Song Review
A Better Son/Daughter can be found on the LA-based indie-rock act Rilo Kiley’s 2002 sophomore release The Execution of All Things. The album, which follows-up on the band’s debut LP Take Offs and Landings, was released via the Oberst brothers’ (Bright Eyes) founded label Saddle Creek Records; the album also features contributed instrumentation/vocals from one half of the the Monsters of Folk ensemble via M. Ward and Conor Oberst. Since “The Execution of All Things” Rilo Kiley, which consists of former child-actors Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett, has released 2 subsequent full-length releases with More Adventurous (2004) and Under the Blacklight (2007).
Sometimes in the morning I am petrified and can’t move
Awake but cannot open my eyes
And the weight is crushing down on my lungs
I know I can’t breathe
And hope someone will save me this time
And your mother’s still callin you insane and high
Swearin it’s different this time
And you tell her to give in to the demons that possess her
That god never blessed her insides
Then you hang up the phone and feel badly for upsetting things
Crawl back into bed to dream of a time
When your heart was open wide and you love things just because
Like the sick and dying
And sometimes when you’re on
You’re really fuckin on
And your friends they sing along
And they love you
But the lows are so extreme
That the good seems fuckin cheap
And it teases you for weeks in its absence
But you’ll fight and you’ll make it through
You’ll fake it if you have to
And you’ll show up for work with a smile
You’ll be better
And You’ll be smarter
And More grown up and a better daughter or son
And a real good friend
And you’ll be awake
You’ll be alert
You’ll be positive though it hurts
And you’ll laugh and embrace all your friends
And you’ll be a real good listener
You’ll be honest
You’ll be brave
You’ll be handsome and you’ll be beautiful
You’ll be happy
Your ship may be comin in
You’re weak but not givin in
To the cries and the wails of the valley below
And your ship may be comin in
You’re weak but not givin in
And you’ll fight it you’ll go out fightin all of em
