(1) Failure is an alter… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists under this name:
(1) Failure is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, USA, which was active from 1990 to 1997, and reunited in 2014. They are distinguished by their meticulous attention to textural sonic detail, inventive use of guitar effects and signal processing, and the overall expansive sound design of their later albums.
Members played in other bands after the initial breakup, including Year of the Rabbit, Autolux, A Perfect Circle, Queens of the Stone Age, Veruca Salt, Enemy, Blinker the Star, and Campfire Girls.
Current lineup:
Ken Andrews - vocals, guitar
Greg Edwards - bass, keyboards
Kellii Scott - drums
(2) Failure is a DIY New Jersey hardcore band with four kids looking to add their style of fast hardcore into the East Coast.
(3) Failure is a dutch punk band. Founded in 2006, and split up in March 2007. The members were Anouk (on vocals), Loes (Luas-R on drums), Willem (on guitar), Rob (on guitar) and Elske (on bass guitar). Their last performance was at an Emergenza semi-final at 013 Tilburg.
(4) Russian post-industrial, acoustic, avant-garde music project. https://vk.com/ingirumimusnocteetconsumimurigni
(5) Honduran depressive black metal band based in La Ceiba, split up in 2013.
(6) Fastcore band from northern Italy https://failure.bandcamp.com
Wonderful Life
Failure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
found slain
It ain't about his lips
blood drained
You should've seen his
dreams dissolve
Into the dumpster behind
the mall
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down inside
a satellite
I'm goin' down on the
bullet train
I'm goin' down on the perfect dream
It's not about the
freeway drone
That score her tired
journeys home
Softly licking her to sleep
Her eyes are closed to
the brake light streaks
Sleep in the softest bed
Eat everything you need
Never ask anyone
For anything at all
Why can't I stroke this
world to sleep
Please help me stroke
this world to sleep
It's not about his
prescription brain
Deprived of pills that
keep it sane
He told himself he could
go it alone
See him plead with the
unplugged phone
Sleep in the softest bed
Eat everything you need
Never ask anyone
For anything at all
That restless old monkey
Prisoned inside of me
Stiff bones that
close him in
He waits trapped
deep within
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down inside
a satellite
I'm goin' down on
the SST
I'm goin' down on the
perfect dream
I'm goin' down to the
wonderful life
I'm goin' down like a
ripped up kite
I'm goin' down with
broken ribs
I'm goin' down to a
dirty crib
The lyrics to Failure's song "Wonderful Life" explore the theme of escapism from the mundane reality of life. The first verse opens with a grisly image of a boy who has been killed, but the focus is on the dreams that have died with him. The dumpster behind the mall symbolizes the disposability of these dreams and the way in which we discard them without a second thought.
The chorus suggests that the singer is seeking escape from this reality, referencing a "wonderful life" and various modes of transportation, such as a satellite, bullet train, and perfect dream. These represent different forms of escape, whether physical or psychological.
The second verse switches to a different character, a woman who commutes on the freeway and tries to find comfort in sleep despite the hectic pace of her life. The bridge describes a struggle with mental health and the use of medication to maintain stability. The contrasting desire to go it alone, even if it means suffering, creates a sense of internal conflict.
Throughout the song, Failure explores the idea of a better, more fulfilling life that is always just out of reach. The repetition of the chorus and its variations emphasize this longing for something more, but the use of dark imagery and the recognition of mental illness and daily struggles prevent the song from becoming purely optimistic. In this sense, "Wonderful Life" is a nuanced exploration of the human condition and the search for meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not about the boy found slain
The song is not particularly about the dead boy.
It ain't about his lips blood drained
Even though his lips were drained of blood, the song isn't focused on that.
You should've seen his dreams dissolve, into the dumpster behind the mall
The boy's aspirations were discarded and destroyed, perhaps by reality, ending up in a trash container behind a shopping center.
I'm goin' down to the wonderful life
The artist is choosing to enter a life that may bring more joy or happiness.
I'm goin' down inside a satellite
He is going inside an artificial body that revolves around a celestial body.
I'm goin' down on the bullet train
They are descending aboard a high-speed train.
I'm goin' down on the perfect dream
He is sinking into a state of satisfaction, maybe coming from an ideal scenario or goal.
It's not about the freeway drone that score her tired journeys home
The lyrics are not solely about the woman's routine and tiredness in commuting to her house through a highway.
Softly licking her to sleep, her eyes are closed to the brake light streaks
The motion or sensation of the vehicle lulling her to rest, blinding her to the lights in the road.
Sleep in the softest bed, eat everything you need, never ask anyone for anything at all
They are encouraging someone to have good self-care, be self-sufficient, and take care of their needs without relying on others.
Why can't I stroke this world to sleep, please help me stroke this world to sleep
He wants to comfort or relax the world, but he seems unable to do so and pleads for assistance.
It's not about his prescription brain deprived of pills that keep it sane
The song is not primarily focusing on the man who can't access medication to preserve his mental wellness.
He told himself he could go it alone, see him plead with the unplugged phone
He asserts he could manage by himself but wanted help or support, requesting it, but with no one on the other end of the line.
That restless old monkey prisoned inside of me, stiff bones that close him in, he waits trapped deep within
A figurative, internalized imagining of the songwriter, conveying an internal struggle to break free from a restricting or painful dilemma.
I'm goin' down like a ripped-up kite, I'm goin' down with broken ribs, I'm goin' down to a dirty crib
He is descending into an undesirable or unpleasant place, compared to falling or crashing down in a pitiable state.
Contributed by Max A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.