Listening to the Darryl Worley single, my mind kept drifting to one of my favorite Simpsons episodes. Apu, proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, has recently become the father of octuplets. He hasn’t slept in weeks, and he’s struggling with exhaustion as he tries to finish his workday. In walks ever-chipper Ned Flanders:
Ned: Well, morning Apu. How are the little blessings?
Apu: They’re a ravenous sworm of locusts just eating and screaming and grabbing and poking and pulling and drooling, and two have cradle rash. How do you get cradle rash when you sleep in a suitcase?
Ned: [chuckles] They can be a handful… of joy!
Apu: Shut up!
Ned: They’ll fill your lives with –
Apu: SHUT UP!
Ned: [quickly] Can’t put a price on a miracle!
Apu: I can’t believe you don’t shut up!
Perhaps if he’d been allowed to finish, Ned would’ve told Apu, “Sounds like life to me!”
Here’s the setup: Worley has been summoned by his friend’s wife, who claims that her hubby has fallen off the wagon. Worley finds him drinking at a local watering hole, and asks his friend what the problem is. Well, it seems that the stress of raising a family has gotten to him. He’s having trouble paying the bills, he never has a moment to rest, and his wife is two months late.
Worley’s response? Well, what the heck did you expect life to be like, good friend! Stop your whining and head back home. Or has he puts it, “I know it’s tough, but you got to suck it up.”
Hey, I’ve heard quite a bit of 21st century country music. I get the message the song is trying to send: “I know you’re thinking ‘there goes my life,’ but hurry back to your front porch looking in because you’re gonna miss this.” But a good friend in this situation would just let his friend vent, buy him one more round, and give him a ride home.
Quite frankly, the friend’s venting would make for a far more interesting and believable country song, perhaps one that doesn’t make me want to say, “Shut up. Shut up! I can’t believe you don’t shut up!”
Grade: C
Listen: Sounds Like Life to Me
It’s kind of odd that while this guy is sent to find his friend who has refallen off the wagon, he’s telling him to suck up his problems and then goes ahead and orders another round for them. Way to support your alcoholic friend. With friends like those…
I think I prefer this review over the actual song.
Once again, proof that there are only about four song ideas floating around Music Row and if (insert artist here) could have a hit with it, then surely (insert artist here) will! Because we all know country fans just eat this stuff up!
Was the original title for the song supposed to be “It Sucks to be You!”?
I agree with Leeann…. with friends like this…..
Oh yes, hillarious review!
Don’t care for Worley and will wait to hear it on XM someday, maybe… lol
But I gotta say: I remember those lines from The Simpsons and it made me laugh haha. That show has gone down the hole. Thank God for re-runs.
Very funny review! It sounds like a very obnoxious song to me…
Now that’s a funny review right there! LMAO!
Worley needs to get a haircut and get back to recording strong songs. It could be worse though. He could be Billy Ray going through his 3rd childhood! ;-)
Love this review. But isn’t the friend’s response kind of along the lines of the second verse of Dolly’s “Better Get to Livin'”? Granted, Dolly’s advice was a lot more helpful and constructive, but it doesn’t seem like she sat there and let her friend vent, either. One of her lines was, “If I had a violin, I’d play” which isn’t a far cry from the attitude this song takes. I dunno, just sayin’.
I’d make a few distinctions between “Better Get to Livin'” and “Sounds Like Life to Me.” First, the friend has sought out Dolly’s advice, showing up at her house looking for it. Worley hunts his friend down at the bar. Second, Worley’s message to his friend is that he has nothing to complain about. Parton’s message is that a change of approach will make the problems more manageable. “All healing has to start with you.” The second verse and the chorus go together, and it really is a friend pulling another out of the dumps with a pep talk. For me, the tones are completely different.
Good points. I definitely see the distinction now.
I have to laugh….this song got the most “adds” for the past two weeks. I guess those who count (major radio stations) know good music when they hear it!!
I realize all of you that have posted comments are just regular people off the street – –
Can’t wait till thsi songs goes #1 on the charts!!!!!
I live in the South, In the Country, and people around here (A majority are out of work or working for very little) are very upset with this song. Those who used to like Darryl Worley are ditching him completely. One wrong song and it seems you’re out. I hope for Darryl’s sake he stops playing this song and plays something more suitable for our economic downturn. He’s too cute to be bashed as he has/is been.
…are there any country songs with wives being on time?
You make me feel very old, all of you being so very sensitive and correct and all. I thought the idea was, “life’s hard isn’t it, nothing to be done but face it, though. I understand why you’re here (in the bar) and if a drink helps, I’ll buy you one”. No one feeling those things says them out so plainly, except maybe on college campuses where you get credit for it. Are you sure you all really want to be listening to country music, let alone reviewing it?
No matter what kind of problems a friend is facing, “suck it up” is never going to make them feel better.
I just don’t need this jack wagon making millions telling me to suck it up. Am I being to sensitive I don’t think so Worley can go fly a kite. This jerkweed has no idea what people are going through but he’ll tell us to suck it up. By the way I’ve actually done ok through the recession but I still hate listening to lucky millionaires telling us to suck it up.
In Worley’s defense, I doubt he’s bringing in millions.