I tell the guys that what struck me when reading the lyrics to the songs on My Whole Life was how honest and down-to-earth they are. "It’s not intentional, it couldn’t really be any other way," explains Anthony. "The best lyrics come from experience, I suppose, unless you are a fantastic fiction writer and you can write songs like that. Most of the lyricists that I like to listen to write from real life, and I’ve written most of the lyrics on this album with the exception of three songs, and my life is pretty well documented on this album."
There is one attempt to write a fictional song on My Whole Life, called I Can’t Die, about a man who invents an immortality machine. "That was the only time that I attempted to write a piece of fiction, in a lyric," says Anthony. "It was great. It was great fun! But even within that, it is written in a very ordinary way." Hugh laughs: "Yeah, it’s like ‘Oh jeez, I’m immortal now’!"
Another thing which really struck me about the lyrics on the album was that in songs like Kid House Work Car Band and Rock is For Sanity, it becomes obvious that the band members all have ‘normal’ lives – jobs, partners, some of them have kids, etc – but that being in a band is what keeps their creativity flowing. However, it seems that people might not always understand that.
"Not often, but it has been mentioned to me, you know, "Will you not do weddings or that kind of thing?"," laughs Anthony. ""Are you making money in that band yet?" No, god no! "Why are you doing it?" There is no answer to that…The answer is sanity, but someone who asks that question is not gonna understand the reasons."
"Why does anybody engage in any creative pursuit that doesn’t earn them a living?" muses Hugh. "Obviously people who want to engage in these pursuits just do it." "You could apply it to anything," adds Anthony. "People who collect things like stamps…it’s just something you do outside everyday life."
Hugh nods. "It’s probably because rock/popular music obviously has this route to becoming a career to make money. So that’s why people kind of go: "If that’s not happening then why are you doing it?" Whereas no one goes up to a painter and says "You’re not selling any of this stuff, why don’t you pack that up!""
Do you think people have an unrealistic sense of what it’s like to be in the music industry, I ask them – and suggest that perhaps people who are starting a band should go have a listen to Rock is For Sanity. Anthony laughs. "Everybody who’s starting a band should buy the album so they can hear that song. They can hear it and listen to these lyrics and find out what it’s going to be like in ten years time!"
