Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998). Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, Liz Phair (2003), released on Capitol Records, moved towards pop rock, earning her a mainstream audience but alienating critics.
After the release of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle (2005), Phair left Capitol and released her sixth album Funstyle independently in 2010. In 2018, it was announced that Matador Records would be releasing a retrospective set for Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville which includes remastered recordings from her original Girly-Sound demo tapes. Phair released her seventh studio album, Soberish, in 2021.
What Makes You Happy
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all this time I've been getting to know him
He's got an ex-wife in Pasadena
And sometimes she's a mess to deal with
But mostly we've been living here uninjured
There's a silence, and she says:
"Listen here young lady
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make you love me if you don't care to."
But mom, I'm sending you this photograph,
I swear this one is going to last
And all those other bastards were only practice
I feel the sun on my back
I smell the earth in my skin
I see the sky above me like a full recovery
"Listen here young lady
All that matters is what makes you happy
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make you love me if you don't care."
"Listen here young lady
All that matters is what makes you happy
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make a difference if you're not ready
"Listen here young lady
All that matters is what makes you happy
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make you love me if you don't care."
"Listen here young lady
All that matters is what makes you happy
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make you love me if you don't care."
Make you love me if you don't care
In Liz Phair's song "What Makes You Happy," we find a daughter speaking to her mother about a man she met at a restaurant. The daughter tells her mother that she has been spending time getting to know this man and reveals that he has an ex-wife in Pasadena who can sometimes be difficult to deal with. Despite this, the couple has been enjoying their time together and the daughter has sent a photograph to her mother, assuring her that this one will last. The mother acknowledges that all that matters is what makes her daughter happy, but wants her to know that her opinion won't make a difference if her daughter is not ready to listen.
The song is a tender, honest conversation between mother and daughter about the choices we make in life and the importance of finding our own happiness. The mother recognizes that her daughter's happiness is what's most important and while she may have her own opinions, she doesn't want them to be a source of contention between them. The daughter, for her part, acknowledges her mother's opinion but stands firm in her belief that her own happiness is what she needs to prioritize.
"Listen here young lady, all that matters is what makes you happy," is the central theme of the song. Ultimately, no one else can decide what makes us happy, and we have to find the strength to follow our own hearts, even if it means going against the wishes of those we love. It's a beautiful, relatable message that speaks to the universal struggle of trying to balance our own desires with the expectations and opinions of others.
Line by Line Meaning
But don't worry, mom, I met him in a restaurant
I met my significant other in an everyday, non-threatening location
And all this time I've been getting to know him
I've spent a significant amount of time getting to know my significant other
He's got an ex-wife in Pasadena
My significant other has been previously married, and his ex-wife lives in Pasadena
And sometimes she's a mess to deal with
Sometimes my significant other's ex-wife can be difficult to handle
But mostly we've been living here uninjured
Despite some minor bumps, our relationship has been steady
There's a silence, and she says:
After a quiet moment, my mom speaks
"Listen here young lady
All that matter is what makes you happy
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make you love me if you don't care to."
My mom tells me that my happiness is all that matters, but reminds me that her opinion won't affect my love for her if I don't agree with it
But mom, I'm sending you this photograph,
I swear this one is going to last
And all those other bastards were only practice
I am sending my mom a picture of my significant other, and I know this relationship will last unlike my past experiences with other men
I feel the sun on my back
I smell the earth in my skin
I see the sky above me like a full recovery
I am at peace and content with myself and my surroundings
"Listen here young lady
All that matters is what makes you happy
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make a difference if you're not ready
My mom emphasizes that my happiness is of utmost importance but acknowledges that her advice won't make a difference if I am not ready to heed it
"Listen here young lady
All that matters is what makes you happy
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make you love me if you don't care."
My mom reminds me that her opinion won't affect our love for each other if I don't agree with it
"Listen here young lady
All that matters is what makes you happy
But you leave this house knowing my opinion
Won't make you love me if you don't care."
My mom emphasizes that my happiness is critical despite her differing opinion
Make you love me if you don't care
Even if we don't agree, my mom knows her love for me will remain unchanged
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PHAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind