Happy Unhappy
The Beths Lyrics
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Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
I was higher than a biplane
Then you hit me like a hurricane
I bailed out, hit the ground
Stumbled up the driveway
With a handshake and a slow wave
Now I'm crashed out on the couch
Wondering if you feel the same
'Cause you're in my brain taking up space I need
For remembering pins and to take out the bins
And that one particular film that that actor was in
I see your face superimposed over everything
It ain't right (it ain't right, it ain't right)
'Cause I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn't you leave me?
I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
I was living with your spare change
In the pocket of your cutaways
And I get so spent
Waiting on your lunch break
Broke every window pane
So I can feel the cold rain
When I lie in bed catching death
Tryna wash it all away
'Cause you're in my brain taking up space I need
For delivering lies and suppressing the sighs
And for navigating escape when I get lost in your eyes
It's taking up all of my time just to keep it in line
It ain't right (it ain't right, it ain't right)
'Cause I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn't you leave me?
I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn't you leave me?
I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
I could forget you
I could forget you
I could forget you
The song "Happy Unhappy" by The Beths is a candid reflection on a past relationship, marked by mixed emotions and a struggle to let go of the other person. In the first verse, the singer describes feeling high, only to be hit by a metaphorical hurricane when their love interest enters the picture. Despite trying to bail out, they end up washed up, in a storm drain. The second verse illustrates the ways in which the singer has become entangled with the other person, feeling like they’re living off their spare change and desperate for their attention. The chorus expresses the singer's conflicted feelings - on one hand, they were "happy unhappy," content in their independence, but now that they’ve met someone, they're "overthrown" and unable to forget them. The bridge captures the singer's frustration at being unable to move on in a clear-headed way, as thoughts of their love interest take up space in their mind that should be devoted to more practical concerns like remembering pins and taking out the bins. The song closes with a repeated refrain of "I could forget you," underscoring the singer's final plea for closure.
Overall, "Happy Unhappy" is a relatable and honest portrayal of the struggle to move on from a past love, with catchy guitar riffs and strong vocals that give the song an upbeat energy even as the lyrics delve into difficult emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I was higher than a biplane
I was feeling great before you came into my life
Then you hit me like a hurricane
You came into my life and knocked me off my feet
I bailed out, hit the ground
I tried to escape from my feelings, but they overwhelmed me
Washed up in a storm drain (oh, oh, oh)
I feel washed up and alone
Stumbled up the driveway
I tried to get back on my feet
With a handshake and a slow wave
I tried to be polite even though I was hurting
Now I'm crashed out on the couch
I'm exhausted from trying to forget about you
Wondering if you feel the same
I'm obsessing over whether you have the same feelings for me
'Cause you're in my brain taking up space I need
I can't stop thinking about you
For remembering pins and to take out the bins
I can't concentrate on anything else
And that one particular film that that actor was in
Even trivial things remind me of you
I see your face superimposed over everything
You're everywhere I look
It ain't right (it ain't right, it ain't right)
I know this isn't healthy or normal
'Cause I was fine on my own
I was content before you came along
Tolling steady like a dial tone
I was living a stable and predictable life
Couldn't you leave me?
I wish you never came into my life
I was happy unhappy
I was happy in my own way, even though it wasn't perfect
But now I'm overthrown
My emotions have taken over and I can't control them
Wish my heart were really made of stone
I wish I could stop feeling anything for you
And I could forget you
I want to be able to move on from you
I was living with your spare change
I was living in your world, following your rules
In the pocket of your cutaways
I was just a small part of your life
And I get so spent
I'm exhausted from trying to fit into your life
Waiting on your lunch break
I built my life around your schedule
Broke every window pane
I'm self-destructing because I can't handle my feelings
So I can feel the cold rain
I want to feel something, even if it's pain
When I lie in bed catching death
I'm constantly battling my thoughts and emotions
Tryna wash it all away
I'm desperately trying to forget about you
For delivering lies and suppressing the sighs
I'm lying to myself to try and make it work
And for navigating escape when I get lost in your eyes
I'm constantly looking for a way out of this situation
It's taking up all of my time just to keep it in line
My feelings are consuming my entire life
I could forget you
I want to be able to move on from you
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Elizabeth Barbara Stokes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
uʍopǝpısdn ʇıɥs ɐ ɓuıʞɐʇ
The Beths
"Happy Unhappy"
I was higher than a biplane
Then you hit me like a hurricane
I bailed out, hit the ground
Washed up in a storm drain
Stumbled up the driveway
With a handshake and a slow wave
Now I'm crashed out on the couch
Wondering if you feel the same
'Cause you're in my brain taking up space I need
For remembering pins and to take out the bins
And that one particular film that that actor was in
I see your face superimposed over everything
It ain't right
'Cause I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn’t you leave me?
I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
I was living with your spare change
In the pocket of your cutaways
And I get so spent
Waiting on your lunch break
Broke every window pane
So I can feel the cold rain
When I lie in bed catching death
Trying to wash it all away
'Cause you're in my brain taking up space I need
For delivering lies and suppressing the sighs
And for navigating escape when I get lost in your eyes
It's taking up all of my time just to keep it in line
It ain't right
'Cause I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn’t you leave me?
I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn’t you leave me?
I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
I could forget you
I could forget you
I could forget you
Laurelenn CROS
I was higher than a biplane
Then you hit me like a hurricane
I bailed out, hit the ground
Washed up in a storm drain
Stumbled up the driveway
With a handshake and a slow wave
Now I'm crashed out on the couch
Wondering if you feel the same
'Cause you're in my brain taking up space
I need for remembering pins and to take out the bins
And that one particular film that that actor was in
I see your face superimposed over everything
It ain't right
(It ain't right, it ain't right)
'Cause I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn't you leave me I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
I was living with your spare change
In the pocket of your cutaways
And I get so spent waiting on your lunch break
Broke every window pane
So I can feel the cold rain
When I lie in bed catching death trying to wash it all away
'Cause you're in my brain taking up space
I need for delivering lies and suppressing the sighs
And for navigating the escape when I get lost in your eyes
It's taking up all of my time just to keep it in line
It ain't right
(It ain't right, it ain't right)
'Cause I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn't you leave me, I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
I was fine on my own
Tolling steady like a dial tone
Couldn't you leave me, I was happy unhappy
But now I'm overthrown
Wish my heart were really made of stone
And I could forget you
Like I really want to
I could forget you
I could forget you
I could forget you
smmr
Not heard a song I’ve instantly liked this much in years
hdng
I felt the same way about the album!
tiki trash
👍
Marty Beach
Holy crap, this band is great. I can't wait until it's top-down convertible weather in Chicago so I can crank this up for everybody to hear
Zacariah Anderson
From Auckland to Chicago the power of the internet
Bryan Scheinkopf
Convertible weather this past weekend, looking forward to more of it soon - the Beths will be blasting from my speakers regardless 🤘
Petir Garda
This particular song from the Beths was my instant first love for the band. Love this band, i hope they always move forward and be ever more successful in their careers. Thank u for making beautiful songs, life becomes much easy to go through with your songs. Big love from Indonesia.
Ruben Eihwaz
I just find myself listening to this while in Indonesia. I just broke up with someone I had really fallen for and this song is helping.
trip fontaine
The more I listen to this record, the more I'm convinced that it's one of the all-time great power pop debuts. Five of the songs are flat-out, fall down brilliant pop masterpieces and the other five are merely really really forking good. This is up there with the first Fountains of Wayne record in terms of instant mood enhancement.
HaxorSerialKiller
What five do you consider really good? Happy unhappy, Future me hates me, Not running, Little death, whatever?