I honestly have this emotional connection with this song I have trouble explaining, I just turned 14 and I had to spend it in isolation due to covid and as you know my I didnt get to have a 8th grade graduation either and it honestly hurts that I'll never experience it but we gotta smile like we mean it to get through it, recently I started doing lsd and during one of my trips I was looking in the mirror and my reflection was just scolding me about who I've become and who I am and was telling me to get my shit together and while coming down this song came on my spotify and I was staring at my ceiling and reminiscing about how great my life was the few months before the world went to hell and the words just spoke to me. Idk I just wanted to say that
14 is a powerful age for your music taste, it’s when we start listening to “emotional music” whether it be sad, happy, or even angry, at that age it just happens to resonate with people the most. I sure as hell wouldn’t enjoy listening to the killers if I hadn’t found them when I was 14. Yea it’s strange at that age trying to find out why it resonates with you as much as it does, but when you get older it’ll make more sense to you, I know it did for me.
I can dig the acoustic version of this. the lyrics are kinda touching ... and I though I'm a straight guy, I will admit that Brandon is an attractive man
Change your ways while you're young Boy, one day you'll be a man Oh girl, he'll help you understand Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it Looking back at sunsets on the East side We lost track of the time Dreams aren't what they used to be Some things sat by so carelessly Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it And someone is calling my name From the back of the restaurant And someone is playing a game In the house that I grew up in And someone will drive her around Down the same streets that I did On the same streets that I did Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it Oh no, oh, no, no, no Oh no, oh, no, no, no
Save some face, you know you've only got one Change your ways while you're young Boy, one day you'll be a man Oh girl, he'll help you understand Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it Looking back at sunsets on the East side We lost track of the time Dreams aren't what they used to be Some things sat by so carelessly Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it And someone is calling my name From the back of the restaurant And someone is playing a game In the house that I grew up in And someone will drive her around Down the same streets that I did On the same streets that I did Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it Smile like you mean it Oh no, oh no no no Oh no, oh no no no
you know what i really think is missing in these acoustic performances big time? backing vocals... i mean, at least a second harmony voice in the chorus every now and then.. it adds a lot of power. and given the fact that brandon was ill that day (so they say?) it would've been even better for the sake of the performance to put a mic in front of dave.
Usually I do preferer the acoustic version of a song over the original version. But in this song, it's not the case. I feel like there's something missing in this version.
he is so clearly sick in this one - you can hear it, especially when he's singing words including m/n ("smile", "mean", the "oh no" part) and his nasal cavities must've been pretty stuffed, which is why his voice appears to be pretty flat while he's singing. Brandon wasn't a phenomenal singer back then anyway, which has also a lot to do with nerves, technique and stage fright (as the only time he took singing lessons was before battle born as far as I know). it's incredible how much better he's gotten.
