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."
http://www.enemieslist.net
Sisyphus
Have a Nice Life Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Themselves here at night
Cold and dark as everything
Deep and wet and secret
Carried off into their ethers
Fear is all pervasive
All around me every day
An anti everything fog that knows no lifting
If something is catching in my throat
Just at the edges of these moments
It must be this
And not whatever I tell myself if it is
Oh, what heavy nothings I know
I know. I know. I know
You've been pushing all day
I know
The song Sisyphus by Have a Nice Life is an expression of deep emotional turmoil layered with metaphors and allusions. The opening lines "Stars and air find themselves here at night, Cold and dark as everything, Deep and wet and secret" evoke a sense of emptiness and despair. The singer seems to be lost in this void and unable to escape the darkness that surrounds him. The following lines, "Carried off into their ethers" conjure images of being swept away by the void and consumed by it.
The next stanza, "Fear is all pervasive, All around me every day, Like air that stops from breathing, An anti-everything fog that knows no lifting" describes the singer's crippling fear. He is overcome by it constantly, likening it to a dense fog that suffocates him. This fear seems to be all-encompassing, enveloping every aspect of his life.
The final stanza, "If something is catching in my throat, Just at the edges of these moments, It must be this, And not whatever I tell myself it is, Oh, what heavy nothings I know, I know. I know. I know. You've been pushing all day, I know" speaks to the singer's acknowledgement of his own helplessness. He recognizes that his fear is causing him to feel trapped, unable to create meaning in his life. He concludes by acknowledging the futility of his efforts, feeling as though he is constantly pushing a rock uphill, but it never gets any lighter.
Line by Line Meaning
Stars and air find
The stars and air are present in this place
Themselves here at night
They are here specifically during the night
Cold and dark as everything
The atmosphere is bleak and desolate
Deep and wet and secret
It is mysterious and dense
Carried off into their ethers
These elements are carried away into the unknown
Fear is all pervasive
Fear is all-consuming and omnipresent
All around me every day
It impacts the singer on a daily basis
Like air that stops from breathing
It is suffocating like air that is unable to sustain life
An anti everything fog that knows no lifting
It is an oppressive and all-encompassing fog that cannot be dispersed
If something is catching in my throat
The artist is experiencing a blockage in their throat
Just at the edges of these moments
It occurs at the fringes of the singer's consciousness
It must be this
The artist believes the blockage is caused by fear
And not whatever I tell myself if it is
The singer recognizes that their conscious thoughts may not align with their true feelings
Oh, what heavy nothings I know
The singer recognizes the paradox of their own perceived knowledge
I know. I know. I know
Their grasp on reality is tenuous
You've been pushing all day
The artist likens their struggle with fear to Sisyphus' eternal punishment of pushing a boulder uphill
Contributed by Jordan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
moaz adam
Lyrics:
Stars and air find
Themselves here at night
Cold and dark as everything
Deep and wet and secret
Carried off into their ethers
Fear is all pervasive
All around me every day
Like air that stops from breathing
An anti everything fog that knows no lifting
If something is catching in my throat
Just at the edges of these moments
It must be this
And not whatever I tell myself if it is
Oh, what heavy nothings I know
I know. I know. I know
You've been pushing all day
I know
fleshMACHINE99
Stars and air find
Themselves here at night
Cold and dark as everything
Deep and wet and secret
Carried off into their ethers
Fear is all pervasive
All around me every day
Like air that stops from breathing
An anti everything fog that knows no lifting
If something is catching in my throat
Just at the edges of these moments
It must be this
And not whatever I tell myself if it is
Oh, what heavy nothings I know
I know. I know. I know
You've been pushing all day
I know
Devin Dinsmoor
+DetachTheMind
Stars and air find
Themselves here at night
Cold and dark as everything
Deep and wet and secret
Carried off into their ethers
Fear is all pervasive
All around me every day
Like air that stops from breathing
An anti everything fog that knows no lifting
If something is catching in my throat
Just at the edges of these moments
It must be this
And not whatever I tell myself if it is
Oh, what heavy nothings I know
I know. I know. I know
You’ve been pushing all day
I know
Ruiᴎer
It's a shame this didn't make it onto Deathconsciousness
Nicolás Arriaza
Those chords are the sound of my soul being torn apart by the constant and numbing routinary lifestyle I have fallen victim to. I honestly feel my life is a purgatory for all the opportunities I have left behind, and like Sisyphus I am forced to repeat the same motions every day, being slowly driven isane, thinking of how differents things could have been...
Lamine Baazi
i dont feel this is what the chords say
they say life
Maldoror Ducasse
Yes Nick. Same experiences, lucidity is our burden, real beauty will always be tragic. My English is way too poor to say more.
Tommy Bootlegger
I understand what you're saying, but at the same time, I gotta tell you to cheer up. I mean after all, at least we all have the sweet oblivion sleep of death to look forward to.
Nettara
That other Guy Sis is not psychologically wired to his [post]modern environnement and materrial conditions
Searching for Meaning
Whenever i find myself in a depressed state, i always come back to this song. It's sad, powerful, hopeless... But it's comforting. Just the chords alone make me feel like there's an thin layer of presence in the air, like I'm not really alone in my room.
chuột sữa
it feels nice having music that understands you
moaz adam
Lyrics:
Stars and air find
Themselves here at night
Cold and dark as everything
Deep and wet and secret
Carried off into their ethers
Fear is all pervasive
All around me every day
Like air that stops from breathing
An anti everything fog that knows no lifting
If something is catching in my throat
Just at the edges of these moments
It must be this
And not whatever I tell myself if it is
Oh, what heavy nothings I know
I know. I know. I know
You've been pushing all day
I know
Ruiᴎer
I wish I wasn't so late to discover these masterpieces