There are certain songs that just resonate with you. Whether that song recreates a moment in time or is just one that you really like, these songs are the songs that helped create the person you are and were a constant companion in the journey called life.
Today we continue exploring those songs in my life and what they mean to me. This is Those Certain Songs. Today is Joey Cape with Going For the Bronze.
The Song:
Title: Going For The Bronze
Artist: Joey Cape
Album: Doesn’t Play Well With Others
The Lyrics:
I’m only looking to place
Never a loss, never a win
Bronze metals hang from my bed
I’m running the grey matter laps
Outta my mind on the outer track
If I don’t feel someone else will
It’s all downhill from here
Running out the one man marathon
Going for the bronze, bronze, bronze
Everything in life comes with a price
By a thread stay alive
Make it happen with a third rate stride for the
Runner up, runner up, runner up prize
I’ll take what I can get at the finish line
Drafting the pack in the blind
All thoroughbreds in their prime
Running down this lonely road
Forgoing the gold
I’m going, going, going for the bronze
As there all pushing their limits
I am left wondering what I miss
Because they all seemed trapped
Hopelessly fighting over scraps
I won’t miss them when they’re gone
I won’t miss them when they’re gone
Running out the one man marathon
Going for the bronze, bronze, bronze
What it means to me:
I know you have heard it before. According to our society, being ‘number one’ is the most important thing in life. Our ultimate goal is to be the very best that we can be at every thing we do. Have a blog? you better be one of the top searched and liked. Have a twitter account? oh you better have more followers than anyone else. Work in a company? What do you mean you dont want to be a VP one day, of course you do!
We have been trained from the very beginning of our lives that being number one is more important than ourselves, our happiness, even our very well being. We see people sacrificing friends, family and even personal health to get ahead in life for nothing but being the top of their game. But…is that really necessary?
Short answer, no.
This is where this song comes in. Joey Cape puts it as clearly as anyone every has. Winning isn’t everything. At some point in your life you begin to realize that being the best there is really isn’t what life is all about. Sometimes you just need to go for the Bronze and realize that that is okay as well.
So many people go through life racing to be at the very top of everything only to miss every turn at real happiness. Sure, they may be rich, they may look happy, but many of these people find themselves alone and with only the most superficial of relationships with others. They wear themselves out being the best at their game and, many of them, are just pretenders to the throne.
The song itself is a fantastic opening track for Cape’s album Doesn’t Play Well With Others. A nice, stripped down acoustic performance by one of punk’s best. I have loved Joey Cape’s work for many years and this is by far one of my favorite songs.
Now, if you want something a little faster, he did an amazing version with his band Bad Loud as well. Check it out here.
Late to the Game 5/9/2020
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed Those Certain Songs. If you would like to read more about music you can find my Music Reviews Here.
Additionally, I have a weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday and also check out some retro tv goodness with the ongoing series Retro TV Reviews.
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