what i find that's extremelly underrated in this song is that the line "i don't want to go insane / i don't want to have schizophrenia" feels like an impulse punch on the wall of someone who's feeling too much at the same time to the point of being scared shitless and it's such a powerful punch in the gut that i really don't know how to process it a lot of the time. what a song.
beach life in death is and will always be my favorite song. every version of it, and not to mention the commit yourself entirely version is so fucking beautiful and raw
this is the ONLY song which has every described this live-wire type of often angry energy in me. I don’t know how common it is, but I frequently will present myself perfectly fine throughout the day, even while alone, but in short bursts or through build ups, my rage becomes intense. it’s usually when i’m feeling particularly angsty and drained. like smash your phone on the floor with a blank face type mad. or, if there was a punching bag in front of you and you weren’t sitting in class while everyone was just idle, you’d go ballistic. I especially love the way their tone changes so seamlessly, and it doesn’t leave you high and dry, you move with it, even in those intense jumps between volume/energy. god I love it.
i really liked this analysis my favorite line which was removed from the remake for some reason is “a book of aubrey beardsley art corrupted me in my youth and now i’m trapped inside my youth and you’re in love with my late-stage youth”. when i first heard it it really resonated with me and it just shows how brilliant of a writer will is. keep up with the good work i look forward to more car seat headrest videos.
"if it´s nothing but the simple verse chorus structure over and over again then there is really nothing to anticipate and the song becomes a massive slug through the mud" Bob Dylan: Hold My Beer
Thank you for creating the analysis, I am a literature teacher and I looked at Beach Life in Death with my year 10 class a couple of months ago and I just showed them a transcript of your video as an example of an excellent way to utilise quotations and your video really helped my ADHD students get it. You're a legend. Thanks from Melbourne Australia.
I loved this video! And I wanted to mention something you kind of touched upon, but Will actually brings up religion A LOT in his music and it’s kind of interesting, I wish I could interview him. Thank you for the video! It was amazing!
as a mtm backer, the first album fits the lack of equipment and quality with the depression and problems will had and the lack of control he has over the world. I would argue this for essentially every song. i.e. something soon, beach life in death, famous prophets (minds), psst teenagers, etc.
Fat White Guy Married with kids…and a teacher. One of my students suggested this song. Your analysis really helped me understand better. Great review, sophisticated artists as well.
I wasn't familiar with this version of the song when I watched this video. The version I knew of the Glass Beach cover (which I highly recommend if you haven't given it a listen), so this encouraged me to seek the original and I fell in love with the song all over again. I'm glad I found your channel; I've watched your video on Caroline Polachek, ace anthems (which I loved as an asexual demiromantic) and separating art from the artist, and all these have been incredible! I'm eager to watch more and engage, for sure :D
I love this song so much and they played it when i saw them live which was a very happy surprise. The parallel you drew to bohemian rhapsody is so accurate, i do see this as an operatic or symphonic piece and i really love when artists take this direction (like joanna newsom or sufjan stevens in impossible soul)
Another thing in the song that referenced god was “Thank god for the little things and and fuck god that they’re little things I am running out of prayers to sing” so this could just be referencing that things that he enjoys might not be a big part of his life or they might be very small and it might have some connection to him needing to feel thankful for a higher power if you’re going down the biblical route
As a Christian Car Seat Headrest fan, I completely disregard any lyrics that go against my beliefs lol. Some of these lyrics relate so much to my life, I always feel like I'm trying to interact with aliens anytime I talk to new people
