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The Good Life star… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists with this name:
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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.
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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.
Some Bullshit Escape
The Good Life Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said the fevers getting worse
There's a lot of that going around
I packed a duffle bag
With some clothes from the attic
It's getting colder in the evening
I hocked my pocket watch
I could hardly stand to play them
I drew all my savings out
Closed my bank account
Stuck the money in the glove box
I drove away on Monday
I couldn't say where I was going to
It's just something I had to do
I was bored of it by Thursday
Driving amorously down aimless interstates
Searching for queues
Yeah for you
And I don't know where you are
I guess I haven't looked to hard
Because I'm afraid that I might find you
Is it special where you are
Like Xanadu or Shangri-La
Is it anything like Omaha
I called in sick on Monday
I was already of the next couple of days
Some bullshit escape
I was back to work on Thursday
Yeah, the fevers gone I think I it beat
The fever bite me, yeah it bite me
But I been sleeping and taking things
I think I've got it beat
The Good Life’s “Some Bullshit Escape” is a heartfelt song about feeling disillusioned with life and seeking a change. The singer decides to skip work for a few days, claiming to be sick, in order to take a spontaneous road trip to “search for cues” to find something meaningful. He packs his belongings and even hocks his pocket watch and old guitars to fund the trip. The uncertainty of his destination is evident as he drives down the interstate aimlessly, “bored of it by Thursday”. The refrain “And I don’t know where you are” shows his longing to find a connection, referencing the idea of a romantic interest or maybe just a sense of belonging somewhere. The song ends with the singer returning to work, confidently saying that he’s beaten the fever but acknowledging that he’s still searching.
The lyrics do an excellent job capturing the restlessness and search for meaning that comes with feeling disconnected from life. The singer’s decision to leave is a spontaneous attempt to find something more, representing the idea of how sometimes you need to take a leap of faith to discover what you’re looking for. The idea of leaving everything behind to search for something can be relatable on various levels, whether it's searching for a purpose or for a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Called in sick for work
I didn't feel like going to work, so I lied about being sick
Said the fevers getting worse
I needed an excuse for calling in sick
There's a lot of that going around
I knew other people were doing the same thing
I packed a duffle bag
I wanted to get away
With some clothes from the attic
I didn't want to take anything valuable with me
It's getting colder in the evening
I needed to dress accordingly
I hocked my pocket watch
I needed money for my trip
And a couple old guitars
I gave up something I once loved for a quick fix
I could hardly stand to play them
My passion had dwindled
I drew all my savings out
I needed all the money I could get my hands on
Closed my bank account
I didn't want to be tracked
Stuck the money in the glove box
I wanted to keep my money with me
I drove away on Monday
I left without a plan
I couldn't say where I was going to
I was lost and didn't know where I was headed
It's just something I had to do
I needed a change
I was bored of it by Thursday
My excitement had worn off
Driving amorously down aimless interstates
I was searching for something, anything
Searching for queues
I was looking for a sign
Yeah for you
My desperation was aimed towards someone specific
And I don't know where you are
I'm lost without you
I guess I haven't looked too hard
I'm scared of what I might find
Because I'm afraid that I might find you
I'm not ready to face reality
Is it special where you are
Are you living a life that's worth chasing?
Like Xanadu or Shangri-La
Is it paradise?
Is it anything like Omaha
Is it mundane and unremarkable?
I called in sick on Monday
I needed a break from reality
I was already of the next couple of days
I planned on being gone for a while
Some bullshit escape
I'm running away from my problems
I was back to work on Thursday
Reality hit me, and I had to return
Yeah, the fevers gone I think I it beat
I'm starting to feel better
The fever bite me, yeah it bite me
My problems had taken over
But I been sleeping and taking things
I've been resting and trying to recuperate
I think I've got it beat
I'm starting to feel like myself again
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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