You were right I"m hanging round because
Slight of hand won't separate us from them
You were right I'm underground because
Slight of hand won't separate your body from the dirt you're standing on today
You're the good things yeah that's you

You're the icing on the cake on the table at my wake
You're the extra ton of cash on my sinking life raft
You're the loud sound of fun when I'm trying to sleep
You're the flowers in my house when my allergies come out
You're the good things

And help's not short when you're digging your grave
I'll help you dig it
So you're digging your grave now
You're speaking my language I'll help you dig it



Lyrics submitted by emopunkskaface, edited by sheionizes, shondon

Track duration: 03:34

"You're the Good Things" as written by Brock/judy/green

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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You're the Good Things song meanings
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67 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:Another Jan. 4th thing from me...The formatting is really stupid, because I guess I just got lazy, or something else that is typical to me. Irregardless, it's more loose, rather than an actual paragraph.

    Here we go again, unedited, unaltered, full of pretentious douchebaggery as it was on that day:

    V1 - Idea of being seperated, transcending humans
    V2 - More of the same idea; references NOTS to back up the meaning ("You were right I'm underground becuz..."

    "You're the Good Things" as a drug abuse song, rather than a love song describing a 1-sided relationship.

    ["Icing on the cake on the table @ my wake"]
    -Death caused by drugs, his friends still use them, despite the {dire} warning. Alternatively, he becomes "dead to the world", and "eats his own cake", so-to-speak.

    ["Flowers in my house when my allergies comeout"]
    -The idea that they have the ability to "tempt and inflame" users (of -anything-) once the craving kicks in. After a while they become a part of your life like, say, fappin'. It gets to be 2nd nature erry once in a while - A habit.

    ["extra ton of cash in my sinking life raft"]
    -Drugs tend to draw in cash. I think IB was trying to say he liked drugs for work - Cash from (admittedly brilliant) meth-fueled frontman power was no doubt great. I suppose the "life raft" is his life as a musician, last shot before being "nothing/nobody/methheadIsaac".

    ["loud sound of fun when I'm tryin' to sleep"]
    -Again, the disturb you at times. The idea of sleeping on stims is stupidly stupid. On other drugs (excluding a numeric few), its the same case - LSD, DMH, DXM, &c. all (temporary) insomnia-inducing thangs.

    ["& The help's not short, when yr diggin' your own grave"]
    -Oughta be obvious. A thanks to those who help you get the 'good things'.

    ------fin

    The ending is fantastic. I love the Night on The Sun EP version, with those chaotic violins in the background. The Parlor Tricks version is excellent as well, because it's slightly more intense. I just like the first version due to the rawness and the ability for this song to just chill a motherfucker the hell out. Once you get to those last 30 seconds, you're rendered helpless in the song's grasp.
    Flag Atno000on January 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's not a happy song. I hear something negative. (I've been who's there when you're alone and lonely) That's ALL. And it's not enough.
    Flag MaryMaryQuiteContraryon October 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I find it difficult to believe this song is about depression or something bad. The song is too upbeat. It has a feel-good vibe to it.
    I used to think that he was saying this person is the good things DESPITE the bad circumstances.
    That they make the bad things in his life a bit better.

    But after reading all the comments, I don't know. It's very plausible that the song is sarcastic.

    This is just the middle parts though. No one has really tried to go into detail about the parts at the beginning and end. It's been established they are about death, but how does that tie into the middle?
    Maybe, it could be saying the no matter what you do, no "sleight of hand" (trick) is going to escape you from the inevitable fate that we are going all going to die. So this could be related to the middle part (if we look at it from the view that they are the good things despite the bad circumstances) that we need to make the best out of the bad times, as they are going to happen whichever way we take them.
    And then at the end, yeah sure, they are both going to die. But they will end up in the same place, maybe you're dying but you're not alone. I'll help you dig it, help isn't short when we have each other even though it's the end.

    I don't know, I prefer to think this is a happy song rather than a sad/sarcastic one.
    Flag Suhmeron March 20, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:if i think it was about someone he didnt like it wouldnt be so upbeat it has to be about someone he either still cares about or used to care about
    Flag pink123456on August 03, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:okay god damn you guys. clearly its about a great girl that he cant have... look at the things he was describing.. icing, flowers, money etc.... its just that at that moment.. he couldnt have any of those things.
    Flag rackyfidgeon July 29, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:haha sommeone gave me a -2 rating i think everyone is going to have different opinions about what its about tho theres not really anyone that knows what its about besides who wrote it
    Flag pink123456on July 23, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This essentially makes me thinks of having a really special relationship with somebody who at the same time really brings out negative qualities in your personality. The way Issac uses contradictory metaphors is so amazing. The best way I can relate to this is that I use to have a couple of really close friends who I used to party with and whille I had so much fun with them and loved them to death the lifestyles that we brought out in each other were really unhealthy. I had to move away from these friends because I had to quit that lifestyle in order to do something with my life. In that respect the lyrics in this song also really remind me of "the good times are killing me." I can also relate to how this song could be about a person your really head over heels for but at the same time how that can bring out negative qualities in your personality you wish you didn't have I.e anger, jealousy, yearning etc.
    Flag Parkbench6on July 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Wow, skd2k1... He's talking about "wake" as in a viewing of the deceased before burial, not about breakfast.

    I feel like this song is less about a lover or a crush and more about a friendship that's fallen out. He probably notices really obnoxious traits about his friend, i.e. the friend probably doesn't take anything seriously or is so fucking bubbly and superficial (hence the references to icing, flowers, money, fun). He's probably in a bad place in his life and everything seems to be working out to his friend's advantage and his dark, sarcasm is masked by upbeat rhythms and chord progressions. What could be more mocking than that? He might be challenging the friend's philosophy of life with his own existentialist perspective, and pointing out to the friend that there are plenty of people that aren't too fond of him ("help's not short when you're digging your grave"), and he'd be more than happy to bury their deceased friendship.
    Flag somuchbeautyindirton April 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:One thing that seems to have gone unreferenced in theses commentaries is tone. I can see how some folks could interpret this as some paean to an enduring love...BUT the tone is LOADED with sarcasm. and the Juxtapostions are just as sardonic.

    You're the good things(sung sweetly) YEAH THATS YOU YEAH THATS YOU YEAH (abrasively as in My cousin Vinny's "YEAH! YOU BLEND")

    You're the flowers (sweet) IN MY HOUSE WHEN MY ALLERGIES COME OUT!

    Youre' the icing..(aww icing "literally sweet) ON MY CAKE ON THE TABLE AT MY WAKE

    is there anything actually good here? Seems like he's discovered she has the "artifice" of good but ultimatly is really no good for hom at all.What more does the man have to say? Does he have to telegraph it like Triumph the insult comment dog? You're great you're just wonderful....For me to poop on!!
    Flag eddiebon January 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:well...its about a person u love that you just can't hate...you're so in love with this person that you couldn't see the bad things...no matter how annoying he/she can be you wouldn't care..you'll still gonna love him/her no matter what...its like risking ur life to someone who doesnt deserves you but ur still gonna do it coz u love this person...this person cause u so much pain but u just dont care coz u love him/her so much that all u see is the good things regardless of the bad things he/she is making you feel...

    -that's just my opinion.
    Flag unpredictable16on December 02, 2009   Link

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