It's All Futile! It's All Pointless!
Lovejoy
The Existential Dread of Modern Life in Lovejoy's 'It's All Futile! It's All Pointless!'
Lovejoy's song 'It's All Futile! It's All Pointless!' delves into the existential dread and disillusionment that often accompany adulthood and modern life. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a young person who has lost their passion and zest for life since starting university. The protagonist's initial enthusiasm for learning and exploration, symbolized by taking a geography course and using a sextant, has been replaced by the monotonous routine of pressing facsimiles. This shift represents the broader theme of losing one's sense of purpose and excitement as they transition into the responsibilities and mundanity of adult life.
The song also explores the complexities of relationships and the longing for a past that never truly existed. The protagonist reflects on a former relationship, not missing the person themselves but the idealized version of what they once were. This sentiment is encapsulated in the lines, 'I don't miss you, I miss the thought of what we were.' The lyrics further delve into the emotional turmoil of realizing that naive, youthful love has been replaced by apathy and the superficiality of modern dating. The protagonist grapples with the pain of lost innocence and the harsh realities of adult relationships, where genuine connection is often overshadowed by practical concerns like marriage and future planning.
The recurring theme of numbness and the desperate search for anything to alleviate it is another poignant aspect of the song. The protagonist describes themselves as a 'fucking disease,' making a home in someone's gut because it's 'somewhere warm to sleep.' This metaphor highlights the parasitic nature of their emotional state, clinging to anything that provides a semblance of comfort or distraction. The repeated refrain, 'It's okay, anything to make me feel less numb,' underscores the pervasive sense of emptiness and the lengths to which one might go to escape it. Lovejoy's raw and introspective lyrics resonate with anyone who has felt the weight of existential dread and the struggle to find meaning in a seemingly futile world.