Happy Is A Yuppie Word Lyrics
"A year ago I had a late night talk with a friend who stated the quote: "Happy is a yuppie word." I stayed up after he left, turned off the TV war and wrote a song about our happy, yuppie world. Turns out, Bob Dylan was the one being quoted.
"In 1991, when Rolling Stone interviewed Dylan on the occasion of his 50th birthday, he gave a curious response when the interviewer asked him if he was happy. He fell silent for a few moments and stared at his hands. 'You know,' he said, 'these are yuppie words, happiness and unhappiness. It's not happiness or unhappiness, it's either blessed or unblessed.'”
For me this song is the heart of the record, pumping blood out to the limbs and fingers and mouth and such. And maybe every lyric on the record might be needed and true, still this song has kept everything alive for us. We had the privilege of opening for Wilco a few years past- I would like to dedicate this song to the incredible music that they have given all of us down through the years."
-quote from Switchfoot
"nothing is sound" means nothing makes sense. everything is meaningless. (something that makes sense is 'sound'.) it could also mean that 'nothing' is sound, as in, the feeling of nothingness, the feeling of emptiness creates sound or noise, that such an emptiness exists...as a cry (a sound) waiting to be addressed, to be filled with Something.
I think "looking for an orphanage" is the whole idea of doing something eternal...being part of a bridge that wont burn down. An 'orphanage' is a symbol thats the opposite of material pursuits like a new SUV or having 2.3 children and a normal life. Its about breaking convention, and doing something to change our messy world, instead of sitting inside our ignorant Lexus cages. To do something thats more lasting and meaningful- to look for a bridge that won't burn down, thats what an 'orphanage' stands for, I believe.
Happy Is A Young Urban Professional word eh? It sounds funny when put that way. I can see where Switchfoot are coming from with this song. I used to hate it, but it really makes perfect sense. Yuppies tend to be, as said above, materialistic - and material wealth is not sound. The song is obviously Christian as can be told by the line "I'm looking for the Kingdom coming down". Jon doesn't believe the emptiness, he doesn't believe that this is all there is. He's looking for a "bridge" he cant burn down, "a life that wont cash out". And that life is in Christ. In Christ you are free from sin, shame, from the things of this world. Bobby Dylan (the man) was right, this world measures happiness by your possessions - which are not sound. In God you have unfailing, unconditional love. You are blessed.
just real the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible and I guarentee the song will make sense.
Yeah, jakkyl's spot on. I recently read Ecclesiastes and then listened to the Nothing is Sound album again. This sound is heavily inspired by it -- several phrases are pulled straight from it.
^ I like those explanations, born2xl and AiR..
"I'm looking for a bridge I can't burn down" Maybe this yuppie has so many material things and bridges and things that are keeping him tied to his ways and he's looking for a bridge he can't burn down..a bridge he TRULY needs. something real, something that's not disposable and "meaningless" like all of his material possessions. he's looking the rare bridge in his cluttered life that IS worth keeping.
Awesome song, one of the best on the album. I'm confused though, why is he looking for an orphanage? I'm sure it's symbolic for something, but I just can't figure it out.
"looking for an orphanage" is not literal, but it means looking for a home.
"looking for an orphanage" is not literal, but it means looking for a home.
Anyone knows what "nothing is sound" means?
Sound can also mean something's solid and stable. I'll let you take it from there as to what nothing is sound means.
It seems to me to be about the world: how it is unstable, unreliable, and its material wealth is ultimately unsatisfying (hence "nothing is sound"). The sooner we wise up to the fact that this world will never make us truly happy (consider the fact that yuppies tend to be very materialistic), the sooner we can learn to make the most out of life, deal with suffering and annoyances when they come, and turn our focus to God where it should be. ~A.M.D.G.