Selfish Art

Album: Carry the Ghost (2015)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Selfish Art" from Noah Gundersen's second album, Carry the Ghost, explores the self-centeredness that comes with being a songwriter. In our interview with Gundersen, he revealed his thoughts on the topic that inspired the tune: "You spend your time as a songwriter mostly just processing your feelings, which requires a lot of introspection and can also be narcissistic just in nature. I was just reflecting on how strange that is when you take a step back and think about it. You're getting paid to just think and talk about your feelings, which is something that I'm super grateful to do, but it is a strange way to make a living."
  • Gundersen questioning the way he makes money is evident in the first verse of the song:

    Sometimes making songs for a living
    Feels like living to make songs
    And sometimes I get an uneasy feeling
    That I'm doing something wrong


    The theme continues into the chorus as well:

    Am I giving all that I can give?
    Am I earning the right to live?
    By looking in a mirror
    There's nothing more sincere than selfish art


    Gundersen told us that he wrote the acoustic ballad by just sitting down with a guitar and writing out his thoughts.

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