Recording original, high-quality songs is one thing, but the ability to perform them live with passion, energy and a great, unique sound is a completely different beast. Capital Cities have both down to a science. (The Chuckness) They controlled the audience with addictive beats that caused strangers to dance with each other. Everyone sang along throughout the night regardless if they were first-time listeners. (Campus Circle)
In 2008, Ryan Merchant found Sebu Simonian on craigslist in his search for a collaborator. The two formed a composing team, and in 2010, they began producing material for Capital Cities. The band released their debut EP last summer and saw their lead single 'Safe and Sound' climb to #2 on Hype Machine and hit #1 on CMJ's A&R unsigned spin chart.
Capital Cities have played sold-out shows in their hometowns of Los Angeles and San Francisco and embarked on a successful mini tour of the East Coast and Canada last October. In November, after reaching #1 on South American radio, the band flew to Lima, Perú to play in front of 1000 fans. They just headlined the W Hotel New Year's Eve party in San Francisco and are now back in L.A. as 987fm's January Resident Artist. Look for them in Austin, Texas at this year's SXSW.
Tell Me How to Live
Capital Cities Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The grass is greener
Been a good man
Been a good man all my life
Can't stand the feeling, I've been so hypnotized
Been a good man
Can't stand the feeling, I've been so hypnotized
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
The grass is greener, greener on my side
You know you love the feeling
I've come to hypnotize
The grass is greener, greener on my side
You know you love the feeling
I've come to hypnotize
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Been a good man
Been a good man
I've come to
I've come to hypnotize
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
The lyrics of Capital Cities's "Tell Me How To Live" speak of the singer's desire to defy society's expectations and live on their own terms. The repetition of "been a good man" seems to indicate that the singer has always tried to live up to society's expectations of what a good, responsible person should be. However, the singer is feeling "hypnotized" by this way of living and wants to break free from it. The grass is metaphorically greener on their side, perhaps indicative of the idea that there's a better way to live if one can break free from societal expectations. The chorus asserts that the singer won't let anyone else dictate how they should live their life.
The lyrics really capture the feeling of trying to live up to societal expectations and feeling trapped by it. In our modern world, we're bombarded with images of what we should look like, how we should behave, and what we should value. This can create a sense of pressure to conform, to not stand out, and to follow the rules. However, this conformity often comes at the expense of our genuine selves, our individuality and creativity. "Tell Me How To Live" speaks to the desire to break free from these constraints and to create a life that is truly our own.
Line by Line Meaning
The grass is greener
Things seem better on the other side
Been a good man
I have lived a moral life
Been a good man all my life
I have always lived by my values
Can't stand the feeling, I've been so hypnotized
I dislike feeling controlled
Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live
I am determined to make my own decisions
The grass is greener, greener on my side
I am satisfied with what I have
You know you love the feeling
I am confident in my choices
I've come to hypnotize
I am confident and assertive
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RYAN MERCHANT, SEBU SIMONIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Cerv3zaBlanca
The music is great. And ... OMG this album's cover is SO COOL ! Just magical to me O_o
@addictivegamer91
BUT YOU CANT TELL ME HOW TO LIVE DANGIT
@-_-Ginger-Ninja-_-
My mom really showed me a lot of good music, thanx mom....❤
@ginabeau9820
I was so hyped and dancing then 1:48 came and I didn't know what to do with my body
@Saurabhandsonu1994
LOL
@popsc3202
gina beau / That's too funny. I laughed in my car thinking about your post today. I read it previously but was listening to it just now.
@alainal5065
This song is AWESOME
@cosmicbunzie
Gah, Capital Cities, where have ya been all my life? xD I've been living under a rock, never heard of this band until now. I LOVE IT
@toiletseatscholar78
7 years later I just crawled out from under mine.
@toxxicdutchie232
They released their first album (this one) in 2011 with safe and sound being the most popular. That was my favorite song at the time and i listened to kangaroo court a lot too. About a year ago i found the rest of the album lol.