Tim Kasher is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He is the frontman of indie … Read Full Bio ↴Tim Kasher is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He is the frontman of indie rock groups Cursive and The Good Life, both of which are on the Omaha based label Saddle Creek Records. Prior to those bands, Kasher was in a band called Slowdown Virginia. He also made a brief appearance with the Omaha band Commander Venus and The March Hares.

Kasher has a very close relationship with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. They grew up in Nebraska together, went to the same Catholic high school, Creighton Prep. It is rumored that Tim taught Oberst to play guitar. In the Bright Eyes song, "Nothing Gets Crossed Out" Oberst sings, "yeah Tim I heard your album and it's better than good. When you get off tour I think we should hang and black out together." (referring to the album Black Out by The Good Life, released in 2002 on Saddle Creek Records.) Furthermore, Oberst later sang backup on the song "Staying Alive," from Cursive's 2003 effort The Ugly Organ.

Kasher temporarily disbanded Cursive after the departure of guitarist Steve Pedersen (who left to pursue a law degree at Duke University. He now leads the Saddle Creek band Criteria). He married and moved to Portland, Oregon. According to interviews, Kasher went through a bitter divorce in 2000, which led to the regrouping of Cursive, as well as providing the inspiration for The Good Life album Black Out, and Cursive's Domestica.

The Good Life was originally planned to be a solo project. Kasher wanted to experiment with different types of lyrics and melodies. He released Novena on a Nocturn on Better Looking Records. He then recruited Ryan Fox, Roger Lewis and Stephanie Drootin into the band and released Black Out, Lovers Need Lawyers EP and Album of the Year.

Kasher created a another record with Cursive which was released in August 2006, entitled Happy Hollow. In 2009, Cursive released their latest effort, 'Mama, I'm Swollen'. The Good Life, despite a near breakup in late 2005, returned to the studio to release the album, 'Help Wanted Nights' in September 2007.

Under his own name, Tim Kasher recorded a song called "Stranger Than Strangers" which was released on a compilation CD called "My Favorite Songwriters." He released the solo album 'The Game of Monogamy' in 2010, and a follow-up disc of songs from that session called 'Bigamy', in 2011.

No Secret
Tim Kasher Lyrics

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I got a fever I can't shake
I got a sickness I ain't gonna quit
I'm on a streak that I can't break
Lighting the wick of each relationship

I got a secret to tell you
It's never as hard as you're making it seem
I got a secret to tell you

You are the doomed cause you want to be

I'm as ticked off as a time bomb
All I can seem to blow out is my knee
Half a man does a half ass job
I'd blow my top for some disability

I got a secret to tell you
You won't be content til you're six feet under
I got a secret to tell you
This life is yours to plunder

Oh, yeah! It's simple enough to be happy
But who's gonna choose to ignore
Such basic truths not you

I can't remember my childhood
All I recall is a flickering screen
My life is likely a forgery
Cobbled together by books and TV

I got a secret to tell you
You're not the proxy you pretend to be
Yeah, I got a secret to tell you
You can play dumb if it suits your needs

I'm bustin' out of this coffin
I'm gonna roll my old bones in the dirt
Cuttin' a rug with my skeletons

Hastily hidden, they never stay put
Boy, I got a secret to tell you
Nobody's ransacking your dresser drawers
I got a secret to tell you
You're not even sure what they're hiding for

Oh, yeah! Nobody wants to be lonely

But you're willing to make an exception
Just for you Lonely you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tim Kasher's song "No Secret" delve into themes of internal struggle, relationships, self-awareness, and existential contemplation. The singer opens up about feeling unwell, both physically and emotionally, expressing a sense of restlessness and a pattern of self-destructive behavior in relationships. The recurring mention of secrets hints at hidden truths and unspoken vulnerabilities that are ready to be revealed.

The line "I got a secret to tell you, You are the doomed cause you want to be" suggests a self-awareness of one's own destructive tendencies and the willingness to confront them. There is a sense of fatalism in the lyrics, with the singer acknowledging their own shortcomings and the inevitability of certain outcomes. The reference to feeling like a time bomb about to explode highlights the internal turmoil and frustration that the singer is wrestling with.

The singer's reflection on their upbringing, filled with fleeting memories of a flickering screen and a life that feels constructed from external influences like books and TV, adds a layer of introspection to the lyrics. The mention of skeletons in the closet metaphorically represents hidden truths and unresolved issues that the singer is grappling with. The theme of loneliness and the willingness to accept it as a part of one's reality further emphasizes the internal struggles and emotional complexities that are being explored in the song.

Overall, "No Secret" delves into the complexities of human emotions, self-perception, and the ways in which individuals navigate relationships and their own inner conflicts. The lyrics invite listeners to reflect on the nature of secrets, hidden truths, and the pursuit of happiness amidst feelings of isolation and uncertainty. Tim Kasher's introspective and candid storytelling in this song offers a poignant exploration of the human experience and the universal themes of vulnerability, self-discovery, and acceptance.

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: Tim Kasher

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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