After breaking up with his girlfriend, moving out of his house, and joining a 12-step program for addiction, Ebert began work on a story about a messianic figure named Edward Sharpe. According to Ebert, Sharpe "was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind ... but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love." Ebert later met singer Jade Castrinos in Los Angeles, California, United States. In the summer of 2009, as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Ebert and Castrinos toured the country with a group of fellow musicians in a big white school bus.
Its song "Home" was voted number 15 on the Australian Triple J Hottest 100's 2009 countdown, the largest music poll in the world.
Members:
Alex Ebert – vocals, guitar, percussion, piano
Jade Castrinos – vocals, guitar (Past member 2009-2013)
Nico Aglietti – guitar, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals
Stewart Cole – trumpet, percussion, keyboards, tenor ukulele, vocals
Tay Strathairn – piano, vocals
Aaron Older – bass, vocals, banjo, percussion
Josh Collazo – drums, percussion, vocals
Orpheo McCord – percussion, vocals
Nora Kirkpatrick – accordion, vocals
Christian Letts – guitar, vocals
Additional personnel:
Chris Richard – vocals, percussion
Anna Bulbrook – violin, vocals
Aaron Embry – keyboards, piano, vocals
Tyler James – piano, vocals
Ryan Richter – guitar, lap steel, vocals
Michael Farfel – announcer, management
Life Is Hard
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life is sunny, life is cool
Life is even easy too
But if my word is to be true
Life is something to behold
But if the truth is to be told
Let us not leave out any part
Do not fear, it's safe to say it here
Nor a fraud
For feeling the pain of the whole wide world
You want to help but can't help the feeling you cannot
And it's killing you while you're just trying to smile from your heart
So go on, say it, on the same knees you're praying
Yes, life is hard
Come celebrate
Life is hard
Come celebrate, life is hard
All life is all we are
Celebrate it in the sun, promenade it with everyone
Elevate it in a song
And I'll be there to play it, don't get me wrong
When I feel like dying and being gone
When life is hard
There's just one thing, let's not forget
Yes! life is it!
Life is it, life is it, it's where it's at
It's getting skinny, getting fat
It's falling deep into a love,
It's getting crushed just like about
Life there's no love, its getting beat into the ground
It's getting lost and getting found,
To growing up and getting round
It's feeling silence, feeling sound
It's feeling lonely, feeling full
It's feeling oh so beautiful!
Yes!
Come celebrate
Life is hard
Come celebrate
Life is hard
All life is all we are
The song "Life Is Hard" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros poetically expresses the complex and contradictory nature of life. The band acknowledges that life possesses a radiant beauty that fills us with wonder and happiness. It exudes sunshine and coolness, and it is even easy from time to time. However, the song indicates that life can also be tough, painful, and even deadly. The lyrics suggest that it is safe to admit the pain of the world, to recognize that we are unable to help all the time, and to accept that life is challenging. We should not be ashamed to feel the weight of the world, and we should not disregard the struggles that we face, nor others, as life is more than just beauty.
Continuing along, the song encourages us to celebrate life despite pain. We should appreciate life in its entirety, both its good and bad aspects. The song suggests that the best way to enjoy life is by sharing it with others, by feeling the melody of life that we are "all we are." Even when we feel like giving up on life, the song encourages us to remember that life is what we have. It is the place where we find ourselves, where we experience love, pleasure, and pain, where we grow up and learn. These experiences remind us of life’s beauty and that we must "come celebrate" it.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is beauty through and through
Life is filled with many beautiful things that come in many forms.
Life is sunny, life is cool
Life can be peaceful and enjoyable, with nice moments.
Life is even easy too
Sometimes life can be simple and uncomplicated.
But if my word is to be true
If I am to be honest and realistic in what I say...
Life is something to behold
Life is an experience to be admired, appreciated and treasured for its uniqueness.
But if the truth is to be told
But if we are to be truthful and honest about life...
Let us not leave out any part
We shouldn't ignore or avoid any aspect of life, good or bad.
Do not fear, it's safe to say it here
Don't be afraid to express your true feelings openly and honestly.
You will not be called a weakling
You won't be judged as weak for feeling emotional or vulnerable.
Nor a fraud
You also won't be seen as fake or insincere.
For feeling the pain of the whole wide world
It's understandable to feel deeply affected by the hardships of the world around us.
You want to help but can't help the feeling you cannot
You may want to help others but sometimes you just don't know how to or can't change the way you feel.
And it's killing you while you're just trying to smile from your heart
It can be frustrating when you're trying to be positive but the pain is still there and it can be draining on you.
So go on, say it, on the same knees you're praying
You should speak your mind and express your feelings, even if you're praying for help.
Yes, life is hard
Life can be challenging and difficult to deal with.
Come celebrate
Nevertheless, let us celebrate life...
Life is hard
...even if it can be hard.
All life is all we are
Our lives are all we have.
Celebrate it in the sun, promenade it with everyone
We should cherish life and share that experience with others, spend good times with people.
Elevate it in a song
We should lift up life, give our deepest thoughts and feelings form of a song.
And I'll be there to play it, don't get me wrong
The singer shows that he will be there to give his voice to the celebration, no matter the difficulties he may be facing.
When I feel like dying and being gone
Even when life gets too difficult as to make life nearly unbearable:
When life is hard
This is still life.
There's just one thing, let's not forget
What we should never forget, despite the difficulties:
Yes! life is it!
It is life.
Life is it, life is it, it's where it's at
Life is everything, the most important thing, where it all comes together.
It's getting skinny, getting fat
Life is change, life is to grow one way or another.
It's falling deep into a love,
Life is to experience love, both the joy and sadness it brings.
It's getting crushed just like about
Life is also facing adversity and getting beaten down by it.
Life there's no love, its getting beat into the ground
Sometimes, it may seem like there is no love in life or that it gets crushed by the harshness of life.
It's getting lost and getting found,
Life is to experience both getting lost and being found.
To growing up and getting round
Life is also to grow and develop, becoming more complete and rounded as we age.
It's feeling silence, feeling sound
Life is to experience both silence and sounds, the quiet and the noise in the world around us.
It's feeling lonely, feeling full
Life is to feel both the emptiness of loneliness and the fullness of satisfaction.
It's feeling oh so beautiful!
Life is to feel that beauty exist in each of these and revel in the experience.
Come celebrate
The song encourages us to celebrate life despite all of its difficulties.
Life is hard
Life can be hard.
Come celebrate
None the less, it's worth celebrating.
All life is all we are
Our existence is wrapped up in this thing called life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALEX EBERT, JADE ALLYSON CASTRINOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheMagneticZeros
It was a day of pure chaos, and it is truly amazing that we were able to get the performance we did - I think it may be, so far, the best we have played this song. By the way, I should say that Life Is Hard is not the only song that was recorded that day, of course, and at some point we may release another song or two from the recordings that day. Cheers and Love, Alexander Ebert
@jackiesmusic423
I am 54 and I listen and work out to your music. It makes my soul happy.
@jackiesmusic423
I also listen to solo stuff and live it just as much.
@donkeyears4704
truly and deeply, thank you for your music it has touched my and my family's life. it's a beautiful gift you've created and shared.
@cparrish69
One of my all time favorites, very profound lyrics. I had the pleasure of seeing you live in Royal Oak MI.. The whole night was " magical"
@benjaminfalcone2074
hi alex, I have discovered the group during autumn, here in Italy we were having another covid outbreak. of course I had heard home before numerous times, but I never really got hooked up. I discovered this song today, and yes life is hard sometimes, maybe too many times, but that's what makes it a happy one, because after a year of quarantine when you see your friends and you hug and kiss them, well, that moment is more special than it would of been otherwise. remember guys, never give up, you are loved.
thousands of hugs from Italy
@sweekley92
This song has saved me so many times from getting to the point of actually ending my life or feeling like I need to. It's my go to song when I get depressed, this version specifically. Thank you for making this song, it's truly beautiful.
@wesstublen7992
Please hang in there it’s done similar things for me too!!!
@TheMagneticZeros
To me we are primarily a live band - the albums are there to hold you over until we get to your neighborhood. So once the idea finally came to do a full-blown performance video in which we actually played and recorded everything live, I was set on it. We happened to have a few days off in NYC after a tour in Europe, and, with a lot of help from very talented people, we were able to put the whole thing together.
@katebarker8410
This song touches me in a place I can’t explain. It’s my new favorite. Tears streaming. Thank you so much for this beautiful magic. ❤️❤️❤️