So you don't wanna hear about my good song?
You don't wanna hear about how I am getting on
With all the things that I can get done
The sun is in the sky and I am by my lonesome

So you don't wanna hear about my good day?
You have better things to do than to hear me say
God, it's been a lovely day, everything's been going my way
I took out the trash today and I'm on fire

So you don't wanna hear about my good friends
You don't have the guts to take the truth or consequence
Success is in the eye of the beholder
And it's looking even better over your cold shoulder

I'm not suggesting you get to line me up for questioning
But Jesus think about the bridges you are burning and I'm betting
That even though you knew it from the start
You'd rather be a bitch than be an ordinary broken heart

So go ahead and talk about your bad day
I want all the details of the pain and misery
That you are inflicting on the others
I consider them my sisters and I want their numbers

God, it's been a lovely day, everything's been going my way
I took up croquet today, I'm on fire
I picked up the pieces of my broken ego
I have finally made my peace as far as you and me go

But I'd love to have you up to see the place
I'd like to do more than survive, I'd like to rub it in your face

Hey, it's been a lovely day, everything is going my way
I had so much fun today and I'm on fire
God, it's been a lovely day every thing's been going my way
Ever since you went away, hey, I'm on fire

I'm on fire, I'm on fire, I'm on
I'm on fire, I'm on fire
I'm on fire, I'm on
So you don't wanna hear about my good day?



Lyrics submitted by okokayok

Good Day Lyrics as written by Amanda Palmer

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Good Day song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

62 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment

    I don't even see this as a romantic song at all, I see this as dealing with one of those "friends" ... the type who don't give even half a shit about you. they are always willing to dump their bad days on you, but the minute you want to talk to them about anything, they lose interest.

    "i'm not suggesting you up and line me up for questioning but jesus think about the bridges you are burning"

    this bit goes shows that people like that, they're so self-involved, so selfish, that they don't notice nor care that the more they neglect people, the more bridges they burn.

    I always joke that those kind of people, you could be in the middle of talking about your day and say something like "I'm on fire, I'm dying" and they wouldn't even notice what you'd said and just nod their heads and say "uh huh." when I first heard this song, I laughed, because of that line being in the song. :p

    in the end, no matter how big of an asshole a not-such-a-friend is, you never quite feel angry enough to not care how they're treating you. it always makes you feel unloved.

    delialon September 08, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I don't think it's about a lover at all. Everything about the song, from the music box beginning to the nursery rhyme ending are screaming CHILDHOOD. Not only that, but specifically neglected childhood. First of all, "You don't want to hear about my good day." What's the first thing mom says when you get home from school? "How was your day sweetheart?"

    Her mom never asked how her day was. She was probably depressed or something, and chose to wallow in her "bad day" rather than pay any attention to her daughter. So the narrator never had a chance to talk about her good day. And the song grows with her. When she's young "I took out the trash today" is a representation of her trying to please her mother, to get some recognition, by doing chores, because that's what the simple mind of a child would come up with.

    As she gets older the general neglect continues. "Success is in the eye of the beholder" could be continuing with the theme of trying to please the mom and not being enough, but it could also be blaming the mom. Perhaps the narrator doesn't try to be successful because it's in "the eye of the beholder" which is the "truth and consequences" of the mom's neglect.

    And now the narrator is realizing that the mom is just a bitch. And the next stanza is the narrator saying she's accepted it(ish) and is moving on (sort of). And the "I'd love to have you up to see the place" makes way more sense if she's talking about her mom. She's resentful at this point of everything her mom has put her through, and she wants to rub her success in the face of that adversity in her moms face.

    The ending nursery rhyme not only ties back to her trashed childhood, but also her resentment of what her mom did.

    Just my thoughts. Would love to hear your feedback!

    agirlanachronismon May 08, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The full ending part (I think it's a jumprope song) is: Now the war is over Mussolini's dead He wants to go to heaven with a crown upon his head The lord says no He has to stay below All dressed up & No where to go

    I think if I tried to connect this with the song I'd be going a little too far. But I'm going to anyway. Mussolini was a facsist dictator of Italy during world war II. He led Italy into the war & a nazi government until he was assasinated.

    The lines in this song that urge to make this connection are: "i want all the details of the pain and misery that you are inflicting on the others" Possibly by putting this at the end of the song she's comparing her old lover to a horrible tyrant, causing pain & misery to so many? It's extreme, but I love it.

    SweetInsanity_3on January 25, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Ha... Gotta love the parody on "I Will Survive"

    "I'd like to do more than survive, I'd like to rub it in your face!"

    -pyrokinesis-on October 14, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think she still has feelings for him as she cares enough to want to let him know how she's doing without him. And is it just me or is she crying in the end? During the jump rope part.

    omglolzzon July 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    showing how you are getting on once you moved on ..

    NIKKIEon June 24, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    except that she's not really over him yet- the lyrics are totally spot-on in describing how it is after rejection when you've realized it's over but you still care enough to try to prove you're better, to the point where just taking out the trash is a token of success.

    sweetpea_246on July 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    oh wow. i relate to this song 100%. what a gem.

    fireincairoon September 19, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    oh wow. i relate to this song 100%. what a gem.

    fireincairoon September 19, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    WOW. Seriously how does she get this stuff spot on? Not only is her voice absoluty intising but the drums just flow so well with the piano. I love the "I took out the trash today and I'm on FIRE!"**What is that at the end of the song? "Now the ar is over and Pusaliny's dead..."

    InnerAJon November 20, 2004   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,