Sadly for this band its music fails to get the praise it deserves, even today due to being in the shadow of the massive success of Garbage. For any die hard Garbage fan though, this is certainly a band worth checking out.
The Good Life
Fire Town Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out behind the railroad tracks
Another dreamtown's risin'
From a sea of cardboard shacks
But the I.R.S. is worried
They say they want their money back
They sent a little man down there with a calculator
He's figuring out the tax
But nobody bats an eye
It's just the good life passing you by
Let the green, green water take me away
Where we all stand naked on judgement day
And there's a brand new club down on Downer Street
Where you can hear Robert Johnson sing
And the girls fly in from Providence
With their Good Hope diamond rings
And even Marshall Dillon drops by
With his friend the little King
After a drink or two they'll sing "Don't Be Cruel"
For twenty bucks they'll do anything
But nobody bats an eye
It's just the good life passing you by
Let the great Mississippi wash these hands
Of the tears we've cried and we'll start again
Well, Christmas time came early this year
Down on Granddad's farm
He opened up all the presents himself
With an antique Charter Arms
Then he tucked the whole family into bed
Out in a corner of the yard
When the TV man asked him what went wrong
He said "I just got tired of being ignored"
Now on the shopping mall boys are sleeping
On the feathers of yesterday's crimes
Dreaming dreams of dancing centrefolds
With perfect alabaster eyes
And Uncle Sam's got a brand-new scam
Selling franchised frozen pies
He says he'll sell you a vote or a bullet-proof coat
'Cause there's nothing money won't buy
But nobody bats an eye
It's just the good life passing you by
Let the green, green water take me away
Where we all stand naked on judgement day
Nobody's askin' why
It's just the good life making you cry
Nobody bats an eye
It's just the good life
Passing you by
The lyrics of Fire Town's song The Good Life paint a picture of the American dream, one that is built on materialism and consumerism. The song takes place in a variety of settings, from Elysian Street to Granddad's farm and the shopping mall. In each of these settings, there is a sense that the American dream is failing, or that it is nothing more than an illusion that people chase after. The song highlights the dangerous consequences of this dream, which is built on the foundation of greed and excess.
The first verses of the song describe a dream town that is seemingly rising out of nowhere. However, even as the town grows, there is trouble brewing. The I.R.S. wants its money back, and the residents are facing the realities of taxation. Despite this, nobody seems to care as everyone is fixated on living the good life. The good life is all about living in luxury and indulging in one's desires. The second verse of the song talks about a new club opening up where people can hear Robert Johnson sing. People fly in from all over, sporting diamond rings and the latest fashions. Even Marshall Dillon from Gunsmoke drops by for a drink. The cost of this indulgence is high – twenty bucks will get you anything, but nobody bats an eye. Nobody seems to care that the good life is only a fantasy built on consumption and greed.
The last verse of the song is perhaps the most poignant. It highlights the disillusionment of the American dream. Christmas comes early on Granddad's farm, but even here, the good life is being chased after. Granddad opens all the presents himself and tucks the family in the corner of the yard. When asked why he did it, he says he was tired of being ignored. The shopping mall is full of boys sleeping on the feathers of yesterday's crimes, dreaming of centrefolds with perfect alabaster eyes. Uncle Sam is selling franchised frozen pies and promising to sell votes and bullet-proof coats. The good life is nothing more than a sham – a fantasy that is passed off as reality.
Overall, the lyrics of Fire Town's song The Good Life are a poignant commentary on American culture and the consequences of the American dream. The song highlights the dangers of consumerism and the empty promises of materialism. It is a call to action for us all to examine our desires and motivations and to ask ourselves whether the good life is truly what we want.
Line by Line Meaning
Way out on Elysian Street
In a distant place, situated far away, there exists a place called Elysian Street.
Out behind the railroad tracks
It's located behind the railroad tracks.
Another dreamtown's risin'
There's yet another town which represents people's dream of finding better support, better livelihood, and a better future.
From a sea of cardboard shacks
This town has been built from humble beginnings, using only cardboard shacks.
But the I.R.S. is worried
The Internal Revenue Service is concerned that this new town will be unable to pay their taxes.
They say they want their money back
The I.R.S. officials have demanded that the town pays them the money they owe them.
They sent a little man down there with a calculator
The I.R.S. has sent a small-statured employee to calculate how much the town owes them.
He's figuring out the tax
He's currently calculating the amount of tax that the town's residents owe to the government.
But nobody bats an eye
Despite this problem, no one seems to be bothered or concerned by this news.
It's just the good life passing you by
They've come to accept that this is the way of life in this town because they're used to it. They're not bothered by the I.R.S. officials' investigation into the town's tax situation because it's all part of the good life.
Let the green, green water take me away
The singer is expressing their desire to leave and be free, going somewhere where the water is green and deep, which could mean somewhere peaceful and calm where they can escape the madness of everyday life.
Where we all stand naked on judgement day
The singer hopes to be in a place where judgment doesn't exist, a place where everyone stands bare, equal, and free of judgment.
And there's a brand new club down on Downer Street
There's a new club that's just opened up in Downer Street.
Where you can hear Robert Johnson sing
At this club, you can listen to Robert Johnson, who's a musician.
And the girls fly in from Providence
Women from Providence are flown in to participate in the club's activities.
With their Good Hope diamond rings
These women are wearing diamond rings that represent hope and faith.
And even Marshall Dillon drops by
Even Marshal Matt Dillon, who's a fictional character in Gunsmoke, drops by.
With his friend the little King
Marshal Dillon's friend is someone referred to as the little King.
After a drink or two they'll sing "Don't Be Cruel"
After having a couple of drinks, everyone at the club sings 'Don't Be Cruel'
For twenty bucks they'll do anything
They'll do anything for twenty dollars.
Let the great Mississippi wash these hands
The singer wants the great Mississippi to cleanse their hands of the sadness and tears they've felt and cried.
Of the tears we've cried and we'll start again
They're forgetting their sadness and trailing off to start anew.
Well, Christmas time came early this year
This year Christmas starts early for the singer.
Down on Granddad's farm
They're on granddad's farm during this early Christmas moment.
He opened up all the presents himself
The grandfather opened all the presents himself, probably because he realized he wouldn't be able to see his grandchildren come Christmas day.
With an antique Charter Arms
He opened the gifts with an antique Charter Arms, which represents the old-fashioned and idiosyncratic granddad.
Then he tucked the whole family into bed
He settled everyone in by sending all the family off to bed.
Out in a corner of the yard
He put them in a corner of the yard, probably so that they could be left undisturbed by outsiders.
When the TV man asked him what went wrong
The TV man asked the grandfather what went wrong with the family during the holidays.
He said "I just got tired of being ignored"
The grandfather responded saying that he's simply tired of being ignored and overlooked by other family members.
Now on the shopping mall boys are sleeping
At the mall, there are boys who are sleeping.
On the feathers of yesterday's crimes
These crimes are ancient history, but they've left scars that people haven't forgotten. The boys are sleeping on these memories of yesterday's crimes.
Dreaming dreams of dancing centrefolds
The boys are dreaming of centerfolds that would surround them as they dance.
With perfect alabaster eyes
These centerfolds have perfect alabaster eyes, which represent a pure white color.
And Uncle Sam's got a brand-new scam
Uncle Sam, who represents the government, has set up a new scheme to cheat the people out of their money.
Selling franchised frozen pies
Uncle Sam is selling franchised frozen pies to try and scam them out of more money.
He says he'll sell you a vote or a bullet-proof coat
He'll even offer to sell you a vote or a coat that can't be penetrated by bullets if that's what it takes to earn your money.
'Cause there's nothing money won't buy
Money can purchase anything in this world, and that's why Uncle Sam thrives.
Nobody's askin' why
People have stopped questioning why these things are happening in the world.
It's just the good life making you cry
They've accepted this way of life as the good life, but it still makes them sad.
Nobody bats an eye
No one takes notice of anything happening around them anymore.
It's just the good life
This is just what the good life is expected to be like.
Passing you by
And it's moving past you, whether or not you're aware of it.
Contributed by Elliot V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.