Here I am with all the pleasures of the first world
Laid out before me, who am I to breakdown?

Everyday I wake up, I choose love, I choose light
And I try, it's too easy just to fall apart

Oh, my baby don't be so distressed
We're done with politesse
It's time to be so brutally honest about
The way we know we long for something fine
When we pine for higher ceilings
And bourgeois happy feelings

And here we are in the center of the first world
It's laid out before us, who are we to break down?

Everyday we wake up, we choose love, we choose light
And we try, it's too easy just to fall apart

Plastic bottles, imported water
Cars we drive wherever we want to
Clothes we buy, it's sweatshop labor
Drugs from corporate enablers
We're not living the good life
Unless we're fighting the good fight
You and me just trying to get it right

In the center of the first world
It's laid out before us, who are we to break down?

Everyday we wake up, we choose love, we choose light
And we try, it's too easy just to fall apart

Love can free us from all excess
From our deepest debt
'Cause when our hearts are full we need much less

Yeah, I know we long for something fine
When we pine for higher ceilings
And bourgeois happy feelings

But here we are, in the center of the first world
It's laid out before us, who are we to break down?

Here we are, in the center of the first world
It's laid out before us, who are we to break down?

Everyday we wake up, we choose love, we choose light
And we try, it's too easy just to fall a-

Everyday we wake up, we choose love, we choose light
And we try, it's too easy just to fall apart


Lyrics submitted by DDavidAlpert1623

You, Me & The Bourgeoisie song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

17 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +5
    General Comment

    why is it on an iphone 3g commercial then?

    blondesdothisbetteron August 23, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is about how we all strive for such banal things as pretty, shiny cars and the like. This drives us into debt and unhappiness.

    When we 'love' and enjoy life, and try to lead it outside of the bourgeois-style idea of success and happiness, we become happy and we learn to live on much less "cause when our hearts are full we need much less."

    In case you were wondering, bourgeois means the affluent middle-class, it's a derogative term meaning a senseless, materialistic way to live. It's not considered a good thing to be regarded as part of the bourgeoisie.

    tree-lightson March 24, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Here we are in the center of the first world It's laid out before us, who are we to break down?

    such a good point. we live in the first world (vs the third world countries who struggle with life threatening challenges everyday) and it's about how even some of the greatest problems in our lives that we might "break down" over are actually quite trivial when placed into context of the bigger picture.

    i think the part about how it's easy to fall apart is saying how it's easy to get tied up in other selfish things and we have to remember to stick together and "choose love and choose light" and not fall apart from one another.

    warhol34on October 13, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I will agree with the comments already posted - good insight. My two cents is that sometimes we are so selfish always wanting more and more and we feel that we need fill our hearts and minds with material things but the line "Cause when our hearts are full we need much less" - SO TRUE. All the material things in the world will never truly satisfy our hearts. What a great and catchy song that you don't get sick of.

    rjcla30on December 02, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song being in the iPhone commercial is really ironic. On a side note, the female singer is the great-granddaughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald. That's pretty cool.

    Carmelophoneon January 05, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    haha, i'm inclined to agree with Boro

    pbrazilon March 27, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    apple is laughing its ass off using this song... so catchy, so against the use of material things cough cough like ipods cough

    twilly47on September 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm pretty sure it's "bourgeois happy feelings" (not "push for happy feelings").

    it reminds me a lot about the idea of going beyond "mere happiness" and wanting something more than that, like a more refined and worldly sense of happiness instead of just banal things, like tree-lights said.

    And totally awesome job AE for having this free download!

    erbylikewhoaon April 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    definitely agree with warhol34, as well as the irony of this song being in a commercial for the iPhone 3g, one of the ultimate first world bourgeoisie items

    norlofskyon November 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    What a pathetically pretentious song. LOL.

    boroon March 16, 2009   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
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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,
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.