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.
Opening Night
Tim Kasher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're not so young anymore
We're models, then we're strippers, then whores
Desperately wanted, now desperate to be wanted
Like we were before
We're dinosaurs
On with the show
Won't be long before I
Buy my own little slice of life
I'll buy the milk, I'll buy the cow, I'll buy the farm
Two bags of groceries and a baby in my arms
Oh lord, I hope I die before I'm adult
Still on with, on with the show
On with the show
All that pain you bottle up
It'll never be enough
To cure your middle-age
You fell out of the race when you fell in love
And your horse ran off with the wild
And the free and the young
Goddamn those _ boys
How I hate them so
How I hate, I hate them so
Still, on with, yeah, on with the show
On with the show
In Tim Kasher's song "Opening Night," the lyrics speak to the struggles of growing older and feeling like a has-been in the entertainment industry. The opening lines, "Don't blame me if no one shows, I told you before you're not so young anymore," set a tone of frustration and disappointment that carries throughout the song. The character is reflecting on their past as a model, stripper, and eventually, a prostitute. They reveal the desperation they once felt to be wanted and recognized, but now feel outdated and no longer relevant. The comparison to dinosaurs emphasizes their feeling of being ancient and irrelevant to the current entertainment scene. Despite this feeling, the character knows they must carry on with the performance - "On with the show."
The second verse touches on the idea of growing up and settling down, perhaps something that the character once thought they would never do. They express a desire to buy their "own little slice of life," but also reveal a fear of fully embracing adulthood - "Oh lord, I hope I die before I'm an adult." This fear reflects their struggle with coming to terms with the passage of time and their own mortality. The verse ends with a phrase that has become a common metaphor for committing to a serious relationship - "I'll buy the milk, I'll buy the cow, I'll buy the farm, two bags of groceries and a baby in my arms."
The final verse speaks to the pain of aging and the realization that the dreams and aspirations of youth may never come to fruition. The character expresses bitterness towards the younger generation ("Goddamn those _ boys, how I hate them so") but ultimately acknowledges that they must continue with the show. The song, as a whole, feels like a reflection on the inevitability of aging and the eventual realization that time stops for no one.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't blame me if no one shows; I told you before
I have already warned you that this show may not have any viewers, so don't hold me responsible for it
You're not so young anymore
Age has caught up with you
We're models, then we're strippers, then whores
We have been through various professions that may not be considered ethical by others
Desperately wanted, now desperate to be wanted
We were once in demand, but now we are eager to be required once again
Like we were before
Just like the past when we were quite popular
We're dinosaurs
We are now extinct and out of fashion
On with the show
Despite all this, let's carry on with the show
All my friends have grown and gone
All my buddies have matured and departed
Won't be long before I
In no time, I
Buy my own little slice of life
Will acquire my own piece of existence
I'll buy the milk, I'll buy the cow, I'll buy the farm
I will become self-sufficient and independent
Two bags of groceries and a baby in my arms
I will have my loved ones with me as well as basic necessities
Oh lord, I hope I die before I'm adult
I do not wish to assume adult responsibilities and duties
Still on with, on with the show
Despite all this, let's carry on with the show
All that pain you bottle up
The suffering you keep hidden within yourself
It'll never be enough
It will never be sufficient
To cure your middle-age
To relieve the troubles of middle age
You fell out of the race when you fell in love
You withdrew from the competition when you fell in love
And your horse ran off with the wild
Your passion and vitality were taken by someone else
And the free and the young
While they were still free and young
Goddamn those _ boys
An expression of anger towards young men
How I hate them so
I intensely dislike them
Still, on with, yeah, on with the show
Despite all this, let's carry on with the show
Contributed by Aaron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MrDeathlocker
@2:40 Ooh, how I love how he sings "How I hate"..
@sil7143
años que sigo escuchando este tema, como lo amo...
@addictioner
This was well directed
@TheSoelter
he is sad
@pshep138
no ur sad