---
The Good Life star… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists with this name:
---
The Good Life started out as a means for Tim Kasher to use a songwriting approach that differed from his other projects (namely, Cursive), but it didn’t take long for the solo project to become a band, and for that band to finally come into its own.
The Good Life’s sound has evolved from the refined, quiet pop of the first full-length, Novena on a Nocturn, to the moody hooks of 2002’s Black Out, to the sing-along anthems of divorce and disillusionment found on the recent Lovers Need Lawyers EP. The sum of these parts is found on Album of the Year.
Album of the Year brings all that is the sound of The Good Life to fruition – catchy, moody pop rock that fluctuates between the all-ages club and the smoky cabaret, right alongside sing-along crescendos that spin into cinematic bursts. In short, every song has a plan – every song is going someplace, and lyrically, going there will inevitably involve leaving, being left, or leaving in anticipation of being left. Kasher’s ability to cleverly turn an innocuous phrase into a malicious slur of ill will leaves you not knowing whether to laugh or cry, all the while giving you the distinct impression that you’ll be quoting him at some point down the road. With that said, could Album of the Year just as well be called Break-up Album of the Year? Maybe. But that would limit it to being compared only to other break-up albums, and, well, it can hold its own.
The follow-up to this year’s Lovers Need Lawyers EP features Tim Kasher, Stefanie Drootin, Ryan Fox, and Roger Lewis, as well as a guest vocal performance on "Inmates" from former The Good Life member Jiha Lee.
---
The Good Life is also a recent Nels Cline live project based on the music of Ornette Colleman. The other band memebers are: Ben Goldberg on clarinet, John Dietrich on electric guitar, Trevor Dunn on electric bass and Scott Amendola on drums.
Lovers Need Lawyers
The Good Life Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, lovers need lawyers; all that I'm screaming's being held against me. well, You're judge and jury, so hang me or take me for all I am worth, better or worse.
Yeah, I was drinking. Yeah, she was drinking too, and, yeah, we made a connection, we came from the same neighborhood. But, surely you can't charge me for that, that's merely fact, merely coincidence. So, there we were, outlasting the last call. We took a cab to Iowa for more alcohol.
Yeah, we crossed the river alone; I also went home alone.
I could never take another's hand, it's to you I'm condemned.
The lyrics to The Good Life's song "Lovers Need Lawyers" tell a story of a man who is trying to defend himself against accusations of cheating. He swears to speak the truth and claims that he was not unfaithful, though he admits to having a "spotty record." He pleads for his partner to believe him, acknowledging that without trust there can be no sincerity in their relationship. He is tired of constantly trying to prove his innocence to their accusing eyes and ears, and feels like he is being held on trial without proper legal representation.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "lovers need lawyers," a clever play on words that suggests that love can sometimes feel like a courtroom battle. The man feels like his partner is both the judge and jury, holding all the power and passing judgment on him without allowing him to fully defend himself. He begs for understanding, asking to be taken for all that he is worth, for better or for worse.
The second verse adds more detail to the story, revealing that the man was out drinking with another woman, who he claims he only had a connection with because they came from the same neighborhood. He insists that nothing happened between them, and that he went home alone. The song ends with the powerful line, "I could never take another's hand, it's to you I'm condemned," underscoring the man's commitment to his partner despite the accusations against him.
Overall, the lyrics to "Lovers Need Lawyers" paint a portrait of a complicated relationship in which trust is fragile and accusations fly freely. The man is trying his best to defend himself, but he feels like he is fighting an uphill battle against his partner's doubts and suspicions.
Line by Line Meaning
I swear to speak the whole truth, nothing but the truth, oh, so help me God, I wasn't cheating on you.
I am being honest and truthful, and I did not cheat on you, despite my past mistakes. If you can't trust me, there is nothing left to believe in. Trust is crucial for sincerity.
Yeah I've got a spotty record, but I've been renewed.
I admit to having some mistakes in my past, but I have learned from them and I am trying to do better now.
Once you lose the trust you lose sincerity.
Without trust, it is difficult to be genuine and sincere in any relationship.
I'm sick and tired of acting sincere to your accusing eyes and ears.
I am tired of constantly having to prove my sincerity to you and defending myself against your accusations.
Oh, lovers need lawyers; all that I'm screaming's being held against me.
In a relationship, there should be a mediator or lawyer to help communicate and clarify the issues. I feel like everything I say and do is being used against me because there is no middle ground.
Well, You're judge and jury, so hang me or take me for all I am worth, better or worse.
You are acting as both the judge and jury in this situation, and it's up to you to decide whether to hang me or accept me for who I am, flaws and all.
Yeah, I was drinking. Yeah, she was drinking too, and, yeah, we made a connection, we came from the same neighborhood.
I admit to drinking and making a connection with someone who happened to be from the same neighborhood, but that does not mean I cheated.
But, surely you can't charge me for that, that's merely fact, merely coincidence.
My drinking and connection with someone from the same neighborhood was simply a coincidence and not something to be charged for or accused of cheating for.
So, there we were, outlasting the last call. We took a cab to Iowa for more alcohol.
After last call at the bar, we went to Iowa in a cab to get more alcohol.
Yeah, we crossed the river alone; I also went home alone.
We went to Iowa alone and I also returned home alone, without having cheated on you.
Oh lovers need lawyers. We're talking in circles, but missing the meaning of the reason we're fighting: you just want to make the best me that you can.
We need help communicating because we seem to be going around in circles. The real reason for our fight is that you want me to be the best version of myself, but we are not seeing eye-to-eye on how to accomplish this.
All I am, take me for all I am worth. Take me for all I am.
Accept me for who I am, flaws and all, and don't try to change me into something I'm not.
I could never take another's hand, it's to you I'm condemned.
I cannot imagine being with anyone else because I am committed to you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dane Owens
Tim is brilliant...i love his voice
Phillip Hasselhoff
I love this entire album. Its pure brilliance.
cool1hand9luke
the good life is the only thing that makes my life good
thosanchez
Nice work, Nick.
eudemonia313
can you say epic beard Tim Kasher One of the greatest song writers of our generation.
Shaun
Oh the trips from Omaha to Iowa.. a faint memory. I'll always remember.
Frater Tenc
+Shaun Cooney Neat imagery... from CT so no idea, but hear the West is the best..
baalyezidi
fuuuuuck.. tim's beard is longer than mine... those "drunken nights" i swear.. i hate anything else other than grind or brutal death.. but fucking the good life is the shit.... the new one rules!!
cool1hand9luke
end is fuckin trippy but i love it
Bill S.
great video for a great song