Bruno Mars – The Lazy Song – Bare Cupcake

Best word for this song: harmless. Three out of five cupcakes. A bare cupcake. No nutritional value, but it’s not gonna kill you.

Harmless

Some could argue that the overall message is bad: that it’s okay to be lazy. But it seems to me that sometimes, well, it is okay to be lazy. Just not, you know, all the time.

Today I don’t feel like doing anything

Here’s our premise. “Today.” Okay, cool, it’s a Saturday and we have no plans and are going to laze around the house all day. Alright.

I just wanna lay in my bed

Don’t feel like picking up my phone

So leave a message at the tone

‘Cause today I swear I’m not doing anything

Again, harmless. Not genius songwriting, but nothing to object to.

I’m gonna kick my feet up

Then stare at the fan

Turn the TV on, throw my hand in my pants

Nobody’s gonna tell me I can’t

This part could be taken two ways: either this is inappropriate for the radio, or just a comfortable position. You could interpret it either way, but I’m leaning towards the latter.

I’ll be lounging on the couch

Just chillin’ in my Snuggie

Click to MTV so they can teach me how to Dougie

‘Cause in my castle I’m the freaking man

Yes, I said it

I said it

I said it ’cause I can

Harmless.

Tomorrow I’ll wake up, do some P90X

Okay, now it’s tomorrow, let’s assume Sunday. Still the weekend. Still okay to be lazy.

Plus, he’s advocating exercise! Alright!

Meet a really nice girl, have some really nice sex

And she’s gonna scream out, “This is great”

(Oh my god, this is great)

This is probably the low point of the song, especially the last line imitating the girl’s voice. It’s not explicit, but it is pretty demeaning to women.

I might mess around and get my college degree

I bet my old man will be so proud of me

But sorry, pops, you’ll just have to wait

I’m not terribly fond of this part, because getting a college degree actually is pretty vital for getting a good job nowadays. The only redeeming part is that he describes a college degree as something to be “proud of,” and the last line implies that yes, he’ll get the college degree someday, once he’s done being lazy.

No, I ain’t gonna comb my hair

‘Cause I ain’t going anywhere

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

I’ll just strut in my birthday suit

And let everything hang loose

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Definitely not stellar songwriting. But okay, fine.

Harmless.