Your great-grandfather was a great lawyer,
And his kid made a mint off the war,
Your father shot stills and then directed films
That your mom did publicity for.
I saw your older sis on the year's best book list,
And your brother, he manages bands.

And you're keen to downplay
But you're quick to betray
With one well turned out wave of your hand,
You come from wealth,
Yeah, you've got wealth.
What a bitch they didn't give you much else.

I heard Cuss by The Kinks on your speakers,
I saw Poe and Artau? on your shelves.
While The Last Laugh's first scene
On your flat panel screen
Lit Chanel that you've wrapped around yourself.
You've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on your wall,
While your designers have slyly
Directed the eye down clean lines in your well-lit hall.

You've got taste, you've got taste,
What a waste that that's all that you have.

You wrote your thesis on the Gospel of Thomas,
You shot some reversal film in Angkor Wat,
And this book you once read
Says there's less people dead
At this point now than those who are not.
And this film we once saw was reviled for its flaws,
But its flaws were what made us have fun.
And the life some folks had might have made us feel bad,
Why feel bad man, it's nothing that you've done.
It's all in your hand, it's all in your hand,
Like a gun, like a globe, like a grand.

And this thing you once said disappeared from my head
In the time that it took to be amazed.
And this thing you once did might have dazzled the kids,
But the kids once grown up are gonna walk away.
And your world is gonna change nothing
And our world is gonna change nothing



Lyrics submitted by smileforthecamera

Track duration: 03:50

"Singer Songwriter" as written by Will Robinson Sheff

Lyrics © BUG MUSIC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Singer Songwriter song meanings
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16 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I believe this song is about being from a very wealthy family and being able to have that lifestyle from connections and the family name. The beginning seems pretty straight forward.

    "I heard cuss by The Kinks on your speakers,
    I saw Poe and Artaud on your shelves.
    While The Last Laugh's first scene
    on your flat panel screen
    lit Chanel that you've wrapped around yourself.
    You've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on your wall"

    This part ties back in to to their cd Black Sheep Boy and being the black sheep of the family. They have the knowledge of a more artistic pretentious society but they really are hiding in their room with their more outcast rebellious music and thoughts. They don't want to be a part of that world because they view it as being a bad world as opposed to how most people view it as good and something most people would envy.

    while your designers have slyly directed the eye down clean lines in your well-lit hall. "

    Designers shows that he is once again referring to the wealthy yet surrounding yourself with these designer things makes people view your life in a good light. It lets others know that you have money and when people see that they typically only see one side of money. They see fame and fortune and a life worth being envious of. It is a clean line because it is only one side of the lifestyle and a glowing hall gives the feeling of a good lifestyle. It's in the hall because secretly in his bedroom he is living a different lifestyle.


    "And this film we once saw was reviled for its flaws,
    but its flaws were what made us have fun.
    And the life some folks had might have made us feel bad,
    why feel bad man, it's nothing that you've done.
    It's all in your hand, it's all in your hand,
    like a gun, like a globe, like a grand. "


    People are very quick to point out flaws in the wealthy and famous..but once you have everything you want, what is there to work for? You turn to drugs and parties and people see all of these flaws and they are well publicized. However, that is what they are doing for their fun because they already have everything else. Children also can typically feel guilt through this lifestyle if their friends are not as fortunate because people tend to be jealous or constantly talk about how things are easier for the wealthy....people would kill for money, its all about greed...and the dirtier side of wealth that is hidden from the public.
    He is trying to go a different path than that of his family because he doesn't want that lifestyle.
    Flag chrislllllllllon October 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Couple things - 'you've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on the wall'

    'your designers have slyly directed the eye down pink lines _____ your well lit hall'


    Flag F23Featheron July 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Couple things - 'you've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on the wall'

    'your designers have slyly directed the eye down pink lines _____ your well lit hall'


    Flag F23Featheron July 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Couple things - 'you've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on the wall'

    'your designers have slyly directed the eye down pink lines _____ your well lit hall'


    Flag F23Featheron July 13, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:"And this book you once read said there's less people dead at this point now than those who are not" is definitely a reference to "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.
    Flag BigHouseon March 31, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't think it's about a pretentious person so much as a person who has had a very privileged upbringing and isn't really doing anything worthwhile with his/her life. The lines
    "and you're keen to down play, but you're quick to betray/With a well turned out wave of your hand*/You come from wealth" show that person isn't trying to appear wealthy. Also, the family members described aren't necessarily down-to-Earth or even good people ("made a mint off the war" might hint at something less than ethical) but they all did/do something significant while the subject had a good education and collects art but doesn't really DO anything.

    *The correct line, or something close to the correct line. I have the lyrics book but it's not at hand right now.
    Flag Sezinon October 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hardly call it a film geeks film.

    Murnau is kinda like a keystone in the yuppie discussion circles. Not that he's not great, don't get me wrong.

    But it's abut vacuousness, The Last Laugh means nothing to these people. It's just something that other people don't watch.

    Y'know like how The Lives Of Others and There Will Be Blood can be hailed as genius.
    Flag Trucidareon September 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Should be "You've got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on the wall"
    Flag fougasseon September 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's "the Last Laugh's first scene," not foreseen.
    Flag tommy crashwreckon August 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Is "Anchor Watt" meant to be Angkor Wat? The first one doesn't really make sense and the second one's a pretty famous Cambodian monument which kinda fits with the whole privelaged upbringing thing? Just a thought, anyway.
    Flag Appers66on July 26, 2008   Link

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