Bad Day

Album: Asleep in the Bread Aisle (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Ever have one of those days where everything just seems to go wrong? Asher Roth can sympathize. He wrote this song one day while having a conversation with himself and trying to decide what to write about. It's mostly a literal portrayal, but some parts are fictional. "It's just kind of everyday stuff," he told us. "I just wanted to write a narrative. And I think that's something that I like to do. And it was just a true story. I had come back to Atlanta, I think I was in Los Angeles, and there's a couple of made-up parts, I mean, I wasn't going to a wedding. But for the most part that was just a narrative of my day. And I got into the studio, and it was one of those things like, 'What are we gonna talk about today, brain?' And it's like, 'Oh, the same thing we talk about every day.' (laughs) But yeah, we were just like, yeah, let's just write about what happened today."

    Rapper Jazze Pha had been recording downstairs in the same studio that day, and went upstairs to check things out. He wound up loving the humor of the project and jumped in with some vocals. "I had done them in this monotone, and he added this whole kind of high octave and this character," says Asher. "The whole record came together in 45 minutes. It's pretty great when songs come together like that."
  • Roth is happy that people find the lightness in this song. "It's just the humor of the everyday," he says. "You come home from a long day of work, right? Everything like that. And you just want to vent, 'Listen to how much today sucked.' But then at the end of the record you're just like, 'Well, I'm still healthy, so it's really not that bad.' My dad always says, 'If that's the worst thing that happens in your life, you made out pretty well.' And that's really got me through a lot of little stuff, whether it's just running into a screen door - which happened yesterday (laughs), anything like that. But it's a great quote, to not sweat the small stuff." (Read more in our interview with Asher Roth.)

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.