Danswell and the Symptoms is a solo music project created and managed by Dan Tanswell, from Cardiff, United Kingdom. Today, we are discussing his single titled “That’s life“.
Lyrics
Sometimes I got out while it’s light
Just to see what life is like
I used to be the social kind
But now it all just gives me a freight
As I walk these dirty streets
I see all kinds of people you could meet
I see a couple waiting for their lunch
She smiles she loves her so much
That’s life it’s the wind in the shade
That’s life being forced ti act your age
That’s life it’s the sun in your back
That’s life it’s the sudden heart attack
That’s life it’s the monks in queen street
That’s life all the people that you meet
That’s life it’s all the blue lights passing me
That’s life all the rats that we don’t see
That’s life that what people say
That’s life nothings free so now you pay
That’s life it could go either way
Here I am hoping I get a life one day
The song's meaning
Unlike Dan’s previous songs, which provided a clear and immediate message, it took me a while to understand this one.
I had to listen to it several times before my mind began to process its message, which is deeper than it may seem initially, and began to appreciate it truly.
The first impact of the song was that of a simple, almost banal song, but in the end I believe that this is precisely the greatness of this song: to remember that life is not what the media circus of horrors wants us to believe it is, but the one we can see with our own eyes.
Depending on what we focus our gaze on, our interpretation of the world changes, and it is inevitable that, after staring at a screen, as Dan writes in the song, “I used to be a sociable person, but now everything just gives me anxiety.”
Real life is not the life that is proposed to us by screens: it is going for a walk, it is seeing two people smiling at each other, it is the wind…
…and if we want to let Dan have the last word, we could continue with: “it is the monks of Queen Street, it is the people we meet, it is even the rats that we don’t see.”
A simple message, but which, precisely because of its simplicity, is often ignored.
Musical Analysis
Unlike Dan’s previous productions, which are generally full of energy, this one has a kind of gentle, hypnotic quality, as if it wants to represent a breeze that carries with it a strong sense of nostalgia. Once it has brushed our face, it continues its journey above us, seeing everything, sometimes suffering for the events that happen below, sometimes smiling for having witnessed something beautiful.
Conclusion
That’s Life is a gentle song that mixes nostalgia, melancholy, and hope in a message so simple it is often forgotten: life is not what we see on screens but what we see with our own eyes around us and what we decide to build.
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
All the best,
Luca
