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Built To Spill — Life's A Dream
Album: There Is No Enemy
Avg rating:
7.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1997









Released: 2009
Length: 4:50
Plays (last 30 days): 2
Miles 'till dawn
But it feels so dark 'till then
Drowns you out
But you can't be too certain

Common wants
Only fill me up with need
Everybody
In this world is just like me

So I row on

Sounds like fear
Thinking there might be a cure
Waste your life
But you don't know what it's worth

Comb your mind
For all the treasures of this earth
Too close to find
Anything outside yourself

So I row on

Life ain't nothing
But a dream
Realistic
As it seems

Destiny's vulgar
So I might as well resist
Out of the darkness
And all the secrets still exist

Finally decided
And by decide, I mean accept
I don't need all those
Other chances I won't get

So I row on

Life ain't nothing
But a dream
Realistic
As it seems
Comments (105)add comment
Brilliant 8->9
I'm only middling for most of the song, but I do like the fuzzy guitar solo towards the end.
 Robert.chiyoko wrote:

OUCH ... my ears hurt.
  Unfortunately ... all too often now I find myself reaching for the volume knob and even the power switch. This example and the plethora of recent "modern" stuff especially the wailing females now coming 3 and 4 in a row assaulting the senses has turned me and the wife to look elsewhere.
Sorry Bill.  GREAT  Thing going south.



The aging process is much easier if you pay attention, stay current and engaged.  In the end, life is as good as you make it.  Fare thee well.
Cranking this up tonight!  Great tune!
I keep thinking this is the Pixies.
OUCH ... my ears hurt.
  Unfortunately ... all too often now I find myself reaching for the volume knob and even the power switch. This example and the plethora of recent "modern" stuff especially the wailing females now coming 3 and 4 in a row assaulting the senses has turned me and the wife to look elsewhere.
Sorry Bill.  GREAT  Thing going south.
A Doug Martsch guitar solo will cure what ails you.  Well, it does for me anyway!
Built to Spill - Life's a Dream
Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares to U
- - - - - - - 

Smoother than a Hendrick's martini, Bill. 
Reminds me of a piece of music by John Erik Kaada.

EDIT: the track I'm talking about...
Grant Lee Buffalo covering the Beatles? ;)
Love Built To Spill ever since I heard "I Would Hurt A Fly" back in the mid-90s during the Great Indie Band Scare (a la the "Great Folk Scare of the 60's"). 
Listen here:
https://youtu.be/ygU0gLko39U
Love B2S, ever since I first heard PERFECT FROM NOW ON and saw them and singer/guitar maestro Doug Martsch in concert in 2002. This track is sublime. 
 ThePoose wrote:
Lead singer sounds Neilish.
 
Not as whiney.
Martsch is super cerebral.  Not everyone's cup 'o tea.    I'll feign cerebrality (see?) and ask Bill to throw in some of the new stuff from the Daniel Johnston tribute.    Thanks for digitally spinning this band. 
 Signwrtr61 wrote:

Take another bong blast, and listen more.
 
and use some quality headphones.
these guys are making sonic masterpieces!
 Toke wrote:
Sounds like he took guitar lessons off Hank Marvin.... simply awful...
 
Take another bong blast, and listen more.
 coloradojohn wrote:
This is so mellow and tame, I wasn't sure what to expect at their live show Oct. 10 — but thank goodness, they did nothing but ROCK!
 
If CJ said it, I believe it, and that settles it!! Lol
Lead singer sounds Neilish.
"Here comes the sun king"......
Makes me think of early Beatles.
Odd....it took BillG's splendid segue with The Chords "Sh-Boom" for me to realize what sounded so familiar in this Built to Spill tune.  I think it's pretty cool for a newer rock band to go back to the early R&R days and get inspiration.  I'm actually more interested in BtS now because of this 60+ year harkening to the early days.  Thanks again, BillG, for combining two seemingly unrelated tunes for our ears to enjoy. LONG LIVE RP!!
Love this song !!! :-)
That's excellent!
This is so mellow and tame, I wasn't sure what to expect at their live show Oct. 10 — but thank goodness, they did nothing but ROCK!
I love the bridge in this song. Great composition and lyrics. 8.5
 Toke wrote:
Sounds like he took guitar lessons off Hank Marvin.... simply awful...

 
Most guitar players would probably consider themselves very fortunate to have taken lessons from Hank Marvin.  Many guitar heroes have expressed how they were influenced by him - obscure nobodies with names such as Clapton, Beck, Gilmour, Townshend, May, and Knopfler.
Hearing this one live at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival was amazing! I loved the Saturday Gold Stage set this year! Didn't even feel inclined to wander. 
Sounds like he took guitar lessons off Hank Marvin.... simply awful...
 Jackson_Feelgood wrote:
" LA LA LA LA " - Havnt heard such dribble since The Beatles - Zero !

 
I gave this an 8 specifically because of that..
"Destiny's vulgar,
so I might as well resist,
out of the darkness,
and all of the secrets still exists,

Finally decided,
and by decide, I mean except,
I don't need all of those,
other chances I won't get...."

Love this song, and as usual they slay it Live.
Great jam.
 dc_zee wrote:
Someone's been listening to Modest Mouse of old perhaps?

 
Lol... these guys formed before Modest Mouse.  Doug Martsch was also in a band called Treepeople for several years before Modest Mouse formed.  Both Treepeople and Built to Spill were actually huge influences on Modest Mouse.
Nodding my head to this awesome guitar. Great song.
I had this at a '9' because it's not my favorite BTS song, but it just got bumped to a '10'.  Some others were just turned up to '11'.  {#Dancingbanana_2}
 sieversfam wrote:
To all those that bash this... Let that monster on the cover stare at thee with menacing glare while forcing you to listen to a Mumford & Sons "Best of" collection...ad infinitum.

 
 
Wouldn't that just be a single?
 sieversfam wrote:
To all those that bash this... Let that monster on the cover stare at thee with menacing glare while forcing you to listen to a Mumford & Sons "Best of" collection...ad infinitum.

 
 
That would be Hell on earth.
To all those that bash this... Let that monster on the cover stare at thee with menacing glare while forcing you to listen to a Mumford & Sons "Best of" collection...ad infinitum.

 
" LA LA LA LA " - Havnt heard such dribble since The Beatles - Zero !
Fantastic album cover.
 Walrus_Gumbo wrote:
First Wilco and now Built To Spill. Is this clone John Lennon day?
 
Jeff Tweedy sounds like John Lennon?  I hope that doesn't mean that anyone who may sing with a nasal tone would qualify as a Lennon clone?

"Counts Neil Young among his early influences..." hmmmmhm.
The Beatles singing backup....
Beautifully depressing
 SAM_I_AM wrote:
This might be the only RP song I mute. I can't stand it! That voice... I don't even want to think about it. If it was never played again, it would not bother me any.
 
I started by giving it a 7.

I'm now down to a 5 with it

I'm starting to think you may have had it right all along

Oh rather like this...it was reminding me of somebody else until Bill played the next track: Neil Young - Words (Between The Lines Of Age)
Some similarity there is think...in a good way :)
This is good..... 
This might be the only RP song I mute. I can't stand it! That voice... I don't even want to think about it. If it was never played again, it would not bother me any.
 jbwiv wrote:
Finally decided, and by decide I mean accept
I don't need all those, other chances I won't get... 

Awesome lyric, awesome song... 
 
I must agree the song is incredible...


Been following these guys since the early 90's.  Amazing live shows.  Doug Martsch is genius, though he has mellowed a bit from his Treepeople days, but have't we all...

Finally decided, and by decide I mean accept
I don't need all those, other chances I won't get... 

Awesome lyric, awesome song... 
Straining to sound like Lennon notwithstanding, this song has a nice feel to it. I like it!
Of course, I like Lennon so I paid attention when it started and  gave it a chance.
I'll have to listen to more of the album, which is why, in a way, RP exists. Turn us on!
thanks, Bill & Rebecca &&&&&&&&&
Someone's been listening to Modest Mouse of old perhaps?
On the basis of hearing this album, I went to see them live in Eugene, OR while visiting progeny.  Totally different experience: (too) loud, much higher energy.
 fredriley wrote:
Ah, Built to Spill. Autorate 3, mute before narcolepsy sets in {#Sleep}. Nice scary dreamlike album cover, though.
 
I think my internal clock is set slow. I like the pace of this and is really pleasing. Mind you I like dub and that is generally about 60 bpm at a guess. 

Put me in a room with gabba or hardcore and after about 30 seconds I might have to kill someone.  
This is actually the best newer BTS song I have heard, me likey!{#Cheers}
 fredriley wrote:
Ah, Built to Spill. Autorate 3, mute before narcolepsy sets in {#Sleep}. Nice scary dreamlike album cover, though.

 
I'm with Fred on this...again.

 2nd listen and I'll bump it up to a 6 for the guitar it the end {#Bananajam}
 rtrudeau wrote:

I want what she's having.

 
I don't have it anymore, used to have it lots.


First Wilco and now Built To Spill. Is this clone John Lennon day?
i still think the guitar is great every time.
Ah, Built to Spill. Autorate 3, mute before narcolepsy sets in {#Sleep}. Nice scary dreamlike album cover, though.

beatlesque


Like most artists that have become my favorites, Built to Spill has grown on me. Enjoy them more and more after each listen.
That's kind of funny.

 
echoes wrote:
BP's house band

 


BP's house band

 Giselle62 wrote:
Have I told this true story before?
I said to my husband "If we create our own reality then why aren't I on a mountaintop swirling dervish-like with a group of women in spiritual ecstasy, instead sitting in a dirty living room watching T.V."
He just smiles and leaves the room.
Suddenly, on a music channel (which always plays reality shows, and never music anymore) there appears a scene from an 80's music video with women spinning in white dresses with their hands to the sky on a cliff overlooking the sea, swirling dervish-like in ecstasy.
 
I want what she's having.

Have I told this true story before?
I said to my husband "If we create our own reality then why aren't I on a mountaintop swirling dervish-like with a group of women in spiritual ecstasy, instead sitting in a dirty living room watching T.V."
He just smiles and leaves the room.
Suddenly, on a music channel (which always plays reality shows, and never music anymore) there appears a scene from an 80's music video with women spinning in white dresses with their hands to the sky on a cliff overlooking the sea, swirling dervish-like in ecstasy.
Like a lost John Lennon song with subtle angst.
The guitar work is pretty. I admit this song slowly has grown on me - though I didn't think much of it upon first hearing it.

Doubling the vocals in the recording (though largely a standard practice) is somewhat annoying to me in this instance.

But that guitar intro and solo is sure nice.
Five Ho-Hums on the trot - I'm in danger of falling asleep here, with a week's worth of sleep deficit. C'mon, RP, please be kind to this narcoleptic wage-slave and play something with a bit of zip before I collapse at my desk {#Sleep}
 bobcat1963 wrote:
this song is played after a Dylansong & nobody mentioned THIS Built To Spill-boy can't sing....
conclusion: everybody parrot when it comes to Mr. Dylan
 
Because this guy CAN sing. I parrot for nobody. .  .I speak how I find. . . Mr Dylan can sing - its just when he does he damages my ears.

Nice song BTW. . . 8
this song is played after a Dylansong & nobody mentioned THIS Built To Spill-boy can't sing....
conclusion: everybody parrot when it comes to Mr. Dylan



beauty.
 j7 wrote:
Uh, have you heard of the Beatles?
 
Definitely the "la la la la" part. Otherwise, quite original, I think.

Another very nice set this morning, Bill. Thanks!!
It's Al Stewart, Year of the Cat, all done up Sgt. Pepper style.  Still working through how that sits....
 peacockangel wrote:

Denstiny's vulgar
so I might as well resist
out of the darkness
and all the secrets still exist

https://www.songlyrics.com/built-to-spill/life-s-a-dream-lyrics/

 
I would rather exist with my Denstiny than resist it, anyway. Thank you for the provenance, as well...

8 => 9
 mcYammer wrote:
"destiny's vulgar, so i might as well exist...life ain't nothing but a dream"
I think the lalalas are just poking good fun at all the emo melancholies out there
 
Denstiny's vulgar
so I might as well resist
out of the darkness
and all the secrets still exist

https://www.songlyrics.com/built-to-spill/life-s-a-dream-lyrics/

A bit like Death Cab on a Beatles trip with harder instruments.
Nothing wrong with that, people complaining avout rip-offs etc need to take a chill pill. ;)
the mor e  i hear this, the more i like it.!!
...it's growing on me quickly :)
Another excellent band I discovered via RP. 
This is the first new track that I have really liked almost as much as there earlier stuff....not bad.

Comfy melody...
Beatles incarnated,not a bad thing though. #8.{#Smile}
Starting to love this band - every time I check who it is they seem to come up...
I needs to get me this album!!

Though this isn´t the best one i heard of it so far....

8
Some nice little sets today.  Thanks Mr. RP!
My favorite from the album. Just mellow gold. {#Sunny}
"destiny's vulgar, so i might as well exist...life ain't nothing but a dream"
I think the lalalas are just poking good fun at all the emo melancholies out there
 peter_james_bond wrote:

You make a very good point! Just how many CDs have been purchased after exposure on RP? I'm guessing quite a few.

 
Why did the RIAA thugs go after internet radio?  Doesn't ANY radio exposure help the artist?

 ch83575 wrote:
Yeah, at this point the RIAA should be paying Bill, not the other way around!
 
You make a very good point! Just how many CDs have been purchased after exposure on RP? I'm guessing quite a few.

j7 wrote:

Uh, have you heard of the Beatles?


Ditto! Nice homage, but lacks originality! Straight from the John Lennon songbook!


 cathenley wrote:

Uh, who they ripping off?  I think BTS have their own sound....and they are awesome in concert by the way...
 
Uh, have you heard of the Beatles?

I just saw BTS on 11.17.  Amazing show!


Not bad, but to much lalala, for me, so i give only 5!!
 vandal wrote:

Just picked this up the other day, not bad. . .

 
I'm planning on doing the same. I've enjoyed these new cuts.

 Valley_Boy wrote:
I am liking everything I have heard from the new CD so far...

there goes another $10 - $12 for another CD....
 
Yeah, at this point the RIAA should be paying Bill, not the other way around!
 
 j7 wrote:
I really wish bands would at least make an effort to not sound like they're ripping off.
 
Uh, who they ripping off?  I think BTS have their own sound....and they are awesome in concert by the way...


I think Marsch is encapsulating the guitar noodlers' compendium of the world outside of their playing with his mellowdrama. His lyrics usually come off as sarcastic takes on idioms of cultural truths, for me.
+1 for not being so patently simple
Cool cover. Not really working for me though. Guitar is too jarring

Just picked this up the other day, not bad. . .

I am liking everything I have heard from the new CD so far...

there goes another $10 - $12 for another CD....
I really wish bands would at least make an effort to not sound like they're ripping off.
I love mellow songs with some nice guitar in it.