The Southland's debut album, Influence of Geography, was released in June 2005. They tour regularly, and have supported artists such as Toots & The Maytals, O.A.R., Gavin DeGraw, Tristan Prettyman, Jem, Virginia Coalition, Steel Pulse, and As Fast As. The song Shadow from the album Influence of Geography appeared on NBC-TV's Scrubs in late February 2006.
Jed Whedon has had a number of other musical projects, including co-writing Dr. Horrible - a musical that he also orchestrated, Jed Whedon and the Willing, and most recently This Girl.
Good Grief
The Southland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the tv I saw a man selling second chance
I thought what kind of sucker needs to buy self confidence.
I sit along on Friday night in boxer breifs and realize these guys are pointed straight at me
Driving down the street I saw you with your other man
Hes ugly and hes cheap but hes gotta have something
This sigh is not relief it is good grief reality
Stupid me
Stupid me
Down on Venice beach the psychic said things would go my way
So now I eat red meat and play the lotto everday
One thing I have learned is I can burn my bridges well
I cannot tell you how I do it but I'm going straight to hell
Driving down the street I saw you with your other man
I′m comfy in my seat with a leathal handle in my hand
Hes a fuckin' creep but he does have something
Cuz now that hes got you hes got me downward spiraling
Stupid me
Stupid me
Stupid me
Stupid me
Felipe@hotmail.co.uk
The Southland's song Good Grief portrays the irony of our human nature. The lead singer begins by talking about a man selling second chances on TV and questions why someone would need to buy self-confidence. However, later on, he confesses that he himself is sitting alone, wearing boxer briefs on a Friday night, feeling pointed at by those same ads. This exemplifies how even though we may think we are above certain things, we all have moments of insecurity and self-doubt.
The song continues with the lead singer driving down the street and seeing his ex-girlfriend with another man who he deems as ugly and cheap. He reminisces about the smile she used to give him but now realizes the reality of the situation, which he describes as "good grief." He then talks about going to a psychic who told him things would go his way, but he now eats red meat and plays the lotto every day in hopes that luck will be in his favor. The song ends with him admitting that he may be going straight to hell with his actions.
Overall, the lyrics of Good Grief showcase the harsh truth of reality, our vulnerabilities, and how we cope with difficult situations. It highlights that we are all susceptible to moments of weakness, but it's how we choose to handle them that defines us.
Line by Line Meaning
On the tv I saw a man selling second chance
I saw a man on TV selling the idea of second chances, which made me question who would need to buy self-confidence in the first place.
I thought what kind of sucker needs to buy self confidence.
This made me wonder who would actually be willing to purchase something like self-confidence, because it seems like something that should come from within.
I sit along on Friday night in boxer breifs and realize these guys are pointed straight at me
As I sat alone on a Friday night in my underwear, I came to the realization that these types of commercials are aimed towards people like me who may be feeling insecure or lacking in confidence.
Driving down the street I saw you with your other man
As I drove down the street, I spotted you with another man.
Hes ugly and hes cheap but hes gotta have something
Despite the fact that this other man seems unattractive and poor, he must have some redeeming qualities that made you choose him over me.
I don′t know if you saw me but I saw the smile I used to see
I'm not sure if you noticed me, but I couldn't help but see the smile on your face that I used to love and cherish.
This sigh is not relief it is good grief reality
The sigh that escapes my lips is not one of relief, but rather one that expresses my sadness and grief at the reality of the situation.
Down on Venice beach the psychic said things would go my way
When I went to see a psychic on Venice beach, they told me that things would work out for me in the end.
So now I eat red meat and play the lotto everday
As a result of this prediction, I now engage in reckless behavior like eating red meat and gambling on the lottery every day.
One thing I have learned is I can burn my bridges well
One thing I've realized is that I'm good at cutting off ties with people and burning bridges.
I cannot tell you how I do it but I'm going straight to hell
I can't explain my behavior, but I know that it will lead me down a destructive path.
I′m comfy in my seat with a leathal handle in my hand
As I saw you with the other man again, I found comfort in gripping a deadly weapon that could potentially harm either of you.
Hes a fuckin' creep but he does have something
Even though I find this other man to be repulsive, he must possess some quality that made you choose him over me.
Cuz now that hes got you hes got me downward spiraling
Since you're now with someone else, my life seems to be spiraling out of control.
Stupid me
I recognize that my actions and reactions to the situation are foolish.
Stupid me
I continue to acknowledge my foolishness.
Stupid me
I cannot deny the foolishness of my behavior and thoughts in this situation.
Stupid me
I am aware that I am responsible for my own perspective and reactions, and I continue to recognize my irrationality.
Writer(s): GUSIKOFF NICHOLAS KRYL, WHEDON JED TUCKER
Contributed by Kayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.