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.
Cut it out - your self-inflicted pain
Is getting too routine
The crowds are catching on
To the self inflicted song
Well, here we go again
The art of acting weak
Fall in love to fail
To boost your CD sales
(And that CD sells - yeah, what a hit)
You've got to repeat it
You gotta' sink to swim
If at first you don't succeed
You gotta recreate your misery
'Cause we all know art is hard
Young artists have got to starve
Try, and fail, and try again
The comforts of repetition
Keep churning out those hits
'Til it's all the same old shit
Oh, a second verse!
Well, color me fatigued
I'm hiding in hte leaves
In the CD jacket sleeves
Tired of entertaining
Some double-dipped meaning
A soft serve analogy
This drunken angry slur
In thirty-one flavors
You gotta' sink to swim
Immerse yourself in rejection
Regurgitate some sorry tale
About a boy who sells his love affairs
You gotta' fake the pain
You better make it sting
You're goin' break a long
When you get on stage
And they scream your name
"Oh, Cursive is so cool!"
You gotta sink to swim
Impersonate greater persons
'Cause we all know art is hard
When we don't know who we are
Is getting too routine
The crowds are catching on
To the self inflicted song
Well, here we go again
The art of acting weak
Fall in love to fail
To boost your CD sales
(And that CD sells - yeah, what a hit)
You've got to repeat it
You gotta' sink to swim
If at first you don't succeed
You gotta recreate your misery
'Cause we all know art is hard
Young artists have got to starve
Try, and fail, and try again
The comforts of repetition
Keep churning out those hits
'Til it's all the same old shit
Oh, a second verse!
Well, color me fatigued
I'm hiding in hte leaves
In the CD jacket sleeves
Tired of entertaining
Some double-dipped meaning
A soft serve analogy
This drunken angry slur
In thirty-one flavors
You gotta' sink to swim
Immerse yourself in rejection
Regurgitate some sorry tale
About a boy who sells his love affairs
You gotta' fake the pain
You better make it sting
You're goin' break a long
When you get on stage
And they scream your name
"Oh, Cursive is so cool!"
You gotta sink to swim
Impersonate greater persons
'Cause we all know art is hard
When we don't know who we are
Lyrics submitted by ruben, edited by Mellow_Harsher, NBSrock
Art Is Hard Lyrics as written by Gretta Mindy Cohn Clint Frederick Schnase
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Tim Kasher seems to be describing the act of "selling out". That to "boost your cd sales", you have to be someone that you're not, you have to conform to the ideals of everyone else. You're no longer putting out albumns full of emotion that you personally feel, you're putting forth an albumn that will only please the public. In other words, Kasher's criticising artists who make music for money, instead of because they love it.
I dedicate this song to Conor Oberst.
tim's saying how when you write a song or get on stage you have to re-enact your pain. he's pretty much mocking that whole idea.
Tim Kasher seems to be describing the act of "selling out". That to "boost your cd sales", you have to be someone that you're not, you have to conform to the ideals of everyone else. You're no longer putting out albumns full of emotion that you personally feel, you're putting forth an albumn that will only please the public. In other words, Kasher's criticising artists who make music for money, instead of because they love it.
I think that is not about selling out,is about self-loathing,and is self-ironic.He criticizes himself.The selling out theory doesn't sit well with me,I think these lyrics are deeper than that.
i think this song is about how, when you write something personal to get something off your chest or whatever, you have to reenact what the song meant to you for stage show (possibly aimed at dashboard confessional who cries during his songs). after a while, it all starts to become an act of showmanship instead of an act of actual emotional significance. or maybe it's the public's want for artists to do something like that (cry) on stage when they sing their songs that are "touching," and their want of heartbreaking lyrics (artists have got to starve). i know the emo crowd loves that.
I like the break a leg line. break a leg as you wish to actors before they go on stage, but it also links well to the first verse :
cut it out your self-inflicted pain is getting too routine the fans are catching on to the self-afflicted song
nice. I think that reading a couple interviews would help you to understand the song better its not about selling out or conor oberst or anything remotely similar.
just a couple corrections on the lyrics.
it's -the crowds are catching on
the anabashed weak -is-The art of acting weak
yeah, the artists have gotta starve-is-young artists have gotta starve
double deaf meaning-is-double dipped meaning
yeah, thirty one letters-is-in thirty one flavors
make the scene-is-make it sting
oh kasher, he's so cool-is-oh cursive is so cool
the person the grave to exist-is-impersonate greater persons
and we don't know who we are-is-when we don't know who we are
Isnt this song just as much about him as it is about bands like dashboard and bright eyes? I mean a lot of Cursive's songs are about how Kasher's wife left him and fucked him over.
i really think this song is about both things. meaning, about the showmanship and fakeness of emotion and self pity (i.e. dashboard, emo) but also, realizing at the same time, that sometimes that he himself does that. and he is really bad and bitter about that part of himself.