The friend is question is Kimya Dawson and she names John and the mountain goats in her song Lullaby for the Taken and I just think it’s really sweet that they’re both musicians and still friends
"It's good to be young, but let's not kid ourselves; it's better to come out the other side, still breathing, having faced down all those demons." I found one of my old journals from when I was 16. I couldn't help but cry as I read it. At that point, I just knew in my soul that I was going to end up killing myself before my 18th birthday. Here I am at 23, scarred and bruised but stronger than I ever thought I could be. I think that the terrified kid I was would be so proud of who I am now. And, I am so damn glad that I didn't kill myself. Maybe you are now where I once was. Maybe you're a scared kid in school who feels like they have no one. Remember: you are not alone. You never have been alone, you never will be alone. I love you. ❤
Hootowlnumber 1 that’s kinda the worst part of having suicidal thoughts as a child. You think “one day I’ll be young and dead so none of this matters” But it’s life. It does matter.
Life is hard sometimes, there's no use in pretending that it's all roses. I am genuinely proud of how strong you are and how far you've made it. Maybe I sound like the stereotypical cheesy inspirational quote, but you matter. I am glad that you exist and that you're still here.
Lol here I am now, 23 and I'm the lowest I've ever been throughout my whole life. I constantly wish I would have ended it years ago. Nothing has ever gotten better, it has only continually reminded me that I am truly worthless in this life. And I'm sure that my "friends" and family will only act like they care after I'm dead, when I can't call out their bullshit on how they were never there for me. I've tried talking to them, crying for help but I only ever get ignored. I've given up on passion, dreams, hope and love. Please don't talk for everyone. Sometimes it just never gets better for people. I know this from experience.
I truly hate that you're having an awful time. I honestly wasn't trying to speak for anyone but myself. I know I may be coming off as a sachrine-sweet inspirational Tumblr post, but that wasn't my intention. I know this won't feel genuine, coming from a stranger on the internet, but I do care about you.
I think that the line "I hope the people who did you wrong have trouble sleeping at night" is honestly one of the most brilliant things I've ever heard, because it simultaneously A: admits that the people who hurt the person he's singing about are human and are capable of emotion and still hurt this person despite that, and B: that guilt is genuinely a miserable feeling and that the singer regards it as a just punishment, that he hopes they have to live with what they've done- it's more mature but somehow just as cruel as saying "I hope you step in a bear trap" or something like that. That's just my analysis, because when I heard that lyric I almost started crying, so that's cool.
I love coming back to different videos of this song over the years to see what people say and how they feel about it. Great analyses by the way and I agree. I also wanted to offer a C: although I know this thread is a year old. I agree guilt is a miserable feeling and sometimes a just punishment, but wonder if that line also conveys like A: they are people who are human and capable of emotion, who have trouble sleeping at night thinking about it because they want to change those behaviors and action in the past, present and future moving forward as a person. TL;DR They're people just like anyone and the singer hopes they are bothered by those thoughts not as punishment but as an inward reflection and instrument to change for the better.
i love the idea of writing such an emotional non-love-song for someone. it's truly beautiful to care so much about a person you probably didn't even knew that well
The best part is that he says " I wish the painful memories only flex their power over you a 'little of the Time' " . If he had said that hopes that the memories were forgotten or even just forgiven it would have seemed unreal, like some sort of fantasy. But the fact that he reminds us that those times will always haunt us, even if just a little, makes the whole song more believable... more real.
*I wish the painful memories only flex their power over you a little of the time* I just got a tattoo with this lyrics and it is dedicated to people with trauma.
i know i know i know this song isn’t about me, but as someone who wore spiked heels all throughout highschool, went to a school with concrete halls, and was bullied and struggled with my self esteem constantly, it is so so heart warming to listen to this and just pretend someone could have loved me enough to write it for me
As a kid I thought people who dressed in spiky clothing were cool so you probably had some kids looking at you and wanting to be like you when they grew up
There was this incredibly talented kid in school. He would draw such amazing manga, with full story arcs and so, even though he was just 10 years old. He even drew characters after the only two kids who were his friends. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, but people thought otherwise and were mean to him. Also, his parents were difficult. I tried to invite him to my birthday twice, but they wouldn't let him come. I felt bad for years, because I would have loved to be there for him more time. It's been 20 years and I don't know where you are, but I remember everything and still think you are cool, Isaac. I'll always think of myself as Bift, the user of the mighty Indian Ocean Punch!
I think what I love most about his singing is he's not trying to sound nice, he's just singing cause there's so much emotion he had to express it. Music today is so focused on sounding nice without meaning anything....
You've nailed something that I've always completely loved about John. His music has never been for anyone else, it has always been for himself. He wrote what he wanted because he wanted to, not because anyone else made him. Like I'm sure we've all heard the story of how Sara Bareilles' Love Song came to be- that would never have happened with John, and while I also love Sara and Love Song is a proper bop, I have mad respect for someone who does it for himself.
One of my friends was trans and committed suicide back in 9th grade. I had met them online in 6th grade and we clicked instantly. I always thought she was the coolest most understanding person. They came out to me just a few months before they took their life. I can't believe that was almost 8 years ago. I miss you Alexis
@homonculust I hope you have trouble sleeping at night, asshole. Whenever someone you love (if you care about anyone) dies, remember what hateful shit you decided to say about the death of someone you never knew.
He's a really good lyricist, and the line "It's good to be young/ but let's not kid ourselves" really seems like a good example of that to me. He has a really good way of getting to the point, not really getting all frilly and extra, but still making everything deeper than just surface level. "Let's not kid ourselves" draws attention to the fact the wanting to be a child forever is, well, childish, and using a saying that already inherently means "don't be childish" to do that, and connecting it into the "it's good to be young," is just really cool to me. Like, the first time I listened to it I didn't even see it, it was just "it's good to be young but don't be foolish" basically, and then after listening to this song probably 10 times, I've finally realized the deeper side of it. He doesn't push his lyrics to be roundabout and weird, you still get the meaning if you only take it at face value, but it's really cool to realize that a lot of what he sings isn't straight forward, and if you analyze it a bit deeper, you find these semi-hidden gems. I'm just rambling but it's super nice, I love this song
apparently from what i heard, john has only ever done live performances of this song and likes it being an unreleased live-only song. tho he said that he may end up releasing it officially in the studio.
I don’t know what your real name was because you only ever signed your homework as Claudia Chaos, but this song makes me think of you every time. I bet you’re still cool.
No matter how I word things I’m not satisfied. I really want to be pitied and cared for. Like, a lot. This song is how I want someone to feel about me. I do the most I can for everyone I know and I don’t get very much back. Being kind was something I hated about myself because it felt like I was everyone’s dog or something, like this happy puppy someone could kick and it’d come trotting back ready to get kicked again. Again, I really don’t think this wording is enough. But I’ve wrote this kind of comment so many times and I haven’t posted any. I always look down on people who write comments like this because it’s pitiful, but really I’m not better. If you read all this, thanks. Thank you for the time you’ve spent. Also I’m proud of you. I think people are starting to realize how hard living is. It’s really cool you’ve made it so far.
you deserve to have your pain and kindness acknowledged and I hope you find people who will do that for you, or that you find acknowledging it for yourself is enough.
My heart goes out to you, I understand how you feel. It will get better eventually, I know it will. You will find people who appreciate you for who you are and who treat you with kindness just like you do with them. It'll be okay
"I hope those painful memories only flex their power over you a little of the time". I love this lyric. it's so important to remember that while painful moments will always get to you, they don't need to take over your life
my queerplatonic partner said this song reminds him of us so im here listening to it now :) i met him in highschool but we're both in our first year of college now and i hope we continue to stay in touch! she's really special to me. idk i just wanted to put this out here ^^ even tho this isnt on spotify i think being an unreleased song makes it all the more emotional and impactful to listen to
I had a series of mental breakdowns towards the end of HS in 2014 and 2015. After a while I became recluse, and as of Feb 2020 I've barely gotten out of bed or spoken to anyone in years. But you know somebody probably did think I was cool in highschool.
Reading through the comments here, I hope all of you lovely souls are doing better, and I hope your friends are okay and you were able to get through to them in some way, you all deserve so much and I'm so proud of you all for coming this far! T omorrow will be better, it has to be ❤️
When we were both in a really bad place, my best friend and I started dating. As I got better, I knew I wasn't really ready for a relationship, and I could tell he wasn't either. We just didn't want to be alone. But he would always degrade himself, and when I would go offline for days he'd say it was fine, though I knew it wasn't. He deserved better, so even though I knew it would hurt him, I broke up with him. We don't talk anymore, but I still miss him sometimes. He was a fantastic friend. I hope he's doing well; and I hope that if he's in a relationship, that they're able to give him the attention and love he's always deserved. Because as much as I cared for him, I just couldn't.
I know it's been two years since you wrote this... but I'm on the other side of that right now I think. My ex and I started dating right after a failed suicide attempt... It made him realize just how much he cared for me... It was good at first, we were good together, but he felt like he just couldn't give me what I deserved, because I needed him and he just didn't have the time for me. I always told him it was okay and that I understand and I really was okay with it, but eventually he just left me. He was my best friend and what hurt me most was that he just cut contact entirely. I still write him letters for his birthdays and christmas, but I never get any reply. He was absolutely amazing. The only person that ever made me feel wanted and like I could just be myself, like he just understood me. I hope he's doing well...
this song reminded me of my old highschool best friend who was exiled from my friend group over a series of misunderstandings. no one in the group but me really missed her. I hope she's doing okay.
I went to see them in Amsterdam a few days ago. The middle section of the gig was just John and his guitar. As is usual this song got a lot shout outs from the audience and he decided he'd play it. He said it wasn't a song he liked to play live often because it was deeply personal and that when he'd written it it was meant as a song for him but the internet changed that. He then asked that he be allowed to sing it on his own so he could achieve the right emotional space to do the song justice (I'm paraphrasing, BTW, I was in Amsterdam and my ability to recall the exact words may have been a little impaired). Anyway, in a crowded Paradiso, everyone except the man on stage was stone silent and he sang his heart out. Absolutely one of my best gig moments ever. They played a number of absolute favourites and ended with a rip roaring full band rendition of Best ever Death Metal Band Out Of Denton, which was awesome. You Were Cool, though, was the highlight and the beating heart of the whole gig for me.
this song is so precious to me. i don't have anyone to connect this to me except for myself- especially middle school me. those were the shittiest years of my life and this song helped me get through it, helped show me that there was always something better on the other side. you just have to get through the shitty part first.
after years of therapy i realized i have trauma because of highschool. People were mean, even if i had friends, most people would always mock me, throw things at me, pretend to be nice and then cutting off the act. Still today i can't pass a group of teenagers without getting scared, or even people in general, unconsciously thinking they may harm me, for what i could make out in therapy. Sometimes i cry listening to this, wishing that someone that i met back in highschool hopefully thinks this way about me.
God,whenever i hear this song I always think of my middle school self, a child who deserved more then they got, a child who was hurt,bullied, and abused.a child who tried so hard to fit in and make friends. A child who had to grow up too fast due to the recklessness of the idiot adults around them. I honestly feel sorry for that child, for what they missed out on, and I honestly wish younger me could've had someone like current me in their life to help them.
I decided to listen to the song on the swings and i am glad i did. I started crying half way through. This is what i needed to hear even if it wasnt for me
When I was young I used to be really extroverted and sociable, but that all changed when I was bullied throughout elementary and junior high. Between that and being an only child it seems I have never really developed many healthy social skills. Now in high school I find my confidence to be outgoing almost nonexistent. I was lucky though, my parents supported me and I was able to change schools part way through junior high. Despite that I rarely had more than two close friends at a time and I have never been in a relationship. This weighs on me sometimes and I just feel alone. Looking forward to coming out on the other side still breathing.
Augustine I can relate a lot to this. I was also an only child, and I was bullied from elementary school through the beginning of high school. My parents let me change schools as well while I was in high school. Things got better for me, I hope they get better for you as well, if they already haven’t. I feel the past still haunts me at times, I often think people secretly think of me how my bullies thought of me, but for the most part I am okay. Having a few close friends is always going to be better than having a plethora of people that you’ll have to weed out eventually. You seem like such a nice person, I hope you find someone that reminds you of that, and how you didn’t deserve the ill treatment from others growing up.
"we held onto hope of better days coming, and when we did we were right" this one goes out to you, to me, and to all of us. thank you for being here kiefer and chloe and tyler, and i can't wait for you to be here again nick and ella. i miss you guys, i love you both. here's to better days 💚
I used to know someone in highschool. She wore big platform boots and colored wigs. I looked up to her so much. So purely and genuinely smart, kind, and humble. I guess she didn't grow up well, and I know people she trusted were always hurting her. She killed herself. I'll never forget her, I looked up to her so much
I remember you. I don't know where you are right now. There is absoloutely nothing I wouldn't give to see you again. I still have the flower you gave me. A dandelion. It's withered and dry now. But I see it and think of you. I remember the braid you always loved. A french-fishtail combination that you created yourself. I remember when you did it on my hair when it wasn't brushed and we spent the whole night laughing and trying to get the huge knot out. I remember when Skylar said I was ugly and you stood up for me. You said I was very pretty and she was just jealous. I don't love anything the way I loved you. Your beautiful eyes, your glowing smile. I'm so sorry. That last time we spoke, I didn't say goodbye. I didn't even tell you I was moving to another state. I couldn't bare to see your face. I was a coward. I should've told you. The next time you see me, if you ever do, you would slap me. I deserve it. I remember when we walked home together in the rain. My hair was soaked and you let me use one of your towels to dry off. I miss you more than you will ever know. I would die a thousand deaths if it meant I could spend one more afternoon with you. You deserve everything and so much more, Juliana. -molly
This song sounds like a caring friend reminding you you didn’t deserve the mistreatment you’ve endured.. realizing those memories will always affect you.. but hoping the majority of the time you’re still able to feel okay. Hoping those people feel guilt for ruining your view of reality and reshaping your whole world, making you expect the same treatment from everyone you encounter afterwards, a burn that will always burn. It hurts especially because I know the pain of it. This song is a great comfort.
What an amazing song. To all those struggling in the comment section: know that you are loved! And that staring down your demons will be hard work, and it will suck, but *you can do it.* And to all those maybe not struggling as much: I think a big part of the song, and the singer’s, pain is that he DIDN’T tell the subject that they were cool. He clearly regrets his inaction, which is why he’s hurting so much. So if you see someone who’s struggling, or going through a tough time, reach out to them. Give them a compliment. Ask how they’re doing. It’s not your job to fix their problems, but showing that you care can help be a light in their darkness. Don’t wait to tell them that they’re cool. Do it now. :)
One of the worse thing about bullyng, is that sometimes people who get bullied are the nice sensible people, bullyng is a bitch and every bully that is reading this, I forgive you, but you gotta payback and treat people as nice as you can
This song will forever bring me to shuddering tears thinking of the brutal murder of my high school ex-girlfriend. I'm an absolute wreck afterwards, but it's cathartic enough to be worth it every single time. Thank you John.
For the vast majority of us, high school is a battle for conformity, wearing the right clothes, listening to the right music, smoking pot, drinking beer even though you hate the taste, fighting not for your pride but just to not look like a weak chump. Constantly striving, not to be anything amazing or to be the coolest kid on the block, but just to keep your position. And there are always the outcasts, for whatever idiotic trivial reasons barred from ever being socially acceptable. And your friend from elementary school is one of them (a nerd who likes Magic and wears old faded jeans that are a bit too tight because that's all he has to wear because he's also poor) and the best you can do is hang out with him when no one's looking and be silent and ignore it when people badmouth him or he's getting bullied or publicly mocked, because you're certain it isn't in your power to fix it or change it and you absolutely fear the possibility of ending up in the same boat as him. Then you graduate and maybe for a few years you see a few of them, but it all winds down and eventually maybe there's one or two you see every so often, and did any of that really matter anyway? And now I think back to those days and really regret those dark moments but still don't see any way I could have done anything to change the situation he lived through and anyway he's long gone, far beyond being helped or hurt by anyone or for my apology to mean anything.
Change it to "paddling down the concrete halls in your cheap shoes" and that's my memory right there. We dated two years. My mom died. I found drugs. We broke up. She never found anybody I hear. I've always regretted what happened.
I've come out the other side and let me tell you, it feels great to be able to breath again. All you beautiful souls, just keep your hearts beating and some day you'll take in a lungfull of fresh air once again. 'Till then, hold on.
I want to write the response song to this in which the person says they'd always considered themselves cool and had no idea they were being bullied in high school. This is literally the first they're hearing of it, and they're shocked. "I always thought people liked me, which is why they kidded me so much. So now you're saying I was UNpopular? Well, sh*t. This kind of ruins my day."
This makes me think me, brother, and my mother. We’ve gone through so much and even when I’m mad at them or I felt or feel like I hate them, I love them. We can be frustrating to each other and we have a lot of scars that haven’t fully healed but we survived. We are tough motherfuckers. I forget that sometimes.
When I hear this song I think of one of my best friends, she wasnt scared to be herself and not conform to the rest of the school, she got bullied a lot for this and was also homeless/not had the best home life...especially compared to some of the rich kids at our school. She's doing a lot better now and I still think she's coolest person I know
This is genuinely one of the most beautiful songs ever written, it's simple and that's the point it's a honest song with nothing to distract from the point
My favourite mountain goats lyrics: And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out You'd stay the hell out of my way, When you came in I could breathe again and People were mean to you but I always thought you were cool.
Kinda reminds me of the MC in the show Patriot. He sings folk songs alone in the park or in a room full of people. He sings for himself, trying to work through the pain of his life.
It’s too little to write a comment on RU-vid but it’s better than nothing, so... Tyler I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most buddy. You were always so much cooler than me. Rest easy.
Weird but this makes me think of my mom. Lived out 1985 by bowling for soup. She told me about a party her friend through she wasn't invited to but she showed up because it was her 'friend'. Made her sit on the porch until her dad picked her up. I always thought my mom was cool. Ma if you ever read this, if I was there we would of crashed that shitty party and drank all their liquor then sang some shitty Starman song
