LIVE HIGH
Jason Mraz
I try to picture a girl
Through a looking glass
See her as a carbon atom
See her eyes and stare back at them
See that girl
As her own new world
Though a home is on the surface, she is still a universe
Glory God, oh God is peeking through the blinds
Are we all here standing naked
Taking guesses at the actual date and time
Oh my, justifying reasons why
Is an absolutely insane resolution to live by
Live high
Live mighty
Live righteously
Takin it easy
Live high, live mighty
Live righteously
Try to picture the man
To always have an open hand
And see him as a giving tree
See him as matter
Matter fact he's not a beast
No not the devil either
Always a good deed doer
And it's laughter that we're making after all
The call of the wild is still an ordination why
And the order of the primates
All our politics are too late
Oh my, the congregation in my mind
Is this assembly singing of gratitude
Practicing their lovin for you
Live high
Live mighty
Live righteously
Takin it easy
Live high, live mighty
Oh live righteously
Take it all,
And just take it easy
And celebrate the malleable reality
You see nothing is ever as it seems
Yeah this life is but a dream
Lift me up to the almighty
Raise your hands and start acknowledging
Live high, live high
Live mighty, mighty, mighty,
Oh live righteously
Takin it easy
Live high, live mighty
Oh live righteously
Just take, just just taking it easy
Live high
Oh live mighty, mighty,
Oh live righteously
Take it all, just take it, take it easy
See live high,
Oh live righteously
Just take it easy
Analysis:
Jason Mraz is known famously for his way with words (wordplay, as he calls it) and has earned himself the nickname “Mr. A-Z”. Mraz is known for his eccentricity; standing barefoot when playing live and almost always wearing one of his signature hats are just a few of his quirks. His song style is soft rock, and his gentle voice croons his cleverly phrased lyrics to listeners, taking them on a ride into his state of mind. Mraz is often acclaimed for having “feel-good”, eclectic music that can relate to almost anyone, and his clever wordplay is just one of the many reasons why he is such an interesting artist to look out for. “Live High” is a demonstration of Mraz’s clever wordplay skills that illustrate to the listener his unique way of thinking.
Jason Mraz uses the first verse of “Live High” to express his views on women in a unique, thoughtful way. He states that he tries to picture a girl “through a looking glass”, and examines her closely. Mraz views women as many things. Using similes, he says that he sees her as a “carbon atom” as well as “her own new world”. Essentially, every human being is made up of carbon atoms, so that is the simplest definition he can give. However, he also sees women as “[their] own new world”, meaning that they each live in a world of their own. He believes that women should be treated right and listened to; He tells the listener to “see her eyes and stare back at them”. Then Mraz describes the bigger picture. “Though a home is on the surface”, he begins. “She is still a universe”. Though everybody lives on the surface of the planet, each woman really is their own universe, because they are all different. They all see things differently and act differently, and just because everybody lives on one planet, each woman lives in their own world that they make and that should be embraced.
The second verse is used to delve into Mraz’s religious beliefs. Mraz begins it by saying, “Glory God, oh God is peeking through the blinds”. He expresses his views of God cleverly with imagery. He knows that God is watching him live his life and that he is always there when he needs him. He asks, “Are we all here standing naked, taking guesses at the actual date and time?” He wonders if everybody is just standing, clueless, wondering the meaning of life. Then he offers a piece of wisdom, inspired by his views of God, saying, “Justifying reasons why is an absolutely insane resolution to live by”. Mraz is trying to tell the listener that one shouldn’t sit and wonder why they are living or if they are living the right way. Instead, they should embrace the opportunity to live and not question why. God has put them all on Earth for a reason, and they shouldn’t question his methods.
Mraz mocks common hyperboles about men in the third verse, and explains that all men should not be judged by the negative connotation often associated with their gender. He tries to “picture the man to always have an open hand”, and uses simile to compare the man as a giving tree, as well as matter. These similes highlight Mraz’s optimistic outlook and open mind. He then addresses the negative connotations associated with men and assure the listener that the man is not a “beast” and “not the devil, either”. In fact, the man is “always a good deed doer”, and therefore not a bad person. Mraz ends the verse on a light note, saying that “its laughter that we’re making after all”. This is an attempt to get the listener to see things his way. According to Mraz, life can be negative if taken so, but it can also be great if one just realizes it and lives it so.
The chorus of the song preaches Mraz’s morals in a simple, effective way. He uses powerful adverbs to describe how he believes one should live their life. In his opinion, everybody should live “high”, “mighty”, and “righteously”. He believes that people should live their life to its fullest potential because it is a preciously powerful thing. The line “takin’ it easy” is supposed to ease the listeners mind and encourage them not to work too hard and forget what life is meant for, being happy.
The bridge of “Live High” highlights the whole meaning of this song and sums up how Mraz thinks and lives his life. The simple metaphor, “life is but a dream”, sums up Mraz’s entire outlook. The phrase “take it easy” is repeated, and this repetition effectively reiterates the moral of the song. Mraz urges the listener to “take it easy” because, after all, reality is “malleable” and can easily be turned around. He shares one last piece of wisdom to the listener that “nothing is ever as it seems”. This can be interpreted as saying life is beautiful and so easily changeable (malleable) that one shouldn’t worry about the logistics of it. Living high, mighty, and righteously is Mraz’s way of life, and “Live High” engulfs the listener into his world of optimism.
“Live High” fits into the theme of optimism and inspiration for many reasons. Mraz’s view on life is very optimistic and his ability to illustrate that to his listeners is very inspirational. His open-mindedness expressed in the song, whether it be seeing the girl as her own world or the boy as a giving tree, sparks optimism and illustrate to the listener Mraz’s unique way of thinking. The wordplay in this song is what makes it so appealing; without it the listener wouldn’t get the full essence of who Jason Mraz is. His eccentricity and wordplay is what makes him so interesting, and this song is a prime example of how he shows his listeners his way of thinking.
