And through decades of solid output, rigorous touring, and unyielding punk ethos, he cemented himself as one of the most influential heroes of the DIY scene.
Rosenstock is a self-made artist who's built a bridge between enraged, angst-ridden political catharsis and hard-hitting depressive emotional introspection. His voice is loud, raspy, and on the cusp of anger, but underneath that lies enough nuance and subtlety to make his music fun and arresting all at once.
In just a couple of years, Jeff Rosenstock has gone from beloved underground punk mainstay to a DIY legend and one of the most acclaimed figures in modern punk.
Bonus Oceans
Jeff Rosenstock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that just makes me feel ashamed to be me.
And I've got friends who wanna relive the past
And deify memories
And they just scream to me
That if you don't die young
You're gonna live too long.
On the stoop of the apartment next to my shitty job
An old friend passed me on the street today
I said "Hello" and tried to catch up on old times
She walked the other way.
Maybe I seemed to scream
That if I got cancer or somebody shot me
I'd be like a child or something,
Asking doctors to do me favors
or cross my fingers and hope it gets better
Like a broken record, I seem to scream,
If you don't die young, you're gonna live too long.
I was getting drunk in a foreign ocean
Trying to wrap my head around problems
And all my bitterness just seemed passe.
Because I realized as soon as I said it
How long it'd take to swim from Jones Beach to Indonesia
And maybe you're waiting on a call from me.
And maybe you're working in a crowded restaurant
And you're the one who's got a life so fucked up
that you don't know what happened.
Just like you saw me working at some restaurant
Embarrassed 'cause my life was just so fucked up.
And I don't know how it happened.
The lyrics of Jeff Rosenstock's song Bonus Oceans convey a sense of discomfort and guilt surrounding the past and the present. The first verse talks about meeting old friends who either want to catch up on old times or relive past memories. However, the singer of the story feels ashamed to be himself around them. The second verse talks about meeting an old friend on the stoop of his apartment, only to have her walk away from him when he attempts to catch up with her. He thinks of himself as a broken record, always repeating the same thoughts about life and death.
The chorus talks about how living too long can be a terrible thing if it doesn't come with the promise of a fulfilling life. It talks about the fear of being left behind, of being the only one who hasn't made it, and the feeling of helplessness that comes with it. The third verse talks about being in a foreign ocean, getting drunk, and realizing the insignificance of his bitterness. He talks about how it takes a long time to swim from one place to another, emphasizing how he feels stuck in his current situation, unable to move forward.
Bonus Oceans is a song that reflects the thoughts and feelings of a person who is struggling to reconcile with their past and find meaning in their present. The lyrics, though melancholic, have an underlying message of hope and resilience, urging the listeners to keep pushing through despite their fears and doubts.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, I've got friends who wanna catch up on old times
I have friends who want to reminisce about the past
But that just makes me feel ashamed to be me.
But it makes me feel bad about myself
And I've got friends who wanna relive the past
I also have friends who want to relive old times
And deify memories
And they hold these memories in high regard
And they just scream to me
It feels like they're yelling at me
That if you don't die young
They make me feel like if I don't die young
You're gonna live too long.
Then I'll end up living too long
On the stoop of the apartment next to my shitty job
I was outside the apartment beside my terrible job
An old friend passed me on the street today
I saw an old friend walking by
I said "Hello" and tried to catch up on old times
I greeted her and attempted to catch up
She walked the other way.
But she ignored me and walked away
Maybe I seemed to scream
Maybe I came across as shouting
That if I got cancer or somebody shot me
That if I got sick or injured
I'd be like a child or something,
I would become helpless like a child
Asking doctors to do me favors
I would have to beg doctors for help
or cross my fingers and hope it gets better
Or just hope for the best
Like a broken record, I seem to scream,
It feels like I keep repeating myself
If you don't die young, you're gonna live too long.
That if I don't die young, I'll live too long
I was getting drunk in a foreign ocean
I was drinking alcohol in the ocean of a foreign country
Trying to wrap my head around problems
Trying to comprehend my problems
And all my bitterness just seemed passe.
And my bitterness felt outdated
Because I realized as soon as I said it
I realized right after I spoke
How long it'd take to swim from Jones Beach to Indonesia
How far it is to swim from Jones Beach to Indonesia
And maybe you're waiting on a call from me.
Maybe you're expecting me to call you
And maybe you're working in a crowded restaurant
Maybe you're busy working at a busy restaurant
And you're the one who's got a life so fucked up
And you're the one with such a messed up life
that you don't know what happened.
That you're not sure what went wrong
Just like you saw me working at some restaurant
Just like how you saw me working at a restaurant
Embarrassed 'cause my life was just so fucked up.
Feeling ashamed because my life was such a mess
And I don't know how it happened.
And I'm not sure how it got so bad
Contributed by Emily A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.