In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Art is dead, art is dead
Art is dead, art is dead
Entertainers like to seem complicated
But we're not complicated
I can explain it pretty easily
Have you ever been to a birthday party for children
And one of the children won't stop screaming
Cause he's just a little attention attractor
When he grows up to be a comic or actor
He'll be rewarded for never maturing
For never understanding or learning
That every day can't be about him
There's other people you selfish asshole
I must be psychotic, I must be demented
To think that I'm worthy of all this attention,
Of all of this money you worked really hard for
I slept in late while you worked at the drug store.
My drug's attention, I am an addict
but I get paid to indulge in my habit
It's all an illusion, I'm wearing make-up
I'm wearing make-up, make-up, make-up, make-up
Art is dead, so people think you're funny
How do you get those people's money?
Art is dead, we're rolling in dough
While Carlin rolls in his grave, in his grave, in his grave.
This show has got a budget
The show has got a budget
And all the poor people way more deserving of the money won't budge it
Cause I wanted my name in lights
When I could have fed a family of four
For forty fucking fortnights, forty fucking fortnights
I am an artist, please god forgive me
I am an artist, please don't revere me
I am an artist, please don't respect me
I am an artist, feel free to correct me
A self-centered artist, self-obsessed artist
I am an artist, I am an artist
But I'm just a kid, I'm just a kid, kid
And maybe I'll grow out of it
Art is dead, art is dead
Entertainers like to seem complicated
But we're not complicated
I can explain it pretty easily
Have you ever been to a birthday party for children
And one of the children won't stop screaming
Cause he's just a little attention attractor
When he grows up to be a comic or actor
He'll be rewarded for never maturing
For never understanding or learning
That every day can't be about him
There's other people you selfish asshole
I must be psychotic, I must be demented
To think that I'm worthy of all this attention,
Of all of this money you worked really hard for
I slept in late while you worked at the drug store.
My drug's attention, I am an addict
but I get paid to indulge in my habit
It's all an illusion, I'm wearing make-up
I'm wearing make-up, make-up, make-up, make-up
Art is dead, so people think you're funny
How do you get those people's money?
Art is dead, we're rolling in dough
While Carlin rolls in his grave, in his grave, in his grave.
This show has got a budget
The show has got a budget
And all the poor people way more deserving of the money won't budge it
Cause I wanted my name in lights
When I could have fed a family of four
For forty fucking fortnights, forty fucking fortnights
I am an artist, please god forgive me
I am an artist, please don't revere me
I am an artist, please don't respect me
I am an artist, feel free to correct me
A self-centered artist, self-obsessed artist
I am an artist, I am an artist
But I'm just a kid, I'm just a kid, kid
And maybe I'll grow out of it
Lyrics submitted by Xyless
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@cassilac
The preceding line is "the show has got a budget". So essentially he is saying that the money used to create his show (including, presumably, his own fee) could have been given to a more deserving cause (i.e. the poor), but he didn't want to give the money away (i.e. the poor people couldn't "budge it") - as he "wanted his name in lights". This is all about artistic guilt; he is asking, why am I engaged in this self-indulgent, decadent activity while people are struggling to survive?
Personally, I think he's being a little hard on himself! At least what he's doing isn't destructive, unlike some other professions we could mention..... Great song though.
Surprised this is the first comment. I'd say this is his best song. As far as meaning goes, it seems pretty obvious. An apology, getting somethings off his chest; he seems to be almost regretting his fame/fortune.
Yeah this is easily his best song.You can tell he put his heart into it.
I'd have to say either this or Rant is his best song...
I love him first off, secondly It's always cool when people are critical of their own group when their group is privileged. He's saying that at some point when an artist becomes successful they become the epitome of everything their art stood against, it's really interesting.
I think this is probably one of Bo's most introspective songs (and best) because he is critiquing the business he has worked to be a part of. Saying "Art is Dead" isn't a call to just some entertainment, it's a call to ALL entertainment and even his own content. Bo has constantly in interviews and his work mentioned things like the "end of culture" and the "death of creativity" because at this point there is no originality. Everything has been done before. His own work is subject to this criticism as well because he knows that since everything has a basis it's just a recycling. Art is not dead because it's bad, Art is dead because at this point we are just reusing it's carcass until we run out. There is no more importance in art, it's not as influential as it used to be. It died out of lack of creativity and originality and has just been taken from bit by bit.
I'm assuming "While Carlin rolls in his grave, in his grave, in his grave" refers to George Carlin. Though (Bill) Hicks would have been more appropriate imho.
I have only one question, what does the "And all the poor people way more deserving of the money won't budge it" mean? I get it's saying that rich people are gonna stay rich, but does that line mean poor people won't ever even see the money? That it's going from rich to rich? Help me out! lol
@cassilac very late now, but it's contextual. If you look at the preceeding line, he says "the show has got a budget", meaning they've gotta be greedy to meet their quota, it's more about people paying for seats than appreciating art, and making sure they meet their quota and make their "budget" work so they can be rich is more important than using the money to solve hunger and other world problems.