Good Wife - Discussion and lyrics

[Marilyn Mastin]

there's defianlty something very folk-ish about this song, i can't quite put my finger on it.It reminds of Mumford and Sons a bit,or something Simon and Garfunkle would be proud of.One things for sure, i can see this being one of my fav Mika songs

It's actually become my favourite Mika song of all time. I love everything about it. 

[mamiam]

It's actually become my favourite Mika song of all time. I love everything about it. 

 

 And I have to agree with you, again!     At least this is my new fav. of songs from NPIH, so far.  As we still don't know how it will sound like on the alb. I might change my mind then, but as performed live at Webster Hall,  NYC,  I don't think a song can get any better!! Both the lyric and the melody is just breathtaking, and it's a true blessing to have Nina's video to watch!  Thank you again, for being so focused while taping!!   No shaking hands here, even MIKA's  singing straight  into her camera,  a couple of times!    The vibe in the hall sounds quite extreme, and MIKA belts out this masterpiece, as only he can.  I expect this song to blow people away, during his tour - and I really wish we could DEMAND it to be a well promoted single - and brainstorm UK again, like in 2007...  

 

Love,love

me  

[Marilyn Mastin]

 And I have to agree with you, again!     At least this is my new fav. of songs from NPIH, so far.  As we still don't know how it will sound like on the alb. I might change my mind then, but as performed live at Webster Hall,  NYC,  I don't think a song can get any better!! Both the lyric and the melody is just breathtaking, and it's a true blessing to have Nina's video to watch!  Thank you again, for being so focused while taping!!   No shaking hands here, even MIKA's  singing straight  into her camera,  a couple of times!    The vibe in the hall sounds quite extreme, and MIKA belts out this masterpiece, as only he can.  I expect this song to blow people away, during his tour - and I really wish we could DEMAND it to be a well promoted single - and brainstorm UK again, like in 2007...

 

Love,love

me  

Absolutely! I wish we could help to get it out there. It would be so great and I've lost so much patience with the record company, always ignoring the best songs in their choices of singles. If I hadn't heard this song, TAY would have felt, to me, an okay single, although not as good as Good Guys and Last Party. But having heard this song, Good Wife, no way should it be ignored.

[vixenbbw]

I got the special Mika feeling when I watched the NYC video but my fiancé (who has become an aficionado since meeting me!) thought it was meh. He didn't understand why I rated it so highly. Then I sent the video to Joeee, my Mika accomplice, who's fave track is Billy Brown, and she's crazy about it too.

 

Then I've come on here and so many of us feel the same way. It's fantastic. We all feel the magic, the Mika spark.

 

I really can't wait for the album!!!!!!

[Gatagordinha]

Out of the stuff I've heard that's on the new album, I definitely like this best. It has a very classic sound. Very catchy too but in a less annoying way than Talk About You.
I'm far from completely on board with Mika these days sadly, but on the strength of this song perhaps there's reason for me to at least listen to NPIH when it comes out. I don't think the spark will ever truly reignite for me, but we'll see.

[Lumiri]

Thanks for the lyrics! This song is amazing 

[Alyara]

If you skip to 54:00 you can hear the song in good quality. Maybe someone could also update the lyrics, please?

 

[crazyaboutmika]

If you skip to 54:00 you can hear the song in good quality. Maybe someone could also update the lyrics, please?

 

I was thinking the same ...

He comes on over, wants to drown his sorrows

Got a two-seat sofa and some whiskey in a bottle

Broke, in tears, with the weight of the world on his shoulders

Oh my God, Sam, what’s happened to your senses?

Wife’s just left with his two-year-old daughter

To live in Acapulco with some idiot she  (only ?) met a couple months ago.

 

I wish I could tell you that

If it was me, I would be a good wife,

I would never doubt you, 

Ours would be a good life

We could be better than so many

I would never stress you about bringing home the plenty

 

For all these things, another life I'll have to wait,

Would have been perfect, if only God had wanted it,

(But?) you’ll never know it, we’ll get old,

Let’s not talk about it, rest your head upon my shoulder

 

You'll never know, you'll never know, you'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life

 

Somebody once told me that there are watchers and there are doers in this world,

Guess I’m a watcher, not by choice, it’s just  ( what I resolved? )

(Just two good? ) friends, it ('s not? )a risky situation

 

 

I wish I could tell you that

If it was me, I would be a good wife,

I would never doubt you, 

Ours would be a good life

We could be better than so many

I would never stress you about bringing home the plenty

 

For all these things, another life I'll have to wait,

Would have been perfect, if only God had wanted it,

(But?) you’ll never know it, we’ll get old,

Let’s not talk about it, rest your head upon my shoulder

 

You'll never know, you'll never know, you'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life

 

Rest your head upon my shoulder  (I'm so tired you can see)

Now that life’s a little colder            (I could love you easily)

Even if you’ll never know                (Wouldn't leave if it was me)

My love will never run away like the sunshine (?)

Good time friend  not only just for good time (?)

 

For all these things, another life I'll have to wait,

Would have been perfect, if only God had wanted it,

You’ll never know it, we’ll get old,

Let’s not talk about it, rest your head upon my shoulder

 

You'll never know, you'll never know, you'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2015 by crazyaboutmika

[tiibet]

So happy to finally have this in quality, can't stop listening to it, I'm totally in love with it   It's such a "sneaky" kind of song! When I first heard it in NY I thought that oh, there's a nice new song, I like it! But that's it. I just looked forward to hearing the lyrics properly and thought there's a good story.  And then - after a couple of days - it suddenly took over my head! Now I'm totally obsessed with it! It's a brilliant song! So much better than the official single songs, I wish he could have it played here and there, people would fall in love with it before they realize what happened! 

[Marilyn Mastin]

So happy to finally have this in quality, can't stop listening to it, I'm totally in love with it   It's such a "sneaky" kind of song! When I first heard it in NY I thought that oh, there's a nice new song, I like it! But that's it. I just looked forward to hearing the lyrics properly and thought there's a good story.  And then - after a couple of days - it suddenly took over my head! Now I'm totally obsessed with it! It's a brilliant song! So much better than the official single songs, I wish he could have it played here and there, people would fall in love with it before they realize what happened! 

It's three things to me...

One... Vintage Mika. An amazing sad story with an incredible melody, the kind of song that Mika does better than anyone else..

Two... It's also New Mika. The man who's no longer holding anything back has written an anthem about a gay man, that straight people will also love so much.

Three... It's way better than any single released, since the days of LICM and deserves to be a worldwide hit single.

[mamiam]

It's three things to me...

One... Vintage Mika. An amazing sad story with an incredible melody, the kind of song that Mika does better than anyone else..

Two... It's also New Mika. The man who's no longer holding anything back has written an anthem about a gay man, that straight people will also love so much.

Three... It's way better than any single released, since the days of LICM and deserves to be a worldwide hit single.

Exactly - you said it all, thank you!! :-)

 

Love,love

me

[Dreamy_Queen]

I adore the flow of this song, so restless and like a flood ( I hope someone will understand what I mean). With an eagerness and impatience, it can't leave you indifferent, it wakes you up. 

[Kumazzz]

Good Wife and Love Today @ Showcase in Seoul, May 21 2015

 

[crazyaboutmika]

Good Wife and Love Today @ Showcase in Seoul, May 21 2015

 

Thank you dear Eriko  I love it I hope the extra lines are in the studio recording , they are great

Edited May 23, 2015 by crazyaboutmika

[mellody]

you know what's funny, everyone so quickly interprets the song as from mika's point of view, singing as a gay man to a straight married guy. the way i interpreted it after hearing the first lyrics bits was that it was from the point of view of a girl who was in love with mika. and now that i know the whole lyrics, it could still be a woman who loves a married guy. anyway, the reason for this is probably that i didn't know gay men use the expression "wife" in their relationships, so i automatically thought it must be from the point of view of a woman. very clever of mika to leave it so open for interpretation. - especially since many of the lyrics are pretty hard to understand if you don't listen really carefully.

[*Vv*]

Guess I’m a watcher, not by choice, it’s just  ( what I resolved? )

 

I think i may be hearing RESERVED. Might be something like "just what I had reserved" or "just what I've reserved"

Trying to guess...

Edited May 23, 2015 by *Vv*

[cathouzouf]

Guess I’m a watcher, not by choice, it’s just ( what I resolved? )

 

I think i may be hearing RESERVED. Might be something like "just what I had reserved" or "just what I've reserved"

Trying to guess...

And I hear: what was I raised to lol

 

Guess it'll be one of those lines we might never know for sure!

[Christine]

you know what's funny, everyone so quickly interprets the song as from mika's point of view, singing as a gay man to a straight married guy. the way i interpreted it after hearing the first lyrics bits was that it was from the point of view of a girl who was in love with mika. and now that i know the whole lyrics, it could still be a woman who loves a married guy. anyway, the reason for this is probably that i didn't know gay men use the expression "wife" in their relationships, so i automatically thought it must be from the point of view of a woman. very clever of mika to leave it so open for interpretation. - especially since many of the lyrics are pretty hard to understand if you don't listen really carefully.

 

I don't think it matters whether gay men call each other wife or not - the lyrics would have been the same. I think the key to the whole meaning of the song is "if only god had wanted it". This is what indicates that the person speaking is not a "real" wife but wishes he could be one and reckons he could have done a much better job of it if it was possible.

 

It's so annoying that the video cuts from Mika's face at the exact moment he says that line I can't understand properly.

[Marilyn Mastin]

you know what's funny, everyone so quickly interprets the song as from mika's point of view, singing as a gay man to a straight married guy. the way i interpreted it after hearing the first lyrics bits was that it was from the point of view of a girl who was in love with mika. and now that i know the whole lyrics, it could still be a woman who loves a married guy. anyway, the reason for this is probably that i didn't know gay men use the expression "wife" in their relationships, so i automatically thought it must be from the point of view of a woman. very clever of mika to leave it so open for interpretation. - especially since many of the lyrics are pretty hard to understand if you don't listen really carefully.

Well yes, I said in another post, on the thread about Mika being in the gay mag in the UK, that the song could be sung by a woman, if a woman wanted to cover it, and it would make perfect sense. What I find unique about it, is that the character Mika is portraying in the song, is saying that if he could be with the man, he'd even be his wife, but that's impossible of course, not in this life, however, in another lifetime it might be possible. Although I am a Christian, my husband and I believe in reincarnation. When people die for a while in hospital, or wherever, and go into the light, get a life review and then come back because they aren't finished with this life, they report that there are other lifetimes which are meant to teach us things. This song kind-of talks about that.

For all these things,

Another life I'll have to wait.

So the guy might come back as a woman next time and marry the man he loves.

But the song is one that can be interpreted several different ways and appeal to all kinds of people, not just gay people so that's why it's such a fantastic piece of music and lyrics. 

[mamiam]

I don't think it matters whether gay men call each other wife or not - the lyrics would have been the same. I think the key to the whole meaning of the song is "if only god had wanted it". This is what indicates that the person speaking is not a "real" wife but wishes he could be one and reckons he could have done a much better job of it if it was possible.

 

It's so annoying that the video cuts from Mika's face at the exact moment he says that line I can't understand properly.

I agree with you, that this is a very important line in the song " if only God had wanted it" :-) MIKA himself also underlines this, imo, as he points with his finger above, while singing this line - and at a certain point also fall on his knee, while putting his hands together around the mic, as if he prays - if I see and understand it right - it's a bit unclear, because of the light in the video - but I noticed these gestures by first watch, from the Seoul performance... -

 

Love,love

me

[Alyara]

I've been listening to this song for 2 days non stop and I'm still not sure about those words. That's what I hear, anyway

 

Comes on over, wants to drown his sorrows

Got a two-seater sofa and some whiskey in a bottle

Broke, in tears, with the weight of the world on his shoulders

 

Oh my God, Sam, what’s happened to your senses?

Wife’s just left with his two-year-old daughter

To live in Acapulco with some idiot she only met a couple months ago.

 

I wish I could tell you that

If it was me, I would be a good wife,

I would never doubt you,

Ours would be a good life

And we could be better than so many

I would never stress you about bringing home the plenty

 

For all these things, another life I'll have to wait,

Would have been perfect, if only God had wanted it,

But you’ll never know it, we’ll get old,

Let’s not talk about it, rest your head upon my shoulder

 

You'll never know, you'll never know, you'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life

 

Somebody once told me that there are watchers and there are doers in this world,

Guess I’m a watcher, not by choice, it’s just what I deserve (?)

We're just two friends, it's not a risky situation

 

 

I wish I could tell you that

If it was me, I would be a good wife,

I would never doubt you,

Ours would be a good life

And we could be better than so many

I would never stress you about bringing home the plenty

 

For all these things, another life I'll have to wait,

Would have been perfect, if only God had wanted it,

But you’ll never know it, we’ll get old,

Let’s not talk about it, rest your head upon my shoulder

 

You'll never know, you'll never know, you'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life

 

Rest your head upon my shoulder (I'm so tired you can see)

Now that life’s a little colder (I could love you easily)

Even if you’ll never know (Wouldn't leave if it was me)

My love will never run away like the sunshine

Good time friend not just the good time (?)

 

For all these things, another life I'll have to wait,

Would have been perfect, if only God had wanted it,

But you’ll never know it, we’ll get old,

Let’s not talk about it, rest your head upon my shoulder

 

You'll never know, you'll never know, you'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life,

You'll never know the good life

 

 

I used the lyrics written by Anne and only changed some little things here and there

[crazyaboutmika]

Maybe we should ask Mika? That's we found out the last bits of Good Gone Girl we couldn't figure out

[mari62]

I think I'm a little bit obsessed with this song LOL its stuck in my head and I keep on humming it      

[Mikasister]

I think I'm a little bit obsessed with this song LOL its stuck in my head and I keep on humming it      

 

I also have this song stuck in my head and humming it all day. I find it really good and Mika sings it ...perfectly  I have no doubt it will be one of my favorite songs from NPIH  LP, GW, and I'm sure SATS, will be the best for me and GG ofc but I need to hear the whole album. Can't wait! 

Edited May 24, 2015 by Mikasister

[Marilyn Mastin]

I also have this song stuck in my head and humming it all day. I find it really good and Mika sings it ...perfectly  I have no doubt it will be one of my favorite songs from NPIH  LP, GW, and I'm sure SATS, will be the best for me and GG ofc but I need to hear the whole album. Can't wait! 

I also like that one he sang a bit of in the showcase interview, All That She Wants. The bit I heard sounds really good. I think the album is going to be awesome.