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.
The Willing Cuckold
Tim Kasher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't care what's unraveling out there
Just please don't entangle me
She's left eleven messages, I let them all delete
Oh honestly, honestly, I don't care who you're out with
Honestly, honestly, I don't want to hear about it now
However noble that makes you feel . . .
I've got my headphones on
I'm lost in song; hidden in the beat
So when she waves me down
I turn around and softly begin to sing
Honestly, honestly, honestly . . .
Oh honestly, honestly, you don't need my permission
Honestly, honestly I don't need an explanation at all
Not at all
No, I don't want to hear the tale be told
Of the cuckold and the shrew
Oh honestly, honestly, I am not upset about it
Honestly, honestly, I don't want to hear about it now
Not now
Not now
Not now
I've got my blinders on so I can't see who's lying next to me
The lyrics of "The Willing Cuckold" by Tim Kasher explore the theme of willful ignorance and the desire to remain in a state of blissful unawareness. The singer of the song deliberately puts on blinders to avoid seeing the harsh realities of the world outside, particularly when it comes to the infidelity of his partner. He chooses to ignore her messages and requests for attention, preferring to immerse himself in music and drown out any potential conflicts. When she does manage to get his attention, he responds with a monotonous and resigned attitude, constantly repeating, "Honestly, honestly, I don't want to hear about it now."
The chorus of the song emphasizes his lack of concern for the details of her infidelity, indicating a willingness to accept the situation as it is. He tells her that she doesn't need his permission or explanation, and that he doesn't want to hear about the cuckold and the shrew. The final verse reveals that the singer is also unaware of the person lying next to him in bed, further emphasizing his detachment from reality.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got my blinders on so I can't see the cruel periphery
I am intentionally avoiding everything that may disturb me, so I will not have to be involved in other people's problems and pain.
I don't care what's unraveling out there
I am indifferent to the conflicts or issues that are happening outside of my own life.
Just please don't entangle me
Although I avoid conflicts, I fear that I may become involved if someone tries to force me to choose a side.
She's left eleven messages, I let them all delete
Someone has tried to contact me, but I purposely ignored their attempts to reach me.
Oh honestly, honestly, I don't care who you're out with
I do not want or care to know who my partner is spending time with.
Honestly, honestly, I don't want to hear about it now
I genuinely do not want to hear about my partner's actions or whereabouts at this moment.
No, I don't need to be the first to know
I do not worry about being informed immediately of my partner's actions or whereabouts.
However noble that makes you feel . . .
But if telling me everything makes my partner feel good about themselves, they can.
I've got my headphones on
I am purposely tuning out the world with music.
I'm lost in song; hidden in the beat
I become engrossed and trapped in music, allowing it to numb the outside world.
So when she waves me down
If someone tries to get my attention while I am lost in music,
I turn around and softly begin to sing
I pretend not to hear by putting on a show of singing along to the music in my headphones.
Oh honestly, honestly, honestly . . .
Even though I have been dishonest before, I say this to show sincerity.
Oh honestly, honestly, you don't need my permission
My partner can do whatever they want, and I do not need to be informed or asked for approval.
Honestly, honestly I don't need an explanation at all
I have so little interest in what other people are doing that an explanation for their actions is not needed.
Not at all
I do not want to be involved, and it is not important to me.
No, I don't want to hear the tale be told
Even if someone else tries to involve me in a story, I refuse to listen.
Of the cuckold and the shrew
I specifically do not want to be involved in a relationship drama where someone cheats on their partner.
Oh honestly, honestly, I am not upset about it
Even though someone is cheating in a relationship, it isn't my problem, and I won't concern myself with it.
Honestly, honestly, I don't want to hear about it now
Once again, I make it clear that I have no desire to be involved in or informed about the actions of others.
Not now
And I definitely don't want to hear about it at this particular moment.
Not now
And I won't want to hear about it at any later time either.
Not now
It simply isn't important to me in any way at all.
I've got my blinders on so I can't see who's lying next to me
Not only do I avoid conflicts and situations outside of my own life, but I am also blind to the issues that may exist in my own relationships.
Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Diabeetus
RIP will smith