Bill Murray

Album: Show Me Your Fangs (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Matt Nathanson got a taste of celebrity when his song "Come On Get Higher" took off in 2007. In this song, he imagines hanging out with the actor Bill Murray, whom he considers an "anti-celebrity," the opposite of the fame-obsessed stars and influencers that dominate the discourse. The famously enigmatic Murray is known to show up unannounced at strangers' weddings and appear in other unpredictable places, and he's almost impossible to contact.

    "He lives his public life in this amazingly unselfconscious, passionate way," Nathanson said. "So I wrote this song about Bill and me hanging out for 100 days, Thelma and Louise-ing our way across the world. In the song, Bill rains down sage advice on me about the world and relationships and love, like I imagine he does with his actual, real-life friends."
  • In the music video, Nathanson has a dream where a version of himself hangs out with Bill Murray - or at least a dreamscape avatar wearing a Bill Murray mask.
  • This isn't the only song titled "Bill Murray." Others are by Phantogram, Gorillaz, and Sweatshop Union.
  • Nathanson wrote this song with Amir Salem and Dennis Herring. Salem also has a credit on the Panic! At The Disco "Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time." Herring is better known as a producer; he's worked with Ben Folds, Counting Crows, and Buddy Guy.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Band Names

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman Jack

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces