Oddly enough, we (Jon Howard and Kyle Rictor) met following a short corresp… Read Full Bio ↴Oddly enough, we (Jon Howard and Kyle Rictor) met following a short correspondence via Twitter. I had just gotten off of a 3 month solo tour and Jon had a few days off from touring with Paramore when we decided that it would just be easier to communicate in person. So, we grabbed some coffee and became friends…in real life. We were both looking for somewhat of a change creatively in our lives. Not a departure really, I still loved being an artist and writing songs and Jon still loved (and loves) playing with Paramore and producing. We were just restless. After many conversations and even more cups of coffee we realized that the cure for our restlessness was the same. We wanted to write, produce, track, and perform the best art we could create. We both wanted to lay down the ever present motivation of provision and simply bring to light the music our hearts sang in the dark, even if it crashed and burned. Move a few weeks forward and General Ghost was born. I scheduled out a week from both my jobs and Jon scheduled out a week from producing other projects and we holed up in the studio. Everyday we met at 8am and finished between 6 and 7pm. After 70+ hours of writing and recording and starting over, we had the beginnings of "Give Me To The Waves". Our first EP as a band and the tangible expression of our restlessness. We plan to release "Give Me To The Waves" for free in the next month and can't wait to share with you what makes our heart's sing. Sing with us at www.generalghost.com.

Don't Waste Yourself
General Ghost Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I see you
Put on a happy face
You don't want it to show
But honey I know
Everyday
You go to a job you hate
As it builds up a tension
And your 401k

Don't waste yourself
Don't waste your...
Don't waste yourself
Don't waste your...
Don't waste yourself
Don't waste yourself

Mtv is what you were meant to be
And all that you're missing
Is a hook and a beat
Giving up
All that you're gifted with
To prove that you made it
Is no way to live

Don't waste yourself
Don't waste your...
Don't waste yourself
Don't waste your...
Don't waste yourself

Don't waste yourself
Don't waste yourself

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to General Ghost's song "Don't Waste Yourself" delve into the idea of feeling trapped in a job that one hates and sacrificing their own talents and passions for the sake of societal expectations. The lyrics begin by acknowledging the facade many people put on, pretending to be happy even when they are not. The singer recognizes this act and asserts that they understand what the other person is going through. The lyrics then take a turn and focus on the pressures society places on individuals to conform to certain standards of success, often at the expense of their own happiness and creativity. The line "Mtv is what you were meant to be" reflects society's obsession with fame and fortune, which often overshadow the importance of personal fulfillment.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of not wasting oneself and not giving up on one's talents and passions. The repetition of the phrase "Don't waste yourself" echoes the singer's message, encouraging people to pursue what is meaningful to them and avoid being crushed by societal demands.

Overall, "Don't Waste Yourself" is a powerful commentary on the pressures and expectations society places on individuals, urging people not to give up their own unique qualities and talents in the endless pursuit of success.

Line by Line Meaning

I see you
I can see through your facade and understand your true emotions

Put on a happy face
You pretend to be happy even when you're not

You don't want it to show
You don't want others to see your true feelings

But honey I know
But I can read between the lines and sense your distress

Everyday
On a daily basis

You go to a job you hate
You go to a job that doesn't fulfill you and doesn't make you happy

As it builds up a tension
As it creates stress and anxiety within you

And your 401k
The only thing that keeps you going is the hope of financial security

Don't waste yourself
Don't sacrifice your true passion and purpose for the sake of others' expectations

Mtv is what you were meant to be
You have a talent and a dream that you should pursue instead of conforming to societal norms

And all that you're missing
The only thing missing in your life is the courage to chase your dreams

Is a hook and a beat
All you need is a catchy tune to express your talent and emotions

Giving up
Abandoning

All that you're gifted with
All the unique abilities and talents you possess

To prove that you made it
In order to prove your worth and success to others

Is no way to live
Isn't a fulfilling way to live and will leave you with regrets

Contributed by Alexander M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

brosiah

2y↑2

This band is amazing and I miss their songs on Spotify

Moon River

12y

Put on a happy face, Don't waste yourself!!! LOVE IT!

Kate Walsh

12y

Love this song!

Laura N

12y

I love this song!!! :)

Justice Cumpian

11y

Ahhhh love this band so much!!!!!

TrueImmortality

12y

I'm in nursing school and this is just the song I needed to hear.

Doc Wallace

11y

Beautiful song!

Megan whatsittoya

5y↑3

I randomly remembered "Get Up and Move" and remembered I found them through Nanalew. This song isn't on Spotify with their others for some reason. I'm guessing they disbanded but I still love their songs.