Cliché
Bourbon Princess Lyrics
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All is good. It brought about a change.
Now I can see.
Guess I got a little too comfortable.
Catastrophe saved me from being one of them:
The walking dead.
Ran out of words to describe this
I'll paint beyond the lines,
a lovely waste of time.
And I'm grateful to be dirt-poor.
No need for a lock on my door.
I've nothing left to steal...
Nothing real.
Father always said "When one door closes
another one is sure to open."
And "god only gives you what he knows you can take."
As true as they are, I'm so sick of the cliches.
So I made all the phone calls, I filed all the papers.
I'm tired! I don't wanna go back!
Tired of feelin' so trapped.
Well, I'm well-educated and bored out of mind,
irresponsible, loving, and kind,
talented, lazy, and unmotivated,
crazy, unstable, and self-medicated.
I take my fate
with a cup of black coffee and a piece of chocolate cake.
Throwing myself to the wolves at my door,
I do it in style. I've done it before.
I always go out with a smile on my face.
Listening to the yuppies on the evening commute is depressing.
Well, their lives, they seem to pivot on yoga and low-fat dressing.
I have holes in my socks and I don't own a watch that's ticking.
My apartment is cold and all the faucets are dripping.
This bump of fate is my Cracker Jack prize,
neatly-centered on my silver plate.
Not taking orders. I'm sleeping late.
The lyrics of Bourbon Princess’s song Cliché are about the transformative power of unexpected, seemingly negative events. The singer describes how a catastrophe has saved her from becoming one of the “walking dead” and brought about a much-needed change in her life. Cliché is, therefore, about embracing challenges and adversity and finding a way to turn them into opportunities.
The singer goes on to express her weariness with clichéd platitudes such as, “when one door closes, another one opens,” or “God only gives you what he knows you can take.” Instead, she takes destiny into her own hands, filing papers and making phone calls to change her situation, no matter how difficult or tiring it may be.
In the end, the singer revels in her non-conformity, observing the shallow concerns of the “yuppies” on their evening commutes, and taking pleasure in a simple cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake. She finds power in her lack of material possessions, enjoying the freedom and lack of responsibility that come with being unencumbered. Cliché, therefore, provides listeners with a powerful message about the transformative power of adversity and the importance of refusing to let the clichés that surround us define our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Glad another bad thing came upon me.
I'm thankful for the negative experience because it brought about positive change.
All is good. It brought about a change.
Despite its initial negative impact, the experience ultimately led to positive transformation.
Now I can see.
Thanks to the experience, I have a new perspective.
Guess I got a little too comfortable.
I became complacent and needed a wake-up call.
Catastrophe saved me from being one of them:
The walking dead.
If it weren't for the experience, I would have stayed stuck in a stagnant life.
Ran out of words to describe this
so I'll use colour.
Words fail to express my feelings, so I'll use art instead.
I'll paint beyond the lines,
a lovely waste of time.
I'll explore my creativity even if it doesn't produce anything tangible or productive.
And I'm grateful to be dirt-poor.
No need for a lock on my door.
I've nothing left to steal...
Nothing real.
I'm content with a simple life and material possessions hold no value to me.
Father always said "When one door closes
another one is sure to open."
And "god only gives you what he knows you can take."
As true as they are, I'm so sick of the cliches.
I understand the positive intent of these statements, but they've become overused and unhelpful to me.
So I made all the phone calls, I filed all the papers.
I'm tired! I don't wanna go back!
I've put in the necessary work, but the thought of returning to the old way makes me exhausted and unwilling.
Tired of feelin' so trapped.
Well, I'm well-educated and bored out of mind,
irresponsible, loving, and kind,
talented, lazy, and unmotivated,
crazy, unstable, and self-medicated.
I'm multi-dimensional and can't be defined by one aspect of myself, and I'm feeling unfulfilled.
I take my fate
with a cup of black coffee and a piece of chocolate cake.
Throwing myself to the wolves at my door,
I do it in style. I've done it before.
I face the uncertainty of life head-on with confidence and grace, knowing I've overcome similar challenges in the past.
I always go out with a smile on my face.
No matter what happens, I maintain a positive outlook.
Listening to the yuppies on the evening commute is depressing.
Well, their lives, they seem to pivot on yoga and low-fat dressing.
I have holes in my socks and I don't own a watch that's ticking.
My apartment is cold and all the faucets are dripping.
Comparing myself to the people around me makes me feel inadequate, but in reality, I'm content with my simple life.
This bump of fate is my Cracker Jack prize,
neatly-centered on my silver plate.
Not taking orders. I'm sleeping late.
Even though the experience was difficult, I view it as a gift that adds value to my life. I refuse to conform to societal expectations or strict routines.
Contributed by Nolan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.