---
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.
O'Rourke's 1:20 a.m.
The Good Life Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The whole world's in love.
Holding hands between bar stools,
And you're holding your tounge.
Hold on - you're so fucked up...
So fickle.
Isn't this what you want?
So simple, so single.
When the bars close their doors,
Growing hostile towards your waitress...
Those extra tips went ignored.
It's different 'cause you're desperate
Begging mercy on the sidewalk
To a sea of last callers
(keep the conversations quick
And keep them interested!)
You're different...and they sense it
Your eyes can't disguise it...
So glassy, half empty.
Ready to spill.
Hold on- please don't leave yet.
I can't go home alone,
It doesn't go over so well.
So hold on just a little longer.
At least through the night,
At least 'til the morning.
Hold on. Hold on to me.
I can hardly stand - much less
The sight of myself.
So hold on, hold on tight dear.
Put your foot on the gas -
Get me the fuck out of here.
The Good Life's song O'Rouke's 1:20 A.M. is about the different experiences we have when we are lonely and desperate. The opening lines of the song, "It's different when you're lonely, The whole world's in love" reveal the contrast between the feelings of isolation and the sense of connection that everyone around seems to be experiencing. The following lines, "Holding hands between bar stools, And you're holding your tongue, Hold on - you're so f*cked up, So fickle" highlight the main character's struggle with their own emotions; they are physically present but emotionally distant from the person they want to be with. The repetition of the phrase "hold on" throughout the song serves as a rallying cry for the character to hold on, both to themselves and the person they are with.
Later in the song, the lyrics shift to a more desperate tone. The lines "It's different 'cause you're desperate, Begging mercy on the sidewalk, To a sea of last callers" paint a picture of someone trying to hold on to their dignity in the midst of desperation. The plea to "hold on just a little longer" and to "put your foot on the gas" underscores the character's need to escape the situation they're in, even if it means being with someone they don't truly connect with. Ultimately, the song is about the complicated emotions we feel when we're alone and the lengths we go to find connection, even if it's fleeting and superficial.
Line by Line Meaning
It's different when you're lonely,
Being lonely changes your perspective and experience
The whole world's in love.
Everyone else seems to be happy in relationships
Holding hands between bar stools,
Seeing couples express affection in a public space
And you're holding your tounge.
Suppressing your desire for companionship
Hold on - you're so fucked up...
Being in a vulnerable state of mind
So fickle.
Unstable and indecisive
Isn't this what you want?
Questioning if being alone is really preferred
So simple, so single.
Living a straightforward but solitary life
But it's different when you're helpless.
Feeling completely powerless and vulnerable
When the bars close their doors,
Being stranded in a public place after hours
Growing hostile towards your waitress...
Feeling anger towards those who seem to have normal lives
Those extra tips went ignored.
Even generosity seems insignificant in a moment of desperation
It's different 'cause you're desperate
Your level of need is heightened
Begging mercy on the sidewalk
Pleading for help from strangers
To a sea of last callers
Addressing the late-night crowd that also feels unfulfilled
(keep the conversations quick
Meeting people briefly in order to avoid being alone
And keep them interested!)
Attempting to attract attention in order to feel desired
You're different...and they sense it
Standing out in a way that makes others wary
Your eyes can't disguise it...
Your true emotional state is visible
So glassy, half empty.
Appearing numb and unfulfilled
Ready to spill.
On the verge of breaking down emotionally
Hold on- please don't leave yet.
Desperately seeking a connection with someone
I can't go home alone,
Dreading the thought of returning to an empty house
It doesn't go over so well.
Unable to cope with solitude
So hold on just a little longer.
Continuing to seek out companionship
At least through the night,
Enduring until morning
At least 'til the morning.
Delaying a return to the reality of being alone
Hold on. Hold on to me.
Requesting closeness and support
I can hardly stand - much less
Being in a mentally unstable state
The sight of myself.
Unable to confront one's own thoughts and feelings
So hold on, hold on tight dear.
Desiring emotional closeness and support
Put your foot on the gas -
Escaping from a place of loneliness and desperation
Get me the fuck out of here.
Fleeing from an overwhelming situation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind