You Ain't Gotta

STAGEFRIGHT

How?

Dream

Cats on the Ceiling

My Favourite Place To Be

When I Loved You

BUZZKILL

buzzkill

Start From Scratch

Suboptimal is all about shrugging off the pressure to be flawless. It’s a wry, witty take on what it means to never quite measure up — and being totally okay with it. From school struggles to chaotic relationships, the song celebrates embracing imperfection with a grin and a middle finger to expectations. With a healthy dose of irony and swagger, it flips the script on failure and finds freedom in not giving a damn.

Suboptimal erzählt mit einem Augenzwinkern davon, wie es ist, einfach nie ganz reinzupassen – und wie befreiend das sein kann. Ob Mathe-Stress, Beziehungschaos oder gut gemeinte Kritik: Hier geht’s darum, all das nicht mehr so ernst zu nehmen. Der Song feiert das Unperfekte, das Unbequeme – und das Selbstbewusstsein, seinen eigenen Weg zu gehen, auch wenn der nicht “perfekt” ist. Ironisch, ehrlich und herrlich gelassen.

Suboptimal

Der alte Seidel hält mir mal wieder 
Die Matheklausur direkt vors Gesicht
Mensch Junge!
So geht das doch nicht...

Was soll bloß mal aus dir werden?

Das ist suboptimal
Sagt er, weit entfernt von perfekt
Suboptimal
Ist mir doch egal
Denk ich
So was von egal
Juckt mich nicht

Susie hat die Nase voll von meinem Chaos
Und sagt mir mitten ins Gesicht
Ehrlich Süßer
So geht das nicht...

Wie soll so jemals was aus uns werden?

Das ist suboptimal
Meint sie, ganz und gar nicht perfekt
Suboptimal
Mir doch egal
Denk ich
Echt egal
Du verstehst mich nicht

Immer dasselbe
Schon mein ganzes Leben
Irgendwer hat was dagegen
Und motzt
„Ganz sicher nicht mit meinem Segen“

Ist schließlich suboptimal
Und weit weg von perfekt
Ich hätt‘s aber gern wie geleckt
Wie gemalt, schick
Halt einfach perfekt

Heute sitz ich am Strand
Die Füße im Sand
Meine Songs gehen durch die Decke
Weil ich in den großen Hallen einchecke

Wie gefällt Euch das?
Ein Genie beherrscht das Chaos

Suboptimal
Scheißegal


Suboptimal

The Gray Fuzzy Middle
(c) J. Murdock McInnes Vasey

[intro]

[instrumental]

[chorus]
With empathy declining
and guilt fading away
Does it matter what you do
Does it matter what you say

[pause]

[verse]
At one end there are the saints
The kind of people we are not
Those for whom all others matter 
and never have forgot
The help they have received
From where it came and what they got

[pause]

[verse]
At the other end the monsters
The kind we hope that we are not
Those who care only for themselves
Who must win above all else
Who believe they did it all
The whole world in their control

[pause]

[verse]
In between is where we are
Near the good or much too far
In that gray fuzzy middle
Where we don't know who we are

Where we balance every day
What we want, with what we pay
Where we must matter more
But how much more, 

Not that much
Not so much more

Not so much more

Not so much more

[instrumental]

[chorus]
With empathy declining
and guilt fading away
Does it matter what you do
Does it matter what you say

[pause]

[verse]
In between is where we are
Near the good or much too far
In that gray fuzzy middle
Where we don't know who we are

Where we balance every day
What we want, with what we pay
Where we must matter more
But how much more, 

Not that much
Not so much more

[chorus]
With empathy declining
and guilt fading away
Does it matter what you do
Does it matter what you say

[instrumental]

Not that much
Not so much more
Not so much more
Not so much more

[outro]

[Arrangement]
Laid-back drums and deep, reverb-soaked bass establish a relaxed groove. 
Tremolo-laden guitar lines weave through each verse, highlighted by expressive blues bends and fuzzy solos. 
The bridge’s vintage synth layers build a dreamy feel, dissolving into a slow, hypnotic outro.



The Gray Fuzzy Middle (bluesy)

my-superstar

Start From Scratch

Matthew Ifield

Related tracks