Waking Up by Elastica

Photo by Sanah Suvarna on Unsplash

As I mentioned last week, since last Monday, I’ve been trying to exercise some self-discipline and get up at 6.30am ready for the day ahead. So, never has the title to this piece felt more relevant:

Waking up and getting up has never been easy.

The song Waking Up by Elastica was a self-penned reflection on underachievement and personal malaise by the band’s lead singer Justine Frischmann.

I’d work very hard but I’m lazy … I’ve got a lot of songs but they’re all in my head.

I remember seeing Elastica at the time. They were huge and at the height of their fame and influence. Then they didn’t produce another album for five years, by which time the band had effectively fizzled out. The song’s lyrics provide an interesting reflection on their career. You could pick out potential reasons:

I can’t take the pressure and it’s starting to show … If I can’t be a star I won’t get out of bed.

Yet, rather than speculating on the reasons the song hints at, I think it’s the underpinning emotion of the song which resonates with me as I seek more consistency in getting up and getting my day started:

In my heart you know that it pains me. A life of leisure is no life you know.

The life of leisure is both the easy choice, and in many ways the most logical one. I can always convince myself that I need / deserve / would be better off with an extra hour or so in bed. Yet, when I do, it doesn’t really satisfy. Like Frischmann suggests, the malaise leads to underachievement rather than wellbeing. Some of the lyrics above about songs in the head and being a star can be fed by the life of leisure without action. They help us make excuses as to why our plans are not becoming reality. Ultimately, what inspires me about this song is the idea expressed in the title of this piece. Being disciplined about starting the day well is not easy, but it is a step towards making the right choices to a more fulfilling life. A life in which our daily choices are informed, planned and considered and contribute to our sense of achievement and wellbeing.

Need to reconsider your relationship with self-discipline? Why not consider booking an appointment with the author, Dr Dave Wood?

Taken from the album: