Friendship is something everyone has in common.  Everyone knows what it feels like to have a friend; someone who’s with you through the good times and the bad.  Friends are there to make you feel better, but sometimes the wrong ones can betray you.  Many artists write songs that focus on this idea, and Andrew McMahon is no exception.

“La La Lie” can be interpreted in several ways, but the underlying theme is friendship.  He needs his friends, even though they’re lying just to make him feel better.  The situation with his girlfriend is most likely not the best, and his friends “la la lie” to tell him what he wants to hear.  He talks about not doing the things he used to do for her when he mentions writing her songs and drawing her pictures.  He’s done putting up with everything, and he can’t do anything to fix all of the lies, so he’s leaving.  The bottom line is whether or not his friends are lying to him; he doesn’t need his girlfriend because he’s got them.

As for the musical aspect of the song, it’s very upbeat and the “la la lies” are a clever way to add something more to the song.  Plus they coincide with the lies and deception in the song.  It’s an interesting song because it talks about being lied to and somewhat betrayed, but the beat is happy.  But this connects to the fact that he has his friends no matter what. I also really like the “la la lies” in unison towards the end of the song.  

Now although this blog is about Jack’s Mannequin, I thought it appropriate to include a Something Corporate song just this once because they are extremely talented, and it is Andrew’s band nonetheless.  “Ruthless,” from their album North plays on the same theme as “La La Lie” but in somewhat of a different way.  It’s most likely a girlfriend (or a friend) who he’s stabbed in the back, and they’ve in turn stabbed him in the back even worse. He finally knows what type of person they are.  The bottom line is the kinds of things people who you thought were close to you are willing to do to betray you.  The deception comes from both ends, but he’s finally realized how things are-something he should have known in the beginning but didn’t.

This song is one of my favorite Something Corporate songs.  It’s really interesting and personal. The piano is incredible, and I like how in the beginning verse Andrew’s voice is quiet, but as the song goes on and the chorus approaches, it gets louder and more intense. 

It’s not like I want to necessarily focus on the bad side of friendship, but it does happen.  And I caught on to that theme in a Jack’s Mannequin and a Something Corporate song, so I thought I’d go with it. These songs seem perfect to me because 1) they’re by my all-time favorite artists, 2) they have an upbeat tone while still talking about something negative, and 3) they’re easy for young people to relate to, which is important to me.

“The Glass Passenger” in 6 days…