Released November 19, 2010 Recorded 2008 | ||
Length 4:13 (album version)4:05 (new mix version)4:12 (Demolition Crew remix)3:50 (remix featuring B.o.B) | ||
"Good Life" is a song by American pop rock band OneRepublic, taken from their second studio album, Waking Up (2009). The song was written by group members Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle, and Eddie Fisher along with group associate Noel Zancanella. It was produced by Tedder, with co-production by Kutzle and Zancanella.
Contents
The song was released on November 19, 2010 as the album's third single in the United States, and as its overall fourth single. Its popularity was increased by its use in various films, television series and advertisements. The single was a commercial success, peaking at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eventually being certified multi-platinum, as well as reaching the top twenty of other music charts across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The song has sold over 3 million copies in the US as of January 2014.
Critical reception of "Good Life" was generally positive. This song is unique in that the band recorded various radio versions of this song for different cities and states. The line changed in the lyrics is "my friends in [city/state] they don't know, where I've been."
A remix of the song, featuring American rapper B.o.B, was released to radio stations in June 2011.
Up to October 2016, "Good Life" was the only OneRepublic song to be rated Explicit on iTunes, for its use of the word 'bullshit' within the song, until their album Oh My My was released, containing "Future Looks Good" and "Dream" which are both rated Explicit.
Promotion
Initially released as a single in November 2010, the song's popularity was increased after its use in various media. Google used the song in its 2010 Zeitgeist "year in review" video. The song is featured in the trailers for the films Eat Pray Love and One Day, in the film Easy A, and in the television series Cougar Town, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Rookie Blue, America's Got Talent, and '90210. The group performed the song at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards, 2011 Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards of 2011, Live with Regis and Kelly, Dancing with the Stars, and recently at the 2011 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, and again in the MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016. The background music of this song was played on various Walt Disney World television and radio commercials. In August 2012, "Good Life" was featured in a Honda Summer Clearance Event commercial.
Critical reception
Giving the song five stars, About.com wrote, "Not only does "Good Life" have lyrics that anyone can relate to — "... what the hell is there to complain about ..." — it also has a unique musical delivery that allows the song to stand out on a radio full of same-sounding songs." Rolling Stone put the song on its list of the 15 Best Whistling Songs of All Time.
Music video
The music video for "Good Life" was premiered on February 14, 2011. The video shows the band performing the song in a field, processed to look like an old film. It shows many different symbols and is a bit different from their previous videos. The original video was filmed in a mountain valley located in West Hills, California. It features cameo appearances by Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Nicolas Cage, Russell Crowe, and many more.
In December 2011, a second music video, filmed entirely at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World was released. It features the band performing at Cinderella Castle, as well as riding on several attractions.
- "Good Life" (new mix version) – 4:05
- "Good Life" (Demolition Crew remix) – 4:12
- "Good Life" (featuring B.o.B) – 3:50
Parody versions
The Maccabeats, an all-male college a cappella group from Yeshiva University, paid homage to the song with their September 22, 2011 music video titled Book of Good Life. The parody is about dedicating oneself to being a better person on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.