My ordinary life from The Living Tombstone does not read between the lines – it directly says what the ordinary life of this author is. In a way, The Living Tombstone reveals to us the not-so-pleasant things he feels, and at the same time he is forced to keep some kind of mask on his face, not being able to express his feelings. At the same time, all this is his usual, everyday life, and this inspires fear.
History of the song
The Living Tombstone is both a band and a YouTube channel. Therefore, somehow separating music, poetry and video is not quite the right decision. The video for the song, filmed and posted on the YouTube channel, with all the comments and discussions, is the song itself.
The Living Tombstone was originally founded by Israeli music producer Joav Landau in 2011. A little later, Samuel Gaft, also a music producer, screenwriter, and also a talented vocalist, joined the project – he is the lead vocalist in The Living Tombstone projects.
The project and channel initially collaborated with the My Little Pony franchise, which released a series of toys and media projects. They then switched to working on various video game projects – one of their most famous projects is related to the video game Five Nights at Freddy’s. The channel is one of the most successful on YouTube, the number of views on each video exceeds ten million, even if it is not the most popular track, but there are more than two hundred million on top impressions.
Most likely, the original goal of the project was to make a profit and gain some kind of fame. However, a certain taste originality can be traced in the tracks on the channel. The video sequence is selected in an original way, has a good soundtrack, quite professional. It is worth noting that most of the performers participating in the creation of videos are placed in the credits under the video on the channel and do not remain behind the scenes – here the creators of the project are absolutely honest with their partners. However, their composition is constantly changing, depending on the producer’s intention – from the permanent composition of the team, only lead vocalist Sam Gaft can be noted.
The song was released already when both the channel and the band’s singles gained wide popularity, had good sales on iTunes and other platforms – at the end of 2017. The history of its creation is not disclosed by the authors. Most likely, it is somehow connected with certain views of the authors of the project on their lives and on other people.
It is worth noting that the lyrics of the song and its title partially echo the song by Wiz Khalifa, an American rapper, Ordinary Life, which was released much earlier. In that song, the American performer also touches on the theme of the routine of life, exhaustion, the fact that life does not really bring any great joys, but, unlike The Living Tombstone, Wiz shows that despite this, he remains the master and master of this life. In Tombstones, everything looks much more depressing, very hopeless.
The meaning of the song
The song says that you are surrounded by people who do not understand you, do not want to understand, believe that you are just a goose that lays golden eggs and do not see you as a living person, a living soul. However, people around you show great interest in you. They persistently say “good” when you tell them “bad”, and when you say that the world is ruled by money, they begin to object, talking about God.
The video sequence is inseparable from the song, since this is still YouTube, and not a purely musical project. During the song, a convertible car is moving in the frame, in which there are tropical animals. At the same time, various obstacles arise on the way, in the form of a sea whale that ate a lion driver, policemen chasing them for speeding, or gnomes clinging to the car on a platform and preventing movement forward. A lion gets out of the belly of a whale, biting it on the larynx and forcing it to spit out, a giraffe knocks down a tree, blocking the path of a police car, and a wild boar gets rid of the dwarfs, throwing them off the platform with a fist and breaking off the attached rope.
It is worth noting an interesting detail. Joav Landau, since he is from Israel, probably received some kind of religious education and read the Torah, like most Israelis in childhood. In it, in particular, there is a book of the prophet Jonah, who fell into the belly of a whale, spent three days there, and thanks to prayers, was delivered from this scourge and brought to earth. Unlike the Torah, here the lion finds the very way to get rid of imprisonment with his own hands. Just at this time, the song is about people telling you about God ruling the world, and you say money does it.
At the same time, the author says that he suffers from loneliness without these people, who seem to want only money from him, and he wants them to see him as a person and his work. So he goes to the bank, takes the money and distributes it to these people. Moreover, he would like to be touched by King Midas, who would turn him into a soulless piece of gold, but, unfortunately, this does not happen. It is also said that the problem of loneliness haunts him, “is in his head.” Apparently, this is a reflection of some personality traits, formed in childhood.
Interpretation of the lyrics
Jā, iku zo
Jan, ken, pon!
Then let’s go! Rock Paper Scissors!
This is the opening line to the song. Most likely, by this they want to say that life is a game.
They tell me keep it simple, I tell them take it slow
I feed and water an idea so I let it grow
I tell them take it easy, they laugh and tell me “no”
It’s cool, but I don’t see them laughin ‘at my money though
Beginning of the song. It is said that no one understands you, that you are the creator of your own business, while you tell them to relax, in response they tell you “no” and laugh. But your money doesn’t make them laugh.
Do you feel me? Take a look inside my brain
The people always different but it always feels the same
That’s the real me, pop the champagne
The haters wanna hurt me, and I’m laughin’ at the pain
A phrase from the chorus. Look into my brain, people are different but feel the same. This is the real me, open the champagne Haters want to hurt me, but I laugh at the pain.
They tell me that I’m special, I smile and shake my head
They say I’m special, I smile and shake my head. Probably, the author says that he is not so “superhuman” after all, that he also has the most ordinary feelings, like other people.
Can you heal me? Have I gained too much?
When you become untouchable, you’re unable to touch
Is there a real me? Pop the champagne
It hurts me just to think, and I don’t do pain
Can you heal me? Did I get too much? When you become untouchable, you cannot touch. Is it really me? Open the champagne, that it hurts just a thought, and I don’t feel pain.
