The Good That Won't Come Out

The Good That Won't Come Out is an indie rock song by Rilo Kiley. It was composed by Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett and is the first track on The Execution of All Things, released on 2002-10-01. The song includes a lot of instrumental work from Mike Mogis who plays the pedal steel, guitar, vibraphone and glockenspiel in the song. Jenny's vocals have a minor distortion and she really lisps her words throughout the song. The lyrics are about people who talk about problems, but never actually do anything to fix them because they instead tell themselves comforting lies (the writer included).

Personal

This was one of the first four songs I heard by Rilo Kiley. An online friend suggested the band to me, and their web site included two free songs to download, Paint's Peeling and The Good That Won't Come Out. When I later bought the album, I was surprised that they made this the first track on the album, because I envisioned it as an album closer.

In particular, I like the lyrics, "I think I'll go out and embarrass myself by gettin' drunk and fallin' down in the street," and, "You say I choose sadness, that it never once has chosen me." I especially like the break and crescendo which begins the final chorus.

Lyrics

Let's get together and talk about the modern age.
All of our friends were gathered there with their pets just talking shit
about how we're all so upset about the disappearing ground.
As we watch it melt.

It's all of the good that won't come out of us,
and how eventually our hands will just turn to dust,
if we keep shaking them, standing here on this frozen lake.

I do this thing where I think I'm real sick,
but I won't go to the doctor to find out about it.
'Cause they make you stay real still in a real small place
as they chart up your insides and put them on display.
They'd see all of it, all of me, all of it,

All of the good that won't come out of me,
and all the stupid lies I hide behind.
It's such a big mistake, lying here in your warm embrace.

Oh, you're almost home.
I've been waiting for you to come in.
Dancing around in your old suits going crazy in your room again.
I think I'll go out and embarrass myself by gettin' drunk and fallin' down in the street.
You say I choose sadness, that it never once has chosen me.
Maybe you're right.

Let's talk about all of our friends who lost the war,
and all of the novels that had yet to be written about them.

It's all of the good that won't come out of them,
and all the stupid lies they hide behind.
It's such a big mistake, standing here on this frozen lake.
It's all the good that won't come out of me,
and how eventually my mouth will just turn to dust.
If I don't tell you quick.
Standing here on this frozen lake.

Videos

Album version.

Live.

Live.

Live at Lupo's, Providence, Rhode Island.

Lyrics video.

Links

 

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Execution_of_All_Things - Wikipedia page for The Execution of All Things.