His music is typically labeled as power pop, though he doesn't completely agree. His major musical influences include The Cars, David Bowie, Electric Light Orchestra, Elvis Costello, The Kinks, Robyn Hitchcock, Paul McCartney, and Todd Rundgren.
His debut album, One Mississippi, was released in 1996 on Virgin Records. The album featured several contributions with Jason Falkner and gained many favourable reviews in the music press but failed to sell in sufficient numbers and Benson was dropped by Virgin.
It would be another six years until Benson issued the follow-up, Lapalco. Again the critical plaudits poured in but this time the record enjoyed a certain degree of commercial success.
While touring this record Benson played the Reading and Leeds Festivals and finished his Leeds set with a performance of the track "Jet Lag" featuring guest appearances from Meg White of The White Stripes along with members of The Datsuns and Soledad Brothers.
In 2003 Benson re-released his debut album along with bonus tracks including the unreleased six track extended player, Welfed Boy EP, featuring songs from a demo session with Falkner.
Also in 2003, Benson released an EP, Metarie, with his then band, The Wellfed Boys. The EP featured a cover of Paul McCartney's "Let Me Roll It". This was the first song written completely by another artist to be featured on a Benson release. Another cover, this time "Strong Boy", from Gram Parsons International Submarine Band's 1968 album, Safe at Home, was released as a b-side in 2005.
In 2005, Benson released his third album, The Alternative to Love, and toured extensively in the US, UK and Europe with his new touring band, The Stiff Tissues.
Benson is also a member of The Raconteurs, a collaboration with Jack White of The White Stripes and two members of The Greenhornes, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. The group's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, was released in the US on May 16th, 2006, with "Steady, As She Goes" the first single.
Brendan currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
He has also worked as a producer for The Greenhornes, The Nice Device, The Mood Elevator (a permutation of The Welfed Boys), and Stiff Tissues member Dean Fertita's former band, The Waxwings.
In 2008, his song "What I'm Looking For" was used in an Apple iPod Touch television ad, propelling sales of that particular song on iTunes and other online music retailers.
Benson's fourth full-length record, My Old, Familiar Friend, was released on August 18, 2009. This was followed by What Kind of World (2012), and You Were Right (2013).
Happy Most of the Time
Brendan Benson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that this world keeps on shrinking
And it just keeps getting smaller every day
And last time I checked
I was about the size of an insect
And with just about as much to say
One look into those pretty green eyes, dear
Tells me, I'm hooked
And it comes as no surprise, dear
Oh, no
I know, I've been walking around here
like a zombie
But I'd say, I'm happy most of the time, dear
Most of the time, dear
So why am I so teary eyed?
Never less than mystified.
So impressed with everything you do
You could hoot and holler
You can wear a starched white collar
But there's just no way of gettin' over you
Cuz one look into those pretty green eyes, dear,
tells me, I'm hooked
It's really no surprise, dear
Oh, no!
I know, I've been walking around here
Like a zombie
But I'd say, I'm happy most of the time, dear
Most of the time, dear
I can just remember the 14th of November
The year of the dog and rightly so
Choking on the atmosphere
screamin' get me out of here
There's too much goin' on and I just don't know
But I think I've seen the worst of it
I'd say I'm quite well versed in it
So I think I'll lay 'em down and call your bluff
The taste of blood upon my lips
The heavenly sway of your teenage hips
Nothing in this world comes close enough
One look into those pretty green eyes, dear
Tells me, I'm hooked
I don't look surprised, dear
Oh, yeah!
It came out of the clear blue sky, dear
And it struck me
I'd say, I'm happy most of the time, dear
Most of the time, dear
In Brendan Benson's song Happy Most of the Time, the singer is reflecting on the state of the world and his place within it. He muses that the world seems to be getting smaller every day, and that he is just a tiny insect within it. Despite this feeling of insignificance, he is drawn to a particular person with pretty green eyes who he is utterly hooked on. However, he is still mystified by life and sometimes feels tearful and overwhelmed by the world around him. Despite this, he describes himself as being happy most of the time.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of contrast between the vastness and complexity of the world, and the simplicity and clarity of the singer's feelings towards the person with green eyes. It seems that in the face of everything going on around him, this one relationship is his anchor, and the one thing that brings him joy and happiness.
Overall, the song is a contemplative and somewhat wistful reflection on the complexities of the world, and the power of human connection to provide solace and meaning within that complexity.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately I've been thinking
I have been pondering lately
that this world keeps on shrinking
I observe that the world feels smaller every day
And it just keeps getting smaller every day
I notice it keeps getting smaller with each passing day
And last time I checked
At my last reality-check
I was about the size of an insect
I was equally as tiny as an insect
And with just about as much to say
I also had a minute voice, like an insect does
One look into those pretty green eyes, dear
Whenever I gaze into your attractive green eyes, my love
Tells me, I'm hooked
I feel complete attraction to you
And it comes as no surprise, dear
I am not surprised, though
Oh, no
Not at all
I know, I've been walking around here
I'm aware that I've been wandering
like a zombie
I've been wandering aimlessly, like an undead person
But I'd say, I'm happy most of the time, dear
Most times, I'm happy in general, my love
Most of the time, dear
For the most part, my love
So why am I so teary-eyed?
I wonder why I'm emotional
Never less than mystified.
But I remain curious and enamored
So impressed with everything you do
I admire every bit of your actions
You could hoot and holler
You could make random screams and shouts
You can wear a starched white collar
You can literally wear a stiff white collar for formal dress
But there's just no way of gettin' over you
However, none of that stops me from being obsessed with you
Cuz one look into those pretty green eyes, dear,
Because one simple gaze into your charming green eyes, my love
tells me, I'm hooked
Makes me feel completely infatuated with you
It's really no surprise, dear
It's honestly not astonishing, my love
Oh, no!
Definitely not
Like a zombie
Like an undead person
But I'd say, I'm happy most of the time, dear
Most times, I'm happy in general, my love
Most of the time, dear
For the most part, my love
I can just remember the 14th of November
I particularly recall the fourteenth day of November
The year of the dog and rightly so
It was the year of the dog, exactly as expected
Choking on the atmosphere
Struggling to breathe in that environment
screamin' get me out of here
Screeching and shouting to be taken away from that place
There's too much goin' on and I just don't know
There's a lot happening, and I'm not sure how to cope
But I think I've seen the worst of it
Though I have seen the worst of it
I'd say I'm quite well versed in it
I'm quite knowledgeable of it
So I think I'll lay 'em down and call your bluff
I'll set these things aside and challenge your claims
The taste of blood upon my lips
I feel the flavor of blood on my lips
The heavenly sway of your teenage hips
I'm captivated by the divine movement of your youthful hips
Nothing in this world comes close enough
Nothing else in the world comes close to this feeling of fascination I have for you
One look into those pretty green eyes, dear
Whenever I gaze into your attractive green eyes, my love
Tells me, I'm hooked
I feel complete attraction to you
I don't look surprised, dear
I don't appear astonished, my love
Oh, yeah!
Absolutely
It came out of the clear blue sky, dear
The feeling came suddenly and unexpectedly, my love
And it struck me
I realized
I'd say, I'm happy most of the time, dear
Most times, I'm happy in general, my love
Most of the time, dear
For the most part, my love
Contributed by Chase I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.