A Good Life
Pandemic love song: us alone isn't what you pictured: ignore the chaos, don't look around, keep singing it's a good life while grinning and bottling it up.
Listen: Spotify·Apple Music
ISRC QZES52026922 (soundexchange)
Track six on Masks and Monsters, also released as a standalone single ahead of the LP (May 4, 2020). North Park lockdown record. Babidi and Gokudaxij appear elsewhere on the album, but this one is Luke alone.
It opens on the gap between fantasy and reality (I know it’s not how you pictured, us alone) and asks not to fix the world but to ignore it together: come ignore the chaos won’t ya, my love, my only one. The survival instructions contradict themselves on purpose, keep moving and don’t look around, and the chorus stacks it’s a good life, my dear until it sounds like a lullaby you don’t fully believe. Verse two finds quiet as mercy: sleep in and stop your shaking, no noise to wake up to.
Then the bridge tells the truth under the mantra, repeated four times with no variation: I’ll keep on grinning, bottle it up. The good life is performance plus compression. Same emotional lane as Creature Comfort and When It’s Over, lighter surface, same locked-in room.
Pairs with 2020 Is Over (year-end exhale) and leads toward Little Hug. The album’s philosophical bookend is Derrida Makes a Différance.
Written, performed, mixed, and mastered by Luke Francis Walton. Album art by Gentle Giant Illustrations.
Lyrics
I know it's not how you Pictured Us alone Come ignore the chaos won't ya My love My only one Don't walk around and you'll be just fine Don't look around Look around Yeah Keep on singing like Ah yeah It's a good life It's a good life Ah yeah It's a good life My dear Ah yeah It's a good life It's a good life Ah yeah It's a good life My dear So happy to be with you Not much For us to do Sleep in and stop your shaking No noise To wake up to Don't walk around and you'll be just fine Don't look around Look around Yeah Keep on singing like Ah yeah It's a good life It's a good life Ah yeah It's a good life My dear Uh Ah yeah It's a good life It's a good life Ah yeah It's a good life My dear Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah My dear I'll keep on grinning Bottle it up I'll keep on grinning Bottle it up I'll keep on grinning Bottle it up I'll keep on grinning Bottle it up Ah yeah It's a good life It's a good life Ah yeah It's a good life My dear Uh Ah yeah It's a good life It's a good life Ah yeah It's a good life My dear Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah Ah yeah yeah yeah yeah My dear