Every week for a year Coulton released a new song for free on his website as part of his Thing a Week podcast, on topics as diverse as vengeful nerds, self-loathing giant squid, partially-imagined historical figures, and devotees of a certain Swedish prefab furniture store. The Thing a Week project is now complete, and all songs can be streamed from his official website. Many of the songs on the site can be downloaded for free. The song "Code Monkey" became the theme song to the G4 television show Code Monkeys.
Coulton's song "Still Alive" has been featured in Valve Software's game Portal (and has become a hit among the gamers who finished the game) . He also made a recording of this song called the "J.C. Mix" which is exactly the same except he is singing rather than Ellen McLain as GLaDOS. "Still Alive" went on to be featured in the game Rock Band, as well as Skullcrusher Mountain and Re: Your Brains
Glasses
Jonathan Coulton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pray for evenings in
Hold their hands in the street when you walk them off to school
A box too full to shut
Cardboard paper cut
Bleeding edge of a picture of your parents when they were cool
So much to say, I forget to start
Forget the grey, let it fall apart
It's okay
I like you in glasses
Shovels in the sand
A playdough wedding band
A drowning princess in a tangle of towels on the floor
An old familiar ache
The little pills we take
The thoughtless kindness of a coffee cup waiting by the door
So much to say, I forget to start
There goes a day, fading as it passes
Forget the grey, let it fall apart
It's okay
It's on the board
Someone's been double-booking
I've got time
How is your next week looking?
House shifts into place
A little breathing space
The radiators and the floorboards will argue while we sleep
There's water in the walls
The stairs make waterfalls
Down in the basement the soft sound of a river digging deep
So much to say, I forget to start
There goes a day, fading as it passes
Forget the grey, let it fall apart
So much to say, I forget to start
There goes a day, fading as it passes
Forget the grey, let it fall apart
It's okay
I like you in glasses
In Jonathan Coulton's song "Glasses," he reflects on the ups and downs of everyday life, acknowledging the little things that often go unnoticed but make life worth living. The first verse describes shedding the stress of the day and being present with loved ones as they walk to school. The cardboard box that is too full to shut represents the overwhelming amount of memories and emotions that one can accumulate over time. The bleeding edge of the picture of the singer's parents when they were cool highlights the passing of time and the nostalgia that comes with it.
The second verse continues with playful imagery such as "shovels in the sand" and a "playdough wedding band." However, it also touches on the struggles of life, like the "little pills we take" and the "old familiar ache." The coffee cup waiting by the door is a metaphor for the thoughtfulness of someone who cares for the singer, and the singer is grateful for it.
In the final verse, the singer describes the house settling in for the night and the sounds that can be heard within it, like the radiators and floorboards arguing and the soft sound of a river in the basement. The repetition of the phrase "so much to say, I forget to start" throughout the song emphasizes the difficulty in capturing every emotion and experience.
Overall, "Glasses" is a beautiful reflection on the joys and challenges of everyday life and the importance of appreciating the little moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Shed the days like skin
Try to forget about the past and move on
Pray for evenings in
Hope for peaceful and relaxing times during the day
Hold their hands in the street when you walk them off to school
Showing affection towards loved ones through simple actions
A box too full to shut
Feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things going on in life
Cardboard paper cut
Small pains in life that we tend to overlook
Bleeding edge of a picture of your parents when they were cool
Memories of the past that are not as great as they once appeared
So much to say, I forget to start
Feeling overwhelmed with emotions or thoughts that it becomes difficult to express them
There goes a day, fading as it passes
Life goes by so quickly that it can feel like nothing gets done
Forget the grey, let it fall apart
Don't worry about the mundane aspects of life and let them fall away
It's okay
Everything will be alright
I like you in glasses
Despite all the difficulties in life, there are still things to appreciate and enjoy
Shovels in the sand
Childhood playtime and imagined scenarios
A playdough wedding band
The simplicity and joy of childhood imagination
A drowning princess in a tangle of towels on the floor
Silly moments that make us laugh and take our minds off bigger things
An old familiar ache
The pain of past experiences that continues to linger
The little pills we take
The various things we do to help us cope and get through life
The thoughtless kindness of a coffee cup waiting by the door
The small gestures that people do for us that can make a big difference
It's on the board
Something is being planned or written down
Someone's been double-booking
A mistake has been made in planning or scheduling
I've got time
There is some free time available
How is your next week looking?
Asking about someone's upcoming plans and schedule
House shifts into place
Settling into a new home or living situation
A little breathing space
Some much-needed time to relax and unwind
The radiators and the floorboards will argue while we sleep
The small noises at night that often go unnoticed or unexplained
There's water in the walls
Unexpected problems or issues that can arise with a home
The stairs make waterfalls
Imagining and finding wonder in everyday things
Down in the basement the soft sound of a river digging deep
Finding beauty or intrigue in unexpected places
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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