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Local Man Ruins Everything Lyrics
The fountain was off
This is the first time
I’ve been back to
The city in months
I’m trying to hold it together
But irony’s found cracks in the foundation
And you know, I try so hard
To be some great white hope
But I can’t shake the feeling
That tonight I’m gonna end up shaking in bed alone
I’m not a self-help book;
I’m just a fucked up kid.
I had to take my own advice and I did.
Now I’m waiting for it to sink in.
Expect me standing tall,
Back against the wall,
'Cause what I learned was
It’s not about forcing happiness;
It’s about not letting the sadness win
I don’t have roses in the closet
But I’ve got pictures in a drawer
And it’s everything left in me
Not to stare at them anymore
I walked upstairs and shaved my beard
I felt like I was holding sadness here
This is the first time
I’ve been back to
The city in months
I’m trying to hold it together
But irony’s found cracks in the foundation
And you know, I try so hard
To be some great white hope
But I can’t shake the feeling
That tonight I’m gonna end up shaking in bed alone
I’m just a fucked up kid.
I had to take my own advice and I did.
Now I’m waiting for it to sink in.
Back against the wall,
'Cause what I learned was
It’s not about forcing happiness;
It’s about not letting the sadness win
But I’ve got pictures in a drawer
And it’s everything left in me
Not to stare at them anymore
I felt like I was holding sadness here
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The title is a reference to The Simpsons. As for the meaning, it seems like it's Soupy's reaction to everyone's feelings on The Upsides. Because he wrote that upbeat record about beating depression, he felt a lot of pressure to be upbeat and positive all the time, but that's just not how it works. Like he said "I'm not sad anymore" isn't a statement of fact, but a battle cry. Instead, "it's not about forcing happiness, it's about not letting sadness win."
And maaaan, when I first heard the start of the song, "The fountain was off," I got really emotional, because I got that metaphor of the fountain in Logan Circle being a symbol of a fresh beginning, and suddenly you go back and see that now it's off again. Sadness/Depression, whatever, it comes and goes. That metaphor lives on. So stoked to hear the rest of the album because I think I'm going to relate to it even more than I did Upsides already.
"It's not about forcing happiness, it's about not letting sadness win"
Every time I hear that, I get emotional. That's a quote to live by. My dad is severely depressed and while he was in the mental hospital, we gave him that quote on a piece of paper.
Seriously? The lyrics were posted WITH the song on AP.
Local Man Ruins Everything (For Everyone That Relates. We're Not Alone.) January 2010
The fountain was off. This is the first time I’ve been back to the city in months. I’m trying to hold it together but irony’s found cracks in the foundation. You know, I try so hard to be some great white hope but I can’t shake the feeling that tonight I’m gonna end up shaking in bed alone. I’m not a self-help book; I’m just a fucked up kid. I had to take my own advice and I did. Now I’m waiting for it to sink in. Expect me standing tall, back against the wall, cause what I learned was it’s not about forcing happiness; it’s about not letting the sadness win. I don’t have roses in the closet but I’ve got pictures in a drawer and it’s everything left in me not to stare at them anymore. I walked upstairs and shaved my beard. I felt like I was holding sadness here.
Love how he bought up the fountain at Logan Circle again.
So good! I relate so much to the whole upsides record. And when he talks about shaking alone in a bedroom it feels real.
Heart breaking. Truly heartbreaking.