John Craigie Live
Opening for Steinbeck
related footage: https://youtu.be/Iokdk9WijhQ

[intro] (spoken)
"This song was written two days after the 2016 Presidential election. My tour started that day and I was
trying to find some humor, or silver lining, to remind my audience not to give up hope. If you listen to the
song, you'll hear that I never even mention the president's name nor the current state of things, but rather,
how as artists, many of us are more inspired when times are tough. Or as I say in the song, "Artists are
better when they're bummed.” It continues to get the biggest response of the show."

[Intro 2]
      
N.C.
I just got up on stage and this is what I said.

[Verse 1]
             
I said ev, ev,

       
 ev, ev,  ever

ything,
              
everything is 

         
fucked
    
I'm sorry, tha

t's no way to 

start a show
             
I apologized. 


I started agai

n
             
I said, most, 

              
most, most, mo

              
st things are 

  
fucked
              
But please don

              
't give up on 

   
me now
             
'Cause I'm her

              
e to get you o

              
ut of this dar

  
k hole
            
   That's my j

          
ob after all
             
Craigie    mak

            
e them laugh, 

          
make them cry 

oh
             
   That's what

              
 it says in yo

    
ur bio
             
Oh make 'em cr

              
y, that will b

  
e easy tonight
              
Way too easy t

  
onight
              
But make 'em l


augh?
        
Almost impossi

ble

It's like a funeral out there


[Chorus]
              
Don't let the 

           
darkness    br

              
eak you my fri

        
ends
            
There are so m

             
any of us and 

              
only one of hi

    
m

[Verse 2]
             
So I, I, I, I 

           
did my researc

h
              
I tried to fin

              
d some silver 

    
lining

But I didn't have much time and it ain't great

So I hope you can appreciate my findings
              
Here's what I 

 
found

It's historically proven

That when the presidents a republican

We have better music
              
Artists are be

              
tter when they

     
're bummed

That's how it goes, that's how it's done
              
When times are

             
 good, musicia

            
ns they get la

zy

And the bad music slips out and it drives us all crazy

For example
             
In 1995 a new 

              
band name Nick

             
leback came ou

    
t
       
And in 1995 th

e democrats we

re in the whit

e house
         
I'm just sayin

g

Same goes for Linkin Park, Matchbox Twenty, MMMbop
           
         I'm j

    
ust saying
             
Macarena, Just

             
in Bieber, all

              
 the results o

       
f the democrat

 leaders
          
I'm just sayin

'
              
The world may 

      
go to shit
             
     But we'll

              
 have better m


usic


[Chorus]
              
Don't let the 

           
darkness    br

              
eak you my fri

        
ends
            
There are so m

             
any of us and 

              
only one of hi

    
m


[Verse 3]
             
Now I'm not go

              
nna get up her

              
e and tell you

              
 things gotta 

              
get worse befo

              
re they get be

        
tter
              
Oh that's just

     
 not true

Things could just get better, stay better, continue to get better
              
Oh but that's 

              
not what thing

          
s usually do
            
Just ask Rosa 

              
Parks, Muhatma

         
 Ghandi, Nelso

n Mandela, Mar

tin Luther Kin

g

Every now and then there's a bunch of bullshit
          
You gotta figh

t it
            
And when we fi

ght it
          
We always win
           
Oh but the pes

simist in us w

ant to scream,

 "Craigie shut

 up
              
What about the

              
 battles that 

   
we lose?"

I tell ya fool
              
Them just the 

              
battles that w

              
e haven't won 

       
yet


[Chorus]
              
Don't let the 

           
darkness    br

              
eak you my fri

        
ends
            
There are so m

             
any of us and 

              
only one of hi

     
m

[Outro]