The Menzingers - Hello Exile (October 4, 2019) Album • Page 117

Anna is probably my favorite. Simple, catchy, nostalgic Greg lyrics.

 

America isn't great to me, but Anna and Strangers forever rule imo

 

I’m confused as to why y’all are saying America is a bad track? Can someone directly explain their critic of the track cause I’m not piecing it together from all the passive comments.

it’s one of my favs

 

I don't think it's a bad song, but it's definitely towards the bottom of the pack on the album for me. It might be my least favorite on there, but I think this is a really good album, and I don't feel the urge to skip it or anything like that.

 

I think people find the lyrics corny

 

Like the lyrical topic or the lyricism?

If it’s the lyricism specifically, I’m gonna need to start calling people out on this site for boosting the 27000th band to rhyme ‘bed’ with ‘head’.

 

I mean, a lot of their lyrics especially on the last 2 albums have been corny, so that complaint would also apply to other songs.

I still don't like this album. I think half of the songs ads pretty good & the other half are ridiculously boring. I'll stick to every other release & hope the next one is better, which I have faith it will be

 

It's 9th grade level political commentary, but it's still a good song imo

 

I definitely enjoy the song, myself. Corny isn't always bad imo

 

That's not at all what the song is about? It's not the most poignant or sophisticated critique, but it's pretty critical of America and its

• income and wealth inequality: "Rhyme and reason fled the crime scene of new penthouses next to tents in the streets";
• entrenched power structures: "Ain't it a shame what we choose to ignore? What kind of monsters did our parents vote for?";
• white supremacy: "Lately I feel like I'm in puppet-Vichy France"; and
• abuses of power by the religious right: "Billboards claiming how Jesus felt. Oh how'd his words confuse themselves with cranks for Christians in powerful positions? I've always felt like all their pomp and circumstance is just cover for the devil to dance"

 

I’ve always enjoyed the song. I think the simple message worked for the time that yes, things were very fucked then (and still are). Is it slightly corny? I guess. Is it slightly cringy? I mean not really imo but I’m sure you could argue it. It def is not MAGA Frank Turner level stupid.

Keep in my mind this site’s pretty much top album of last year begins with: “You’re inaudible. Thrown away like an audible.” It’s alright for a band to have a few clunker lyrics in there, it happens.

 

am i corny?

 

Still love this album by the way. The weakest for me is "High School Friend" but I totally get the meaning and emotion behind that song and it's nowhere near as bad as something like "Charlie's Army" even if ATP is ultimately the better album.

The run from "Last To Know" through "Strawberry Mansion" is just mind-bogglingly good.

 

did you purposefully quote the worst lyrics

 

I really hope people aren't writing it off just because he says, "America, I love you"

 

i promise thats not it

 

High School Friend is good!

 

It isn’t worth it I promise you

 

No, I left out the chorus, which I think is pretty generic and corny and rings pretty hollow, as well as "With all my anger, I shout can't you recognize truth from clever lies?"

The lines I quoted at least point to actual, valid critiques of the country.

 

it reads like someone who listens to way too much pod save america

 

The duality of AP

Only on this website could one thread have people saying “smh do these fuckers even read Noam Chomsky. Fucking corny ass idiots.”

and then in another thread, at the same moment in time have someone saying “lmfaooooooo dude got bleach on his tshirt these lyrics da goat no cap lmaoooooo”

 

Better than listening to too much IDLES

 

I guess for me the chorus in particular comes across for me as almost cheesy/silly particularly with the "you're freaking me out" part, that just doesn't quite work for me with the serious social commentary that their trying to fit in the song. And the rest of the song just isn't catchy or interesting enough in my opinion to make it a top song on the album. I don't think it's bad by any means and I never skip it when listening to the album, but it's not one of my favorites