Have a Nice Life is the brainchild of Tim Macuga, black metal experimentalist in Nahvalr and songwriter for the classic Western Massachusetts hardcore band, the Danger Strangers, and Dan Barrett of the ghost music project Giles Corey and now-defunct in Pieces.
Have a Nice Life released their first full-length record in January, 2008, double album titled "Deathconsciousness." The two discs (titled "the Plow That Broke the Plains" and "the Future", respectively) feature music spanning over five years of collaboration between the two artists, and are accompanied by a 75-page booklet on medieval Italian heretics in lieu of liner notes. The album was entirely self-released, right down to the hand-painted discs, and put out via the Enemies List Home Recordings label. Their second release, an EP titled "Time of Land (2010)," is available for free as a digital download. In January, 2014 Have a Nice Life released their follow-up LP to "Deathconsciousness," titled "the Unnatural World."
On November 8, 2019, the band released their third studio album, "Sea of Worry."
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Cropsey
Have a Nice Life Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Yes."
"Do you like it here at Pennhurst?"
"No."
"Why not John?"
"Um. There’s…"
"Let me ask you this John. Do you remember living anywhere except Pennhurst?"
"No."
"Yeah."
"Why John?"
”‘cause they like to talk to me.“
"How about the other kids, the ones that can talk, do they like to talk to you too?"
"Yes."
"Do you like to talk to them better than the kids up here?"
"Yes."
"Have you been talking more lately or less?"
"Less."
"Why are you here in Q2 John?"
"I did something I wasn’t supposed to be doing."
"So they punished you and put you here?"
"Yes."
"And they do this to you all the time John?"
"Yes."
"Why are you here in Q2 John?"
"I did something I wasn’t supposed to be doing."
"Why are you here in Q2 John?"
[Verse 1]
A sign
That I’ve been praying for
A solemn augur, pure and true
To tell me what to do
A true
God that I can settle for
And spin my body in a long, slow arc
Like how my problems are
[Chorus]
And I’ve been waiting on everyone
And I’ve been waiting on
Cause I’ve been waiting on anyone
To show up and throw me out [of here]
Yeah, I’ve been waiting on anyone (Because I don’t belong!)
And I’m not even sure I even know those words
Cause I’ve been waiting on anyone
And I’ve been waiting on
Cause I’ve been waiting on
[Verse 2]
A song
That I can sing along
Well, I’ll just wait and track the soot-tracks
Home so I can be alone
And I’ve been waiting on everyone
I’ve been waiting on
Cause I’ve been waiting on anyone
To show up and throw me out of here
The song "Cropsey" by Have A Nice Life portrays a conversation between a social worker and a mentally challenged boy named Johnny, who lives at the Pennhurst State School and Hospital for disabled people in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. It begins with the social worker asking Johnny a series of questions to identify any potential issues or impulsive tendencies, to which he responds in simple and monosyllabic words. Through the conversation, it becomes evident that Johnny is often punished and placed in Q2 for doing things he wasn’t supposed to, and he prefers talking to the children who can talk instead of those who are unable to.
In the second part of the song, the singer sings in the first person about a sign or a divine presence that they have been praying for, someone they can depend on to guide their life’s direction. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation, loneliness, and being lost, waiting for someone to take charge and lead them down the proper path. They lament that they have been waiting on anyone to show up and throw them out of where they are, as if the place they are in is a trap.
Overall, the song depicts two figures who are waiting for someone to rescue them from their respective situations, Johnny from the oppressive environment of Pennhurst, and the singer from a broader existential uncertainty. Some interpret that the song also highlights the abuse and mistreatment that people received at Pennhurst.
Line by Line Meaning
A sign
I am seeking guidance in the form of a sign
That I’ve been praying for
I have been earnestly hoping for this sign to appear
A solemn augur, pure and true
I am looking for a divination that is trustworthy and unadulterated
To tell me what to do
I need direction and purpose in my life
A true
I am yearning for something genuine and authentic
God that I can settle for
I am willing to accept a deity that meets my specific needs
And spin my body in a long, slow arc
I want to be able to let go and surrender myself to this higher power
Like how my problems are
In the same way that my problems are beyond my control, I want to be able to relinquish control to a higher force
And I’ve been waiting on everyone
I have been putting my faith and trust in other people
Cause I’ve been waiting on
I have been hoping for someone or something to rescue me from my current state
And I’m not even sure I even know those words
I am uncertain if I even understand the concept of salvation or redemption
And I’ve been waiting on anyone (Because I don’t belong!)
Because I feel like I don't fit in, I am desperately seeking a way out
A song
I am searching for a melody or lyrics that will resonate with me
That I can sing along
I want to be able to express myself through music
Well, I’ll just wait and track the soot-tracks
I will bide my time and wait for something or someone to guide me
Home so I can be alone
I want to retreat to a place where I can be by myself and think
To show up and throw me out
I am hoping for something or someone to intervene and remove me from my current predicament
Contributed by Elena I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.