I have never heard of Your Neighbors, so I decided to do some research before listening to this song. Although the song “Chicken” has a Genius page made for it, there isn’t much information about Your Neighbors. After some digging, I was able to find out they’re an indie band that was begun in 2017 by a couple of guys based in Los Angeles. Although they do have a fan base and a couple of more well-known songs, they’re mostly underground and not very mainstream. This band is the first Indie and maybe the most unknown artist that I’ve reviewed, so I was very excited to listen to this song.
To begin, “Chicken” by Your Neighbors is about a guy who likes someone, but he’s not able to ask her out. He’s overthinking every action he takes, and he feels like he’s not good enough for them. This situation is a classic trope in the media, whether it’s a song or a movie, because everyone has felt this way at some point. We all have had at least one crush where we feel so tongue-tied and become completely silent whenever we talk to them (if we ever even do talk to them). The opposite could also happen where you say too much, and then you replay the moment later with so much embarrassment and regret. I look back at my younger self and feel so much nostalgia and love for the feeling of a heart-thumping crush.
This song combines rock and indie that creates a “feel good,” summer vibe. It’s the type of song that you would want to listen to in the car with the windows rolled down on the way home from school or on the way to the beach (think “Where’d All the Time Go” by Dr. Dog or Kilby Girl by the Backseat Lovers). Something interesting that happens is a change of style around 2/3 of the way through the song. The music slows down and becomes warped with odd sounds and random guitar riffs that begins with the line “drinking again to find the words.” We know the term liquid courage, but also with drinking comes contemplating and feelings of regret or sadness for what could’ve been or what you should’ve done.
A lyric that stuck out to me was “you don’t get what you don’t ask for” because it’s something I hold very true. For most of my life, I was the type of person to be passive and let opportunities pass me. I would feel so much pent-up regret or sadness that it would eventually explode with no positive outcomes and often bad repercussions. The past few years, I’ve been working on being someone who actively strives for what I want and be a “go-getter.” I don’t want to look back on my life and wish that I would’ve done something; I want to live an extraordinary life.
I enjoy this song very much, and I resonate with its message. As a result, I will be adding this song to my playlist!
Work Cited:
trinitytripod. Your Neighbors: The Band to Impress Your Friends With. https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/features/your-neighbors-the-band-to-impress-your-friends-with/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2023.
Your Neighbors – Chicken. genius.com, https://genius.com/Your-neighbors-chicken-lyrics. Accessed 25 Feb. 2023.
Images:
https://soundcloud.com/yourneighborstn/chicken-live
https://genius.com/Your-neighbors-chicken-lyrics