The duo write short … Read Full Bio ↴We Cut Corners is an Irish duo based in Dublin.
The duo write short songs on drums and guitar. The debut album 'Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards' was a nominee for the Choice award for best Irish album of 2011.
The Irish Times 4**** "'Three People', 'The Leopard' and 'A Pirate's Life' echo The Frames and Conor O'Brien (Villagers) in their ebbs and flows, while 'Go Easy' is a magnificent, heartwarming thrill." // Hot Press 4**** ..lyrics are great throughout, reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian at their most sweetly caustic." // The Sunday Times *Album of the Week* // The Irish Daily Star *Irish Album of the Year*
Best Friend
We Cut Corners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You put hope in their bellies
And your manifesto through their front door
You inherited tough love
A belligerent kind
You were the platinum infant
So it must be difficult to be the golden child
From living too hard
Do you really want to sit
Sing and play your guitars
To a society of card-carrying bleeding hearts
You play in the space that humanity hates
They're claustrophobically spacious
They're specially designed to raise the heart-rate
And then like a prophet with improbable poise
You're propping up little people
You'd probably drop them in a second for the
Big boys
While your friends sit around
And discuss their hang-ups
And your contemporaries have to piss into cups
And confess
That it's their powerlessness that corrupts
Solitude is my enemey and my best friend
Solitude is my enemy and my best friend
Life in the enclosure isn't all that bad
I'm using muscles that I didn't even know I had
Finally I've found somebody just like me
I need to reassess whether I like myself
Solitude is my enemy and my best friend
While your friends kill themselves
From living too hard
Do you really want to sit
sing and play your guitars
To a society of card-carrying bleeding hearts
The lyrics to "Best Friend" by We Cut Corners is a reflection on the struggles of being successful, while dealing with the guilt and privilege that comes with it. The opening lines "What is so wrong about robbing the poor, you put hope in their bellies and your manifesto through their front door" suggest feeling guilty for benefiting from others' struggles. The Platinum Infant and Golden Child references allude to the idea that success has always come easily, with tough love inherited, and privileges given.
The chorus "While your friends kill themselves from living too hard, do you really want to sit, sing and play your guitars to a society of card-carrying bleeding hearts" portrays a sense of disillusionment with society and the fear of losing oneself. The bridge "Solitude is my enemy and my best friend, life in the enclosure isn't all that bad, I'm using muscles that I didn't even know I had, finally I've found somebody just like me, I need to reassess whether I like myself" suggests the singer is struggling with loneliness and is only finding solace in their own reflection.
The last verse "While your friends sit around and discuss their hang-ups, and your contemporaries have to piss into cups and confess that it's their powerlessness that corrupts" speaks to the idea that being successful requires one to confront their past and their privilege, while others around them are still dealing with their problems. Overall, the song suggests that success is not all that it seems to be, and the guilt and the weight of privilege cannot be understated.
Line by Line Meaning
What is so wrong about robbing the poor
Questioning the motives behind exploiting vulnerable people
You put hope in their bellies
Offering false promises to those in need
And your manifesto through their front door
Imposing beliefs on others without their consent
You inherited tough love
Being raised with an unyielding, harsh approach to parenting
A belligerent kind
A confrontational and aggressive attitude towards others
You were the platinum infant
Being favored and praised excessively as a child
So it must be difficult to be the golden child
Feeling pressure to live up to high expectations and always striving for perfection
While your friends kill themselves
Watching peers struggle with the destructive consequences of their actions
From living too hard
Engaging in reckless and harmful behavior
Do you really want to sit
Questioning the desire to engage in unproductive activities
Sing and play your guitars
Creating music as a meaningless pastime
To a society of card-carrying bleeding hearts
Appealing to the emotions of an overly sympathetic audience
You play in the space that humanity hates
Operating in a niche area that most people find uncomfortable or unappealing
They're claustrophobically spacious
An environment that feels both suffocating and vast at the same time
They're specially designed to raise the heart-rate
Intentionally created to elicit fear, excitement, or other intense emotions
And then like a prophet with improbable poise
Appearing as a wise and trustworthy figure despite unlikelihood or improbability
You're propping up little people
Supporting those who are less powerful or influential in society
You'd probably drop them in a second for the big boys
Abandoning smaller or weaker players in favor of more advantageous opportunities
And your contemporaries have to piss into cups
Being subjected to regular drug testing in their jobs or professional fields
And confess
Admitting to personal struggles or weaknesses
That it's their powerlessness that corrupts
Feeling helpless and unable to control their circumstances, leading to immoral or questionable choices
Solitude is my enemy and my best friend
Struggling with a complicated relationship with solitude and isolation
Life in the enclosure isn't all that bad
Finding some comfort or even positivity in confinement or restriction
I'm using muscles that I didn't even know I had
Discovering new strengths or abilities during challenging or unfamiliar situations
Finally I've found somebody just like me
Feeling understood and accepted by someone who shares similar experiences or values
I need to reassess whether I like myself
Questioning personal identity and self-worth
Contributed by Aria T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.