Common Sense, the song and the album, represented a few years of fairly constant nervous breakdowns in my mid 20′s. Until this new age, we had never had such easy access to ‘knowledge’. Before, you dealt with what was going on right in front of your face. Now, you turn on the computer and see a frail world constantly on the brink of war and violence, fraud and lies, and a greedy race to be king, which is so intense that it leaves a lot of good people in the dust. We’ve never had to process so much information at once.. You want to worry about it all but if you do, you’ll literally drop from the stress. Everything in the world becomes an option, but you can’t do everything and save everyone. So you pick your battles, hoping you made the right choice.
Also, around that time you start dealing with multiple heartbreaks. At least I did. It tears away the early-life notion that things last forever. The fairytale gets edited slightly.. You still feel the rare, positive of falling for someone, but you don’t have that deluded childhood certainty that people and relationship don’t grow or change. You want Peter Pan, and instead you get Jack. The glass stays half full because you remind yourself that no time is wasted, and every time a chapter ends, it means you are that much more prepared for the next one. But it’s a battle.. One where you’re trying to delude yourself that everything doesn’t end someday. So let’s leave some knowledge behind for the next line of reinforcements.
This song deals with multiple subjects at once to set the tone for the rest of the album. It hits on a fear of failure within the music industry after receiving years of rejection for not wanting to be puppeted; as well as the ups and downs of trying to give yourself a co-existing home and road life.
Money also comes up here and in the rest of the album. I grew up in a very wealthy town and had a front row seat to austerity in my formative years. It pushed me out into the world with a resentment for wealth. So, coming to that point in your life where you can’t afford to just “get by” means you have to ignore that resentment and find your own success - hoping that eventually you will do right by it and help others in some way.
Lyrics // Common Sense by Kiernan McMullan
They say that I say too many words. I don’t remember counting every single verb. I’m just trying to be honest, document my losses.
It’s a battle trying to find someone worth finding the time for. Another reminder that you’re free to find her up until the phone rings; say goodbye to the girl. Now you’re singing the songs you hate halfway across the world.
I can barely pay my bill.
What happens if I get ill?
Pill after pill to sink the feeling.
I’m beginning to see why men and women have a hard time staying seated.
Travelled the world and I’m still broke. Did I do something wrong?
I met a man who gave me a home, all I had to offer in return was a song.
I fully understand I’ll probably join you when we spend intelligence like cash again.
You’ll always have a reason not to do it.
The truth is, I’m not sure where we lost our common sense.
Sitting on the other side of the tracks, looking at the wear in my shoes.
They say love is overrated, I turned and said well so the hell are you.
I took a chance, on my friends, but then again what could they do?
Nobody get’s it. They didn’t have a clue.
I can barely pay my bills.
What happens if I get ill?
Pill after pill to sink the feeling.
I’m beginning to see why men and women have a hard time staying seated.
Travelled the world and I’m still broke. Did I do something wrong?
I met a man who gave me a home, all I had to offer in return was a song.
I fully understand I’ll probably join you when we spend intelligence like cash again.
You’ll always have a reason not to do it.
The truth is, I’m not sure where we lost our common sense.
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