Here we are. Here we are. We are antici-- There it is! There it is.
That's the picture. You s-- You see it for yourself.
There it is. It's a man. There it is. With, ah...

Be good to them always.

You know, I simply cannot understand people.
Oh how sadly we mortals are deceived by our own imagination.
This is not real life. This is for us. Now we get to write television.
A mixed concert of soft instruments.
I can hear a collective rumbling in America.
I have lost my house. You have lost your house.
I don't suppose it matters which way we go.
This great society is going smash.

Oh, he's good with putting things together and organizing himself.
You do not need to stand on one foot.
The modern town hardly knows silence.
You are something that the whole world is doing.
You know, I simply cannot understand people.
Oh how sadly we mortals are deceived by our own imagination.
This is not real life. This is for us. Now we get to write television.
A mixed concert of soft instruments.
A culture is no better than its woods.
A feeling of being connected with the past.
Look at it this way: you may fall and break your leg.
And so, one leg is shorter than the other.
Can nothing more be done?


Lyrics submitted by starvingeyes33

Be Good To Them Always Lyrics as written by

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Be Good To Them Always song meanings
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15 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    "Oh. he's in the middle of putting things together and organizing himself."

    Cannot even begin to describe how hilariously on-target this line is, especially considering what the target audience of The Books is usually on.

    kgangon November 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This great society...is going smash

    myhotelyearon November 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    can nothing more be done?

    OliverAstroon December 04, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    hey. the books are mind-baffling.

    slinkstersarson March 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm not trying to sound cliched, but this song (and any of The Books' albums) is amazing if you've smoked copious amounts of weed beforehand.

    JackWhiteon April 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm not trying to sound cliched, but this song (and any of The Books' albums) is amazing if you've smoked copious amounts of weed beforehand.

    JackWhiteon April 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    With copious amounts of pot or not. Still amazing.

    frankwhite6on April 26, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love how every soundbite in this song evokes a strong emotion. And I agree with JackWhite, the books are definately my designated high music.

    iamianon May 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ian said it: every soundbite.

    btw, i know when somebody leaves a long message like this, i tend to skip it over, but listen to this one.

    If you're low on the dough, and can't get any artificial means of mind alteraters, just stay up really late. being tired produces much the same effect. When you're tired, your mind stops thinking as well. When you're thinking clearly, you can see everything as it is, for example, i fell asleep last night listening to the books, but as i grew more and more tired, my brain became less and less able to decipher reality. it was almost as if you become part of the music. I was listening to the music, but still in that state of semiawareness where youre in between dreaming and full conciousness, and then i start to realize that im imagining my brother singing this song, not like picturing him on a stage somewhere, but as if the recording was a recording of my brother, or that it wasnt even a recording at all, but the music was being played all around me/inside of me.

    long story short, you become part of the music and im not sure if that description really does justice to what actually happens, you really have to experience it for yourself

    blame_monsteron January 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Interesting you mention that about being sleep deprived and finally getting to be while listening to this album. I did the same thing, I know exactly what you're talking about. Its brilliant.

    p0nchon January 31, 2007   Link

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