Bazan began his musical career by playing drums in the band The Guilty (later named Coolidge) with fellow songwriter Damien Jurado in 1995. Bazan had attended Shorewood High School with Jurado. In 2002, he played drums and sang backup vocals for Seldom; in 2004, he played with Starflyer 59. Bazan has made various studio appearances with Seattle-based bands; for instance, he played drums in 1998 on Unwed Sailor's Firecracker EP, and contributed to the Rosie Thomas album These Friends of Mine.
Bazan was part of The Undertow Orchestra with Mark Eitzel (American Music Club), Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), Vic Chesnutt, and Scott Danbom (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel). They toured the USA and Europe in 2006.Bazan is a personal friend of comedian Horatio Sanz, and performed at Sanz's 2006 Christmas show, The Ho-Ho-Horatio Christmas Special, at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. In 2007 he did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session.
Bazan recorded his first solo project, the EP Fewer Moving Parts, in between touring as a member of The Undertow Orchestra. The EP was released on 13 June 2006. Bazan recently finished a nationwide solo tour featuring Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and Johnathan Rice and also contributed a cover of the song "Let Down" to Stereogum's "OK X" project, a tribute to the Radiohead album OK Computer. A full length debut album with his new band "David Bazan's Black Cloud" is in the works for early 2009; it will be released by Barsuk Records.
On September 5, during an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Bazan mentioned his next album will be played entirely by him and he will recruit friends to play live when he tours. The album, 'Curse Your Branches,' will be released in the spring and may include, "Please, Baby, Please," a song he debuted during the interview. During his solo tour in September, Bazan has been playing seven new songs that will appear on his new album: "Please, Baby, Please", "Weeds in the Wheat", "Curse Your Branches", "American Flags", "Broken Arm", "The Stitches" and "Harmless Sparks."
A hidden page on Bazan's website was found by fans detailing an upcoming DVD release. The DVD is said to be interviews, intimate live performances filmed in his home studio, on his front porch, and while driving around in his Ford Bronco, Shot during two weekends in June and July in Seattle, WA.
On October 28th, 2008 Bazan released the album version of "American Flags" on his Facebook and Myspace pages in celebration of the 2008 election. It was made available for purchase on iTunes and other online vendors on November 4th, along with the version of "Please, Baby, Please" recorded for the DVD.
In 2017 Bazan reformed his band Pedro the Lion.
Hard to Be
David Bazan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Once upon a garden we were lovers with no clothes
Fresh from the soil we were beautiful and true
In control of our emotions till we ate the poison fruit
And now it's hard to be a decent human being
Wait just a minute you expect me to believe
And helpless to fight it we should all be satisfied
With this magical explanation for why the living die
And why it's hard to be a decent human being
Childbirth is painful
Toil to grow our food
Ignorance made us hungry
Information made us no good
Every burden misunderstood
I swung my tassel to the left side of my cap
Knowing after graduation there will be no going back
And no congratulations from my faithful family
Some of whom are already fasting to intercede for me
Because it's hard to be a decent human being
The lyrics to David Bazan's song "Hard To Be" allude to the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden but also touches on the human experience in general. The first verse describes the idyllic state of Adam and Eve, naked and unashamed, until they ate the forbidden fruit, which caused them to realize their nakedness and brought a sense of shame. This storyline is meant to represent the fall of humanity from grace and purity to imperfection and sin.
The second verse challenges this explanation, asking how misbehavior and hardships could all stem from just one enchanted tree. The lyrics criticize the idea that we should accept this story as a magic cure-all explanation for why the world is the way it is, pointing out that this story only scratches the surface.
The final verse touches on the idea of adulthood and how it brings its own challenges. Bazan sings about leaving school and facing a lack of support from his family, as well as the difficulties of life in general. The chorus repeats the idea that it's hard to be a decent human being, suggesting that the struggles of life make it tough to maintain that moral standard.
Line by Line Meaning
You've heard the story you know how it goes
Referring to the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
Once upon a garden we were lovers with no clothes
Adam and Eve were created pure and without shame and lived naked in the garden
Fresh from the soil we were beautiful and true
Adam and Eve were created from the ground, they were pure and innocent
In control of our emotions till we ate the poison fruit
Adam and Eve were innocent until they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and they were no longer pure
And now it's hard to be a decent human being
The fall of Adam and Eve led to the struggles of humanity to fully live up to moral expectations
Wait just a minute you expect me to believe
Sarcastic tone from Bazan questioning the Biblical account of the story
That all this misbehaving grew from one enchanted tree
Questioning the simplification of humanity's problems to just eating a fruit from a tree
And helpless to fight it we should all be satisfied
Questioning why people should be content with things they cannot change
With this magical explanation for why the living die
Questioning the explanation of death and the afterlife
And why it's hard to be a decent human being
Restating that it is difficult to be a good person in a fallen world
Childbirth is painful
Refers to the pain of childbirth as a result of humanity's sin
Toil to grow our food
Refers to the difficulty of working the ground to grow food as a result of humanity's sin
Ignorance made us hungry
Refers to the lack of knowledge before eating the fruit and how it led to wanting more
Information made us no good
Knowledge of good and evil did not result in living a morally good life
Every burden misunderstood
Difficulties in life are often not fully understood and can be overwhelming
I swung my tassel to the left side of my cap
Refers to the end of graduation and moving into the uncertainty of the future
Knowing after graduation there will be no going back
Once one leaves a state of innocence, there is no going back to a simpler time
And no congratulations from my faithful family
Even though graduation is seen as a positive thing, there is no praise or pride from family or others
Some of whom are already fasting to intercede for me
Refers to a religious practice of interceding through fasting and prayer, indicating that the singer is seen as needing help
Because it's hard to be a decent human being
Restating the main theme that living up to moral expectations is difficult in a fallen world
Contributed by Zoe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.