Known regionally as one of Western New York’s hidden jewels, Standard of Li… Read Full Bio ↴Known regionally as one of Western New York’s hidden jewels, Standard of Living have been winning over fans town by town since 2004 with their heartfelt piano pop and soaring vocal harmonies. The band grew up together in Amherst, NY (just outside of Buffalo) and released its second EP, Paint the Night, in July 2009.

Standard of Living released a debut full-length in 2004, but it wasn’t until 2006’s Patience EP that the band began to hit its stride. In fact, opening for Teddy Geiger, they met producer Billy Mann (Pink, Backstreet Boys, Sting), who helped them refine their songwriting skills.

Standard of Living applied the knowledge they gained from their time working with Mann in crafting Paint the Night. After 6 months of writing, the band settled on the final 7 tracks for the self-produced EP.

Paint the Night is a harmony-driven mix of nostalgia and liberation—for example, the tender reminiscence of “Wilson” gives way to “Without You,” an enthusiastic eff-you anthem. “I feel like the collection of songs on Paint the Night really gives our fans a range of who we are—there are slow songs, rock-out songs, and everything in between. There’s something for everyone to take away from it,” says singer/pianist Josh Rabenold.

Standard of Living has previously toured with singer-songwriters Teddy Geiger and Ben Jelen and has played with a diverse list of artists including Hanson, Paramore, The Rocket Summer, and Kate Voegele. The band puts an immense amount of pride and effort into their live performances, pulling off three-part harmonies live that most bands can only dream of. Rabenold explains, “While other bands run their show off of an iPod, we owe it to our fans to try to recreate the studio experience every single night.”

The world is the canvas and Standard of Living’s paintbrushes are working overtime. Their attention to detail and refined songwriting on Paint the Night puts them in position to turn heads nationwide and makes them a band to keep an eye on as their star burns brighter and brighter.

2) Standard Of Living is also an 80's gothic post punk band from SF.

They Say
Standard Of Living Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I try to hold on
But it all fell apart
Just a memory
Of how you used to care
My world is upside down
Nothing is the same
I tried to save myself
But you never let me away

And I don't know what to do
It's all the same
And there's nothing left to say
For me
Just lay down and die
They say
I'm standing face to face with someone
I used to know
He used to believe in himself
But now he hates his life
My world is upside down
And nothing is the same
I tried to save myself but you never let me away

This is the turning point of everything we know
And all of these memories turn to dreams from long ago
Finally found a way out onto this rooftop where I stand
And this is the last chance to jump

This is the turning point of everything we know

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Standard Of Living's song They Say talk about the feelings of a person who is going through a rough patch in their life. The singer of the song tries to hold on to a memory of how someone used to care for them, but everything fell apart. The world feels upside down, and nothing is the same anymore. Even though they tried to save themselves, they were never allowed to. The pain and struggles they are facing have made them feel like there is nothing left to do but lay down and die. However, the singer is also standing face to face with an old version of themselves, someone who believed in themselves and their abilities, but now hates their life.

As the song progresses, the singer has reached a turning point, and everything they once knew seems to be changing. Memories have turned into distant dreams, and the only way out is to jump. The lyrics suggest that the singer is battling internal thoughts and emotions that are overwhelming, and they are considering taking drastic measures to escape the pain.

The song's melancholic tone and lyrics highlight the loneliness and isolation one can feel when going through a tough time. The lyrics are raw and emotional, and the melody captures the pain and struggles associated with depression and anxiety. The song is a powerful reminder that it is okay to reach out and seek support in times of need.

Line by Line Meaning

I try to hold on
I am trying to hold onto this relationship

But it all fell apart
But it fell apart anyway

Just a memory
Now all that's left is just a memory of how things used to be

Of how you used to care
Of how you used to care for me

My world is upside down
I feel like my entire world has been turned upside down

Nothing is the same
Everything is different now

I tried to save myself
I tried to save myself from this situation

But you never let me away
But you never let me escape from it

And I don't know what to do
I don't know how to handle this anymore

It's all the same
It feels like nothing has changed

And there's nothing left to say
We have already said everything that needs to be said