Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales; formed… Read Full Bio ↴Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales; formed in 1995 and fronted by Phil Jamieson on vocals and guitar with Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar and Kristian Hopes on drums. Also in 1995, they won the Triple J-sponsored Unearthed competition for Lismore, with their post-grunge song "Sickfest". Their name was taken from Dr. Lester Grinspoon an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who supports marijuana for medical use.

Grinspoon changed their sound to more mainstream rock by their 2002 album, New Detention, gaining fans and peaking at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Charts; similarly 2007's Alibis & Other Lies also reached No. 2. Their 2004 album, Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills, which peaked at No. 4, won the 2005 'Best Rock Album Award' at the ARIA Music Awards.

The band was signed to Universal Records in United States by late 1998, they were promoted by the songs "Champion", which featured in Gran Turismo 3; "Post Enebriated Anxiety", which was on the international version of Guide to Better Living; "Chemical Heart", via the internet; and a cover of the Prong song "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", from Grinspoon's Pushing Buttons EP, which was included on ECW: Extreme Music.

On 4 December 2013, they announced that they were going on an indefinite hiatus to pursue individual projects.

Busy
Grinspoon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Have you had enough?
You've been around the block too many times to try and find a park
Did you spend a buck?
Wishing on the millions that the mystery gave away
Are you very small?
Even though you're tall your always falling on the floor
Are you very drunk?
Look me in the eye and try and tell me that I'm not

Busy having a good time
Busy having a good

Are you lonely
Sitting in the car park paranoia is a friend
Need the company
Playing lots of mind games really is a treat now

Are you very small?
Even though you're tall your always falling on the floor
Are you very drunk?
Look me in the eye and try and tell me that I'm not

Busy having a good time
Busy

Overall Meaning

The song "Busy" by Grinspoon tackles the theme of escapism from the stresses and worries of life. The opening lines ask if the listener has had enough of constantly searching for a parking space and wishing for a better life that seems far out of reach. The next verse asks if the listener is lonely and using mind games to cope with their situations. The chorus repeats that the listener is "busy having a good time" which may be an ironic statement considering the theme of the song.

The song may be hinting that the "good time" the listener is having is merely a temporary escape from their problems, and that they're not genuinely happy. This is emphasized by the lines "Are you very small? Even though you're tall your always falling on the floor / Are you very drunk? Look me in the eye and try and tell me that I'm not". These lines suggest that the listener may feel small and insignificant despite their outward appearance, and may be using alcohol or other substances to hide this feeling.

In all, "Busy" is a song that emphasizes the fleeting nature of escapism and encourages the listener to confront their problems rather than run from them.

Line by Line Meaning

Have you had enough?
Are you tired of everything?

You've been around the block too many times to try and find a park
You have experienced and seen everything that trying to find something new is pointless.

Did you spend a buck?
Did you waste your money?

Wishing on the millions that the mystery gave away
In your hopes and dreams, you're hoping for something that is uncertain and unlikely to happen.

Are you very small?
Does the world feel too much for you to handle?

Even though you're tall your always falling on the floor
Despite your physical size, you feel weak and helpless.

Are you very drunk?
Are you intoxicated?

Look me in the eye and try and tell me that I'm not
You can't deny that you are drunk.

Are you lonely
Do you feel alone?

Sitting in the car park paranoia is a friend
You are anxious and fearful, even in familiar places.

Need the company
You crave companionship.

Playing lots of mind games really is a treat now
You enjoy playing mental mind games as a way to keep yourself busy.

Busy having a good time
You are keeping yourself occupied and entertained.

Busy having a good
You are busy, and that's all that matters.