The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I will fight; will fight with my heart.
I will fight; will fight with understanding.
In my mind, the weather never changes
Skill overcomes, difficult situations.
A straight line exists between me and the good things.
I have found the line and its direction is known to me.
Absolute trust keeps me going in the right direction.
Any intrusion is met with a heart full of the good thing.
Try to compare what I am presenting.
You will meet with much frustration.
Try to find ... similar situation.
You will always find the same solution.
As the heart finds the good thing, the feeling is multiplied.
Add the will to the strength and it equals conviction.
As we economize, efficiency is multiplied,
To the extent I am determined the result is the good thing.
So I say:
I have adopted this and made it my own:
Cut back the weakness, reinforce what is strong.
I will fight; will fight with understanding.
In my mind, the weather never changes
Skill overcomes, difficult situations.
A straight line exists between me and the good things.
I have found the line and its direction is known to me.
Absolute trust keeps me going in the right direction.
Any intrusion is met with a heart full of the good thing.
Try to compare what I am presenting.
You will meet with much frustration.
Try to find ... similar situation.
You will always find the same solution.
As the heart finds the good thing, the feeling is multiplied.
Add the will to the strength and it equals conviction.
As we economize, efficiency is multiplied,
To the extent I am determined the result is the good thing.
So I say:
I have adopted this and made it my own:
Cut back the weakness, reinforce what is strong.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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,
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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You can find an interview with david byrne in AVclub where he says:
'Twenty-five years ago, Talking Heads stuff. Sometimes I would write songs based on an instruction I had given myself, like a point of view. There's a song on the second Talking Heads record [1978's More Songs About Buildings And Food] called "The Good Thing." It was an attempt by me... This was my instruction to myself: Write a song that sounds like a bad English translation of a Red Chinese anthem. That's what the song was meant to be. Sometimes I'd get those pamphlets, like Mao in art and literature, and they had this weird filtered language that I loved because it has this approach to English that wasn't quite Japanese mangling of product names or catchphrases, but something close to that. I found that very poetic and appropriate. You could write something in that style, in the style of bad translation. They don't do that so much anymore. '
I guess that's what he meant..
yeah this is definately an overly rational explanation for everyday life like good things can only be achieved if you follow pre-determined methods. i hope most people arent like this, and that there is no formula that would render life pre-decided and meaningless, where we could be replaced by robots with their superior algorithms. OMG its all coming true!
anyways, this is missing the last line of the song (right?): 'Watch me work!'
I like your observations, Cerberusalpha!<br /> <br /> From a 23-year-old's viewpoint, I listen to this song and I can really relate to it. <br /> Ok, here we go. <br /> <br /> Title: The Good Thing<br /> <br /> Premise: A lot of us are born into families that perpetuate the notion of happiness and success as being an end result of working a job for the rest of your life. In fact, the words "happiness" and "success" can't even cut it: The majority of these people never even find whatever it is they've been led to believe is at the end of the tunnel...much less define it! Hence, it is only called "The Good Thing". The thing that I don't want to spend my life slaving for. The pressure to work a straight career path is exponentially strengthened when a culture and economy is heavily interwoven with "The Good Thing"-Driven-Society. I know my parents, although with true care and conviction for my future, want me to work down the narrow and straight path for "The Good Thing", just like they do as middle class working americans (and damned fine ones, at that!). Fortunately, I look around and see things.<br /> <br /> Some Brief Analysis (of course, this, as with all art, has different meanings to different people, even if the artist(s) weren't aware/conscious of certain meanings to be found when they created it. Also, I understand that when writing lyrics intended to convey a specific message, sometimes lyricists kind of make things fit at the expense of a certain sound or to make it flow nicely with the music. I think that is a good thing. Oh dear, I just used those two words. Anywho: David Byrne, master wordsmith, moving on):<br /> <br /> "I will fight; will fight with my heart.<br /> I will fight; will fight with understanding.<br /> In my mind, the weather never changes<br /> Skill overcomes, unfavorable conditions."<br /> <br /> This song has two central voices: The voice of the free-thinker and the voice(s) of the centralized economically entrenched workforce comprised of people in search of "The Good Thing". David conveys resisting the societal-cultural pressures to go down the straight line of "The Good Thing" by using his heart (Self-acceptance, knowing what he likes) and his understanding (of the bigger picture surrounding "The Good Thing", and his place relative to it as a free person). He displays poise in the face of "The Good Thing" argument by relying on personal skills and attributes as a solution to being unhappy as a worker, and the weather, or the entire situational comparison, never changes. It is one way or the other, with countless similar scenarios leading to the same thing.<br /> <br /> <br /> "A straight line exists between me and the good things.<br /> I have found the line and its direction is known to me.<br /> Absolute trust keeps me going in the right direction.<br /> Any intrusion is met with a heart full of the good thing."<br /> <br /> The voices of the masses. A living, breathing machine made of all the workers. Robots. Zombies. Substitute any brainless thing here. From the moment of birth, the straight line is laid out before us (government-founded, big surprise). It is impossible to go the wrong direction on the line towards a life of dreary work...as long as the worker ABSOLUTELY TRUSTS in the promise of "The Good Thing" (Which, I think, is really hard to avoid for a lot of people, especially when surrounded by fellow workers everywhere and without exposure to freedom devices, for example, art). Also, it is so true that challenging these types of people on this subject can get bring out some pretty deep emotional defense mechanisms.<br /> <br /> <br /> "Try to compare what I am presenting.<br /> You will meet with much frustration.<br /> Try to find ... similar situation.<br /> You will always find the same solution."<br /> <br /> David. The Freethinker puts it quite bluntly that the two separate life choices are infinitely different from one another, both in principle and in action (which is a result of the underlying principles altogether). No matter how many ways one might describe or defend the search for "The Good Thing", There is only one solution: Be free and do work that you like, recognize your own skills and abilities, and use them!<br /> <br /> "As the heart finds the good thing, the feeling is multiplied.<br /> Add the will to the strength and it equals conviction.<br /> As we economise, efficiency is multiplied,<br /> To the extent I am determined the result is the good thing."<br /> <br /> These people will never know the Real Good Thing. As years pass and days go by, endlessly working purely for economic happiness, the very search for "The Good Thing" itself makes feelings of justification and happiness all the more deeply entrenched. Conviction is faith with the ability to back it up (In this case, strength in numbers, both in population and in capital). Take it to the macro level of thousands upon thousands of workers all having similar lifestyles and goals, and they will, more than likely, become more efficient at propagating the lifestyle. Still, they are DETERMINED the result will be there for them in the end. Let's not even get started on social security!<br /> <br /> <br /> "So I say:<br /> I have adopted this and made it my own:<br /> Cut back the weakness, reinforce what is strong."<br /> <br /> This is my favorite part! The lyrics which aren't included on this site are great, too (Watch me work! Work work! Work work! Heavy Work! OHHHHHHH Work!). David manages to extract a positive note from all of this and turn it around on them...skills>unfavorable conditions, so know your own strengths and weaknesses, and work with what you've got!<br /> <br /> CONCLUSION: "The Good Thing" is real. It is the same "Good Thing" that the workers are looking for, but you don't have to work forty years to find it..."The Good Thing" is not an end-game result, but, rather, an immediate benefit of being happy with one's self and understanding that, although you might not fit in to the bigger crowds, not following the straight line might just in fact be the smartest solution of them all.<br /> <br /> ~Galen <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />
P.S. I know I talked a lot about David's writing, as it was mostly literal analysis from my perspective...but the song as a whole couldn't be done without Chris, Tina, and Jerry!! Tina: You make the song whenever the "Good Thing" masses have lyrics to sing!
Meanwhile ...
[Cuts to Black Lodge}
This song reminds me a lot of what many Philosophy of Science types say about science. I think that this song is an attempt to positively join the scientific method with everyday living, present it as something especially personal and vital.
Wait lads....this is an appreciation of oriental life principals. The tune has an oriental lilt to it and the lyrics convey the kinda chinese focus of mind....its how Davey Byrney expressed his thoughts on the chinese community.Right?
Wait lads....this is an appreciation of oriental life principals. The tune has an oriental lilt to it and the lyrics convey the kinda chinese focus of mind....its how Davey Byrney expressed his thoughts on the chinese community.Right?
Since I played this album almost on a tape loop - all the time, I thought it was a prescription for getting ahead in your art career and that had great meaning for me And since they were all former artists, it made a lot of sense
fuggen cocaine ass song