A remake of the original version from 2010’s “Voids” cassette. Previously s… Read Full Bio ↴A remake of the original version from 2010’s “Voids” cassette. Previously stringy and pale, the song is now brawny and dark. The bass line, once a bubbling throwback to Joy Division’s “Walked in Line”, has become a flood of sludge. Drums and guitar claw at each other. And the vocals seep through the sour atmosphere like a poisonous fog. An entire dimension has been added to it—and the same can be said of Have a Nice Life as a whole.

Tim Macuga: "I remember putting down an absurd number of guitar tracks for the re-recording. I really wanted to get that nervous, haunted sound that Rikk Agnew did on Christian Death and Adolescents albums."

Dan Barret: "Yeah, that’s a total Christian Death part. Lyrically, I think it has to do with feeling like an unhappy state of being is somehow the core component of what and who you are. It’s a worrying idea, the idea of having a “nature.” It is to me, anyway."

Source: The Seventh Hex

Defenestration Song
Have a Nice Life Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never thought I'd lead this restless life
I thought I'd wither down, a sacrifice
There's nothing I can do to make it stop
It's in my nature. It gives me chills

I never thought life would last this long
I thought I'd be found out so long ago
There's nothing I can do to make it stop

It's in my nature. It gives me chills. (Hey!)

Get off my back!(Hey!)

Is this what it's like?
Is this what it's going to be like?

Overall Meaning

The Defenestration Song by Have a Nice Life speaks to the feeling of being trapped in an unfulfilling and restless life, and the futility of trying to escape from one's own nature. The lyrics are introspective, contemplating the singer's own mortality and the limitations of their own existence. The use of the word "defenestration" in the title and repeated throughout the song, meaning the act of throwing someone out of a window, adds to this sense of hopelessness and a desire for release from oneself.

The repetition of the phrase "there's nothing I can do to make it stop" suggests a feeling of powerlessness, and the line "It's in my nature" emphasizes the idea that this restlessness and discomfort is an inherent part of who the singer is. The use of the phrase "it gives me chills" adds an element of fear or unease, underscoring the idea that the singer is struggling to come to terms with the nature of their own existence.

The final lines of the song, "Is this what it's like? Is this what it's going to be like?" express a sense of resignation or acceptance, as if the singer has come to the realization that there may be no escape from the restlessness and unease that haunts them.

Line by Line Meaning

I never thought I'd lead this restless life
I didn't predict that my life would be so unsteady and anxious

I thought I'd wither down, a sacrifice
I imagined I would fade away and be forgotten as a sacrifice

There's nothing I can do to make it stop
I have no control over this situation to stop it from happening

It's in my nature. It gives me chills
This is something inherent in my personality that scares me

I never thought life would last this long
I never expected to live this long or be alive for so many years

I thought I'd be found out so long ago
I believed I would be discovered and exposed for something long ago

Hey! There's nothing I can do to make it stop
Hey! I can't do anything to end this situation

It's in my nature. It gives me chills. (Hey!)
It's an inherent part of my personality that terrifies me. (Hey!)

Get off my back!(Hey!)
Stop pestering me or bothering me about this! (Hey!)

Is this what it's like?
I'm wondering if this is the normal state of things

Is this what it's going to be like?
I'm questioning if this is what the future holds for me