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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Telefony
Have a Nice Life Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then I can build it
The machine that snaps all of time in half
I can break its back
I can break its back
I can build a door
And I can travel through
They do it with telefony
But surely I
But surely I
If I could just hear your voice
But I don't think I have the choice
The look on your face
When I first connect the line
For the very first time
My words come slowly to mind
"is anybody there?"
All trembling and scared
Replies then come
Fainter than air
"when the world hates a body, it just throws itself away to a place where our hands can't reach."
The lyrics to Have a Nice Life's song Telefony evoke a sense of longing for connection that only technology can provide. The singer describes their ability to build a machine that can break time in half and travel through it, much like the concept of time travel. The use of technology, specifically a phone, to connect with others is mentioned as the singer references the use of telephony, although it is not commonly seen anymore. The inability to hear the other person's voice, and the fear of not having a choice in the matter, leads to a timid message of "is anybody there?", with the response fainter than air. The song ends with a somber statement about the world's tendency to throw people away and isolate them from others.
The lyrics suggest a sense of frustration with the inability to truly connect with others, despite having access to technology that should enable communication. The use of time travel as a metaphor for the desire to connect also hints at a more profound desire to change the past and create a better future. The fear of not having a choice in the matter suggests a loss of agency or control, amplifying the sense of isolation.
Overall, the lyrics to Telefony convey the sadness and isolation that can come from a lack of true connection, despite the presence of technology designed to facilitate communication.
Line by Line Meaning
If science is half the man it says it is
If science is as capable as it claims to be
Then I can build it
Then I can create something new
The machine that snaps all of time in half
A device that can split time in two
I can break its back
I can defeat this invention
I can build a door
I can create a way in
And I can travel through
And I can explore beyond
They do it with telefony
They achieve it using telephones
You don't see it much anymore, but
It's not a common sight anymore, but
But surely I
But I am certain
If I could just hear your voice
If only I could listen to you
But I don't think I have the choice
But I don't believe I have the option
The look on your face
The expression you will wear
When I first connect the line
When I first manage to connect with you
For the very first time
The initial attempt
My words come slowly to mind
My thoughts are sluggish and delayed
"is anybody there?"
"Is anyone on the line?"
All trembling and scared
Nervous and afraid
Replies then come
Finally, a response arrives
Fainter than air
So quiet, it's barely audible
"when the world hates a body, it just throws itself away to a place where our hands can't reach."
"When the world despises someone, they retreat to a location beyond our grasp."
Contributed by Colton G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.