Pedestrian At Best

Album: Sometimes I Just Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This scathing cut finds Barnett flipping off the hype surrounding her music. She told Uncut the song is "about expectation and perceptions."
  • The song was released as the lead single from Sometimes I Just Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit, which was recorded during the autumn of 2014 in an intense ten day session at Head Gap studios in Melbourne. The album title references Winnie The Pooh author AA Milne. Barnett explained to Uncut: "When I was a kid there was this poster at my grandma's house. We used to fly down or drive to Melbourne from Sydney to have Christmas with my grandma and grandpa and I always liked it. I was visiting her last year and I saw it again and wrote it down."
  • The music video finds Barnett playing an inept clown who doesn't know how to keep people pleased. The clip features cameos from various other members of the Melbourne music community including Davey Lane and Jen Cloher.
  • This was the last song Barnett wrote for Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. She explained to Nothing But Hope and Passion: "It deals with the topic of perceptions, expectations and judgements, and carries a lot of frustration and anger. I was just frustrated with myself about being in the studio for so long, and I was going mental."

    "I guess in this one I am really honest," Barnett added. "I just wrote down what I had in mind the last day in the studio, and one idea triggered another, so it might be a bit confusing actually."
  • Courtney Barnett performed this song and "Nobody Really Cares if You Don't Go to the Party" during her Saturday Night Live debut on May 21, 2016. The singer also took part in a skit with the show's cast member Bobby Moynihan, in which she attempted to teach him Australian slang like "ute."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Edie Brickell

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

90s Music Quiz 1

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.