to describe how this person seeks out psychic healers but ultimately feels that things are not working out for them. The lines "People, they don't take advice, they only give it / And the only way you're ever gonna learn is to live it" suggest that the singer is not receptive to advice and is more interested in living their own truth, even if it is self-destructive.

The lyrics mention various tasks and responsibilities that the singer struggles with, including work and relationships, and seem to suggest that they have a tendency to give up or walk away from difficult situations. However, throughout the song, the singer is shown to be defiant and unapologetic about their choices, wearing high heels "that can pierce your heart" and refusing to conform to societal expectations. Overall, the song seems to suggest a struggle between self-expression and self-destruction, with the singer choosing the latter despite the consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

You may be a cheap date
You don't cost much to take out

But my therapy's expensive as hell
The cost of my therapy is very high

Then you pay a psychic healer who lets you know
You seek advice from a professional psychic

Things aren't really working out so well
Your life isn't going well

Tomorrow's shining off our face
The future looks bright

Yesterday's shadow is at our back, at our back
Negative events from the past still affect us

So why must you always dress in black?
Why do you always wear black?

People, they don't take advice, they only give it
People rarely follow advice, but they love to give it

And the only way you're ever gonna learn is to live it
You can only learn by experiencing life

So what you spent your younger years
You made mistakes when you were young

Parlaying on the wrong side of the track
Your decisions led you down the wrong path

Why must you always dress in black?
Why do you always wear black?

If you have to lie, do it as quickly
If you're going to lie, do it well and fast

And as thoroughly as you can, as you can
Make sure the lie is comprehensive

This morning I woke up slow feeling like the shell of a man
I felt tired and empty when I woke up

Don't blame me for us, you cried!
You don't want to take responsibility for our problems

Oh, cut me some slack (cut me some slack)
Be more forgiving of me

And tell me why why must you always dress in black?
Explain why you always wear black

She wore high heels, the ones that can pierce your heart, pierce your heart
She wore dangerous high heels

Just cause you go down in history
You may be remembered in history

Doesn't mean you're really all that smart
That doesn't make you intelligent

Like Robert E. Lee, you're at your best when under attack (under attack)
You thrive under pressure

Why must you always dress in black?
Why do you always wear black?

You call in sick on Monday
You skip work on Monday

Tuesday you show up late
You're late on Tuesday

Wednesday you left early
You leave work early on Wednesday

Thursday you fight with a boss you hate
You argue with your boss on Thursday

Friday you up and quit
You quit your job on Friday

Saturday you want your old job back, old job back
You regret quitting your job

Sunday morning you wake up all dressed in black
You spend Sunday morning wearing black clothes

Why must you always dress in black?
Why do you always wear black?

Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: BEN HARPER, JASON MOZERSKY, JESSE INGALLS, JORDAN RICHARDSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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