The Stakes In The Race

Japanese Breakfast “Savage Good Boy”

“Savage Good Boy” has a bright and earnest sound that masks the bitter irony of its lyrical conceit – it’s sung from the perspective of a billionaire preparing for global environmental catastrophe and callously creating a way for himself to survive comfortably. He’s inviting a woman to join him so he can “take care” of her, to play savior and play house. But really he just wants to own her, to control her, to have her be in debt to him for providing a posh shelter while millions of people suffer or die. The brilliance of the song is in how Michelle Zauner presents this character in a way that allows for some sincerity in his feelings – perhaps he does love her, maybe he genuinely wants to protect her, he probably is totally oblivious to his incredible selfishness. Zauner lets the listener connect and identify with the sweetness so the recognition of the darker impulses and insidious desires of the character are hard to untangle from what initially appears to be warmth and kindness. Not many of us are going to directly relate to a billionaire, but we can see how self-interest and generosity mingle in ourselves and others.

Buy it from Bandcamp.