So Called Life

Story Behind The Song by Andy Cairns (Sep 3rd, 2004)

This came about from me playing a few jazzy type riffs to Neil in the Hive in Derby. I had lyrics and a melody but originally the whole tune was a cross between Captain Beefheart and the score from Taxi Driver. We sent Michael a tape and he worked out a bass line.

The next time we all rehearsed together we took it even further into the realms of the strange. We’d been living with it in this state for a few days when all of a sudden out of the blue one day Neil stops the tune mid flow and says: “Lads… are we just coming out with a load of jazz wank for the sake of it?” Initially I was stunned (being both a fan of jazz and wanking) but we sat and thought about how else we should approach it.

We decided a complete u-turn.

Keeping the rough root notes and vocals we went at it hell for leather in the most neanderathal style we could. Primitive pounding drums, ‘ner-ner-ner’-riffage and knuckle-dragging bass. Conjuring up images of the opening scenes to the movie 2001 or alternatively, kicking out time in Ballyclare.

Annoyingly, after writing this I heard about someone having an album called So-Called Chaos. Fuck it.

Read the story behind the next song on this album.

Lyrics

We all want cheap happiness now
Easily placated like sheep and cows

We do what we're told
And we buy what we're sold

In this so called life
There should be so much more
In this so called life
Oh, we're better than this
This so called life

Is it only the dumb who are safe in this world?
The ones quite content to roam with the herd

And do what they're told
And buy what they're sold

In this so called life
There should be so much more
In this so called life
Oh, we're better than this
This so called life

'cos we do what we're told
And buy what we're sold

In this so called life
There should be so much more
In this so called life
Oh, we're better than this
This so called life

There should be so much more
In this so called life
Oh, we're better than
Oh, we're better than
Oh, we're better than this