Yep! I realized the same thing. Also in Goodbye, he's the one getting called to get a joke told to him if he smells smoke. The alt version he definitely goes mad and DIAF, goes to the other side. 🤯
Yep, thing is I thought it was a reference to the the punch like 'to get to the other side'. Maybe that's why he left it without including this song, you can still get the punch of that line. (But yea no, knowing this song still recontextualizes that like a little)
To dissect a joke this deeply and translate it musically, and then cut it from the project, is just a testament to the talent and hard work that went into Inside.
Actually one of the most beautiful songs of INSIDE. I can see why it might not have fit in thematically with the rest but I'm so grateful we got to experience it!
I actually think it fits perfectly thematically with the themes of the whole special. Feeling trapped, finding identity in the world, freedom. It is a little strange to have a song about a chicken at all, let alone in the context of this, but to me the fact that it actually DOES fit so well even though its so weird that its a song about a chicken using the cheesiest joke in existence just makes it all the more impressive how beautiful it it.
@Eric Young I agree completely, the themes subject matters align well with the rest of the special. What sets this one apart (from what I've found) is that it isn't directly related to the internet/social media/communication by digital means which is the red thread throughout the entire special. The Chicken is more of a commentary of being trapped in an upfullfilled life with aspirations of greater things. The themes you mentioned are definitely the same, Bo clearly thought this through, but the context of which the themes are utilised are just different enough for it to not fit in seamlessly as does the other songs. That being said, I don't think it would shatter the experience whatsoever to have had the song in the original, I do however believe I understand Bo's reasoning as to why it was removed. At the end of the day, it's an absolutely fantastic song and I'm happy we got to experience it!
For French speakers, the part about the chicken becoming a dentist has a deeper (accidental) meaning. The chicken becoming a dentist kind of implies that chickens would have teeth, and in French there's an idiom ''Quand les poules auront des dents...'' (When chickens will have teeth), which more accurately translates to ''When pigs fly'' (Used when talking about something that will never happen). So to me, when the chicken talks about becoming a dentist, it is even more literally talking about something inconceivable, that could seemingly never happen than what the song already implies.
This comment helps me understand why Bo’s music helped me get through the death of my daughter last year. Another thing that helped me is the TH-cam channel Destiny Image.
The line "the road is gigantic the chicken is little" manages to make me tear up every time. There is something so relatable about a little chicken standing in the middle of a huge road and life feels like a big car is bearing down on you, and knowing there is nothing you can do to stop it because you're just a little chicken.
As a heroin addict who has been sober for 7 months but struggles to know what to do with sobriety, this song and that analogy specifically really hit hard.
It seems imposaible for me to attain anything close to fulfillment or happiness and i feel like this is all so much bigger than me and ita just going to kill me one way or another in the end while everyone just seems to think its as easy as just doing what you need to do.
LYRICS: The chicken wakes up like she does every morning To the sounds of her husband's screams Sat in the dark on the eggs she is warming She closes her eyes and dreams of Walking to Memphis, becoming a dentist Anything but this I mean, she likes her life as a mother and wife but Is that all, she is? She stares out the window The very next morning, the chicken decides to Make her escape, get a taste of freedom She runs out the coop that her life's been confined to Suddenly sees the things she's only dreamed of Just up ahead, gophers run through a meadow Deer graze, birds sing Her future is waiting, right there for the taking There's just, one thing The chicken must first cross the road The road A sea of trees and green and moss Waiting just across the road, the road A life of brighter days, a width of road away The road is gigantic, the chicken is little She moves her head, left-right-left, right-left-right All of a sudden, she stops in the middle Frozen in place by a pair of headlights It's anyone's guess what Then happened next but Most think, she died But I think we ought to believe that She got to The other side So that's why she did it
Imagine writing and recording this masterpiece only to decide it DIDN’T make the cut and instead you’d just let it collect dust on a hard drive for a YEAR.
It makes sense though. Inside is incredibly cohesive. There isn't one bit that isn't about the overarching theme. The Chicken is great, but it doesn't fit.
@@AcetylsaliciIique oh it fits. The road is the room. The headlights are LEDS The question why did the chicken cross is the same question is are you happy. No one knows what happened next bc he's going to step away and we're going to be left wondering...
@@DetroitNickel Oh, you can always make these kind of connections, but Inside is more specific than that. It's neither just about being trapped in a room/life, and it isn't just a sequel to Make Happy. It's about the internet. It's about how we have become a part of it and how we can never go outside again. The chicken is not trapped in a performance like we are, she's trapped in a very real, very old school situation.
@@AcetylsaliciIique i get it but we know bo. He's always turning it modern and meta. I have no doubt that's what he did here and that's why this was made for inside, and intentionally left for last. Agree to disagree.
As much as I love this song, it's even cooler how seemingly everyone who's listened to it has taken a different meaning from it. Some see it as a metaphor for suicide, some see it as a metaphor for escaping an abusive relationship, and some just see it as a deconstruction of the classic joke. My personal take on its meaning is that it's meant to serve as a metaphor for transitioning from one part of your life to another. Needless to say, I listened to this song a LOT during the summer after I graduated.
I remember when Inside came out Bo didn’t release them on any music streaming services immediately. There was a few week period around when I graduated where I listened to Goodbye as “Untitled Ending Song” on a google drive I found online looking for the songs on Apple Music
Robert does a great job of breaking expectations in his songs, he puts everything into his work very intelligently. It would seem like just a chicken, but you feel that everything is much deeper than you could imagine.
I think this song is all those things, it is a brilliant, meaningful deconstruction of the classic joke using it to represent a difficult and massive change within somebody's life, whether that be escaping an abusive relationship, contemplating suicide, changing your career or just transitioning from one thing to another. It resonates with so many people because everybody has felt unsatisfied with their life at one point or another and/or has had to make an incredibly hard decision that they know they couldn't go back from.
I feel like this song reflects why Bo made this special in the first place. Despite the knowledge that comedy is an insufficient tool to solve all of our world's problems (and the guilt and fear that accompanies that), Bo made Inside because he continues to strive for something better...to be better...to get to the other side of the road that holds a brighter future. Bo is an optimist, even when faced with tragedy.
Agreed. To me this song encompasses how Ive always felt about Bo’s work, and what I think he’s wanted to impart on his audience. It makes you feel “seen,” like someone understands how fucking awful you feel most of the time. But in the end, all we want is to make it out, to make it to what we want to accomplish, despite the obstacles in our way. It helps knowing Bo believes we can make it to the other side.
Yeah, you can see that best in the song “From Gods perspective” I think, with lines like “This could be heaven, doesn’t just the thought of it makes it worth a try?”
@@pakkitman if there’s anything that Inside showed me it’s that Bo wants to put real art out into the world. I mean, look at Inside, itself- the whole thing keeps an overarching theme in itself, struggling through his mental health, feeling as though he’s stuck inside the confines of the internet, which dictates ours and his life, especially considering his career being built on that very thing. If you listen to pretty much any of his songs from Inside or the Outtakes you can see that each song definitely has a deeper meaning, at least especially when put together. To me it seems like he started creating all of these songs various styles, a lot of them talking about the internet and his mental health taking a toll especially from Covid, and somewhere along the way figured that both topics are ones he keeps coming back to and when you watch it all put together it only evokes a sad feeling if you think a lot into it. It literally became the internet dictating our lives and causing or effecting our mental health issues. So, when I look at it, I don’t think of an extended joke; I find a well-known joke beautifully twisted into a long metaphor for his or someone else’s experiences.
As a Mum, who got left with two kids, one of them newborn, by the screaming husband, this song kills me, fills me with inspiration, makes me cry, feel, and smile. Absolutely incredible.
@@MrRoblox1377 go away please. To Cambria don't listen to this stupid pleb. you're strong and very cool. i wish you the bestest of lives for you and your kids, Cambria
I think is one of the songs that sounds the most like him. It fits so perfectly with his other finales, the only difference is that it’s much calmer from the others, which sound more like a panic attack. It just shows how much Bo has grown as a person and I’m so happy to have seen his progression over the past 15 years
@@gab2912 That this comment already has 5 bots feels like I’m watching another outtake with fake ads. That this was part of their joke. I completely agree with you. When I first saw that pasty white boy in a tie-dye shirt I never imagined he could create something like this.
I'm a grown fucking man bawling like a baby that hasn't been fed for four hours over the OLDEST JOKE IN THE BOOK. Only Bo can make something so simple, this moving. Thank you, Mister Burnham.
I thank Bo Burnham for stopping me from becoming an incel, considering how much time I spend on the internet lol Edit: Pewdiepie and Kurtis Conner too are I guess my role models for the whole respecting everyone regardless of who they are too
Did anyone notice that in the TH-cam version, when Bo sings about the road its really soft, but if you listen on spotify, the keys are like an octave down, and the chorus is way more dramatic? Idk, I still think this is a really good song! I love you Bo!
This song’s highest note is E4. (which is very impressive. i can’t do that shit) However, I do think Comedy and Problematic would be more vocally difficult.
@@Aaronnh it's clean and pretty, but obviously Bo isn't comfortable writing into his falsetto. Which is fine. A good composer and singer writes in their range. A bad one extends beyond it because they don't know what else to do to increase the intensity of the song.
Yes Bo Burnham with such lines as "If you're black don't want to see your face, they're like a high school track, just a stupid race" But yeah he had a panic attack so let's all adore him and pretend he's a saint
Do notice how lightning works in this clip. At the end, Bo looks like that chicken frozen by headlights on the road. He is just brilliant. Genius in every single detail.
I also like the detail that she aspires to be a dentist, when chickens don't have teeth. It hints on the plan being unrealistic because of the isolated life the chicken leads
I think about my boyfriend every time I listen to Bo's stuff because my boyfriend loved all of his music. He committed suicide almost 2 months ago. I miss you so much Gavin, I love you.
I am so sorry as a person who can relate to having people die around them I can attest to the fact that. It always will hurt no death is worse. It just depends on the person affected. And I am so sorry. I can't imagine losing mine. I fear. But you will be in my prayers tonight if that is okay. I cried because it hits very close to home
Not only is Bo a lyrical GENUIS but people don’t give his actual musical talent enough credit. His chord progressions complex and beautiful. His vocals rhythmically interact with the song in cool ways. We will never see one like Bo again
I sadly couldn't agree more, his talent is something beyond, unmatched, incomparable. Although I don't think I'll be around to see the next "legend", as he implies in this humble and yet gorgeous composition, we ought hope for the best, even when the odds aren't at favor... There will always be a Bo around, to help healing the World with "comedy" 😁
Nah, I think Bo is simply once in a generation. I'd consider him the spiritual successor to Carlin, making controversial (To the older generation) comedy for young people. Obviously his methods are drastically different, but Bo's content and criticisms just keep reminding me of him
The chicken wakes up like she does every morning To the sounds of her husband's scream Sat in the dark on the eggs she is warming She closes her eyes and dreams of Walking to Memphis, becoming a dentist Anything but this I mean, she likes her life as a mother and wife But is that all she is? She stares out the window The very next morning, the chicken decides to Make her escape, get a taste of freedom She runs out the coop that her life's been confined to Suddenly sees the thing she's only dreamed of Just up ahead, gophers run through a meadow Deer graze, birds sing Her future is waiting, right there for the taking There's just one thing The chicken must first cross the road The road A sea of trees and green and moss Waiting just across the road, the road A life of brighter days, a width of road away The road is gigantic, the chicken is little She moves ahead left-right-left, right-left-right All of a sudden, she stops in the middle Frozen in place by a pair of headlights It's anyone's guess what then happened next But most think she died But I think we ought to believe that she got to The other side So that's why she did it Goodbye
Thought he originally sang Dear Grace instead of Deer graze as if the chicken was reacting to the beauty of life beyond the road and needed to find grace to quell the amazement. I really liked that line as I heard it, especially combined with how he sang it. But I suppose, Deer graze makes more sense. Anyway amazing song.
Friend: “Hey, why’d the chicken cross the road?” Me: “The chicken wakes up like she does every morning To the sounds of her husband's screams Sat in the dark on the eggs she is warming She closes her eyes and dreams of Walking to Memphis, becoming a dentist Anything but this I mean, she likes her life as a mother and wife But is that all she is? She stares out the window The very next morning, the chicken decides to Make her escape, get a taste of freedom She runs out the coop that her life's been confined to Suddenly sees the thing she's only dreamed of Just up ahead, gophers run through a meadow Deer graze, birds sing Her future is waiting, right there for the taking There's just one thing The chicken must first cross the road The road A sea of trees and green and moss Waiting just across the road, the road A life of brighter days, a width of road away The road is gigantic, the chicken is little She moves ahead left-right-left, right-left-right All of a sudden, she stops in the middle Frozen in place by a pair of headlights It's anyone's guess what then happened next But most think she died But I think we ought to believe that she got to The other side So that's why she did it” Friend: “I was gonna say ‘buck-ause’ but sure, whatever.”
Got tired of playing the victim card and using abuse for Gus's clout? Reminder that sabrina uses her ex being a bad boyfriend as an excuse to air out dirty laundry to the public to send her 12 year old fans to attack her ex and his innocent family members. She also monetizes her "abuse" story and runs ads over them cause she only really cares about money and attention.
I don't know if Bo ever reads comments or if I'll get a chance to meet him in my lifetime, but all I have to say is thank you and nothing else. THANK YOU, weird kid from youtube, life is very less miserable with you up there.
For one thing, probably his most beautiful and moving piano piece yet. The key choice here is in the lyric "but is that all she is?". He could have gone for "is that all there is?" But instead he makes it personal, which adds a real weight to the character study. It's a magnificent song and shows the scale of his talent and imagination. Who else would write this as a response to "why did the chicken cross the road?". There is only one Bo Burnham.
It’s interesting you mention character study because there are a lot of TEDtalks that talk about the chemical hormones that are released when we tell stories. Depending on the specific details , structure, and how much was built up , we can manipulate certain types of chemicals in others that make us feel more attracted to what someone is saying. If you don’t finish what you’re saying you literally leave people feeling stressed ou,t hanging on your word like a cliff hanger or a knock knock joke unanswered- use the doorbell next time!-. So the choice to connect audience with more similarities with the chicken they could connect with, and further incorporating her in a story with that line you mentioned, created more sensory inputs for us to connect and pick up on. - Basically I just admire your point of view and insight and wanted to contribute something. Not sure if it’s anything. Thought provoking and intellectually inspiring for sure, if not a serenely hopeful motivation what with an ambiguous ending that was left to the imagination!
@@Burke1O1 We don't know that they hatched. Perhaps they wouldn't have without her there. Also, I'm going to bite my tongue about all the other things I could say in response to your comment.
This song is obviously allegorical, but Bo uses his shots to compliment the words he sings. He's really brilliant in that sense. At 1:37 he talks escape and freedom for the chicken. That's the same shot he uses to capture him and the door, both in frame. Of course, the door is his escape at the end of Make Happy and Inside, both. I dunno if you guys noticed it, but I subscribe to the idea that it was intentional.
it's an allegorical song for sure. the lyrics can easily be telling bo's own struggles with fame and anxiety, but it goes so much further than that too. the message is something that can be interpreted in any number of ways and i'm sure most people can relate to it even if only to a certain extent. it's a masterpiece in every sense.
that moment when i realized that whether the chicken died or successfully crossed the road , she still got to the other side 😭 had me sobbing. thanks bo
I always come back to this song because it reminds me of my mother. She was the chicken, she had dreams and ambitions, but gave them up because my dad wanted children. She was confined to a life she didn’t desire. She loves my sisters and I, but she was unhappy that she wasn't able to follow through with her dreams. She endured my father's abuse while doing whatever she could to protect us from him. Fortunately for us, he passed away, and my mom was free from him. I'm glad he died, because it meant she was able to cross the road and get to the other side.
i made my mother listen to this song, i was crying at the same time and she said, "are you crying because the chicks are left without a mother?" no mom i'm crying because you are the chicken
This song means so much to me. For years, my mother lived as a prisoner in an abusive relationship, for most of her life. 9 years ago, she crossed the road, made it to the other side. She found love and freedom, but she was never fully free from the fear a life of abuse caused... for 9 years she got to live free from abuse, and then 2 months ago she left this world. It makes me cry to think she only got 9 years of freedom, but she did make it to the other side for them. I don't know if afterlife is real or not, but I hope she finally made it, and is free from all of the pain and fears that plagued her on this earth. Striving for freedom and happiness, It's always worth it. Even if it isn't forever. For so many years what stopped her from escaping was fear. Please don't let it ever stop you, if you are in a bad place, or being hurt. I promise you there's so much more to you and life than that. This song is about so many things, but right now this is how it hit me and even if it makes me cry it makes me think about how proud I am of her for crossing and trying, despite the risk and pain. It was worth it in the end.
Very sorry to hear for your loss. This story was a heavy read but I really enjoy hearing other peoples life stories. We all have a different story and either way it’s beautiful in its own way. Have a good week friend!
I remember having my own theories about the ending of Inside. Seeing Bo afraid to come outside of his house only to want to go back inside was very bleak, but this song puts into perspective what might have been going through his head before opening the door. Verses like "the future is right there for the taking" and mostly how when she's in the middle of the road "she sees a pair of headlights", much like the spotlight that points at Bo at the end (and the rest of lights that follow him throughout the special), represent (i think) this human fear of being killed by the other. The fear that accompanies the desire of being a human that connects to those around him. The fear of rejection. The fear of failing to ever find connection. The fear of telling a joke when no one's laughing in the background. The fear of being the center of attention, selected by the crowd in a very Truman Show kinda way (just instead of Truman going outside, it's Bo trying to get inside again) and the anxiety it brings. There is this existentialist author called Jean Paul Sartre who has a very famous quote: "hell is the other" because to trust someone is yo give them the tools to hurt you, but you still trust them because you need to not feel lonely. Bo managed to make a metaphor for how the internet brings both isolation and connection and how paradoxically, being on the inside no longer protects you from the outside when there is a tool that is an open window to the dystopian reality we live now. Idk if there's anything else like Inside (other than the outtakes), but I'm so glad it exists.
He’s so relatable too. It’s like he peers into the deepest crevices of ourselves where everything’s hidden, and makes it into a song. He’s has a knack for making us feel so many different types of ways with his music. He makes us laugh, cry, have an existential crisis or two, and he makes us feel noticed. It’s a wonderful feeling.
This song encompasses how I’ve always felt about Bo’s work, and what I think he’s wanted to impart on his audience all these years. It makes you feel “seen,” like someone actually understands how fucking awful you feel most of the time. But in the end, despite how we have masked the pain with self deprecating humor, we still hope to beat the obstacles in our way. People in my life dont seem to understand why Inside impacted me so deeply, I think because in their minds its just dark comedy. To me it’s a symbol of overcoming isolation and sadness, even when you don’t believe in yourself. It sure helps me knowing Bo believes I can make it to the other side.
LYRICS The chicken wakes up like she does every morning To the sounds of her husband's screams Sat in the dark on the eggs she is warming She closes her eyes and dreams of walking to Memphis, becoming a dentist Anything but this I mean, she likes her life as a mother and wife but is that all she is? She stares out the window The very next morning, the chicken decides to make her escape, get a taste of freedom She runs out the coop that her life's been confined to Suddenly sees the thing she's only dreamed of Just up ahead gophers run through a meadow Deer graze, birds sing Her future is waiting, right there for the taking There's just, one thing the chicken must first cross the road The road A sea of trees and green and moss Waiting just across the road, the road A life of brighter days, a width of road away The road is gigantic, the chicken is little She moves ahead left-right-left, right-left-right All of a sudden, she stops in the middle Frozen in place by a pair of headlights It's anyone's guess what then happened next But most think she died But I think we ought to believe that she got to the other side So, that's why she did it
Yes we can! 💓 The best it's been in anything I've heard from him. When he gets to the road. It gives it new meaning completely and takes the song to a new place with his voice alone!
@@paul-pk8ex can we talk about how hes a singer. can we talk about how he has 2 legs. can we talk about how hes a Caucasian male? omg can we talk about his number of fingers bro he has 10 omg heart emoji heart emoji heart emoji
As a domestic violence survivor, this song makes me sob. Because I can't imagine what would of happened to me if I hadn't gotten to the other side. I know I would of ended up dead.
I mean inside is a really cool blend of seriousness and comedy, and it’s kind of hard to even pin down how you feel because simple songs like white woman’s instagram still have genuine sections in them that aren’t drenched in hilarious satire. When you get near the end, or with songs like all time low, it’s like it wants to be serious but it does it through a parodic and satirical lens. It’s like the simple funny songs eventually open up into the darker but still fun songs which then opens up into more genuine feelings. It’s like a progressive character study that you don’t even see until you’re at the end, stunned. No idea what this was about when I started writing this, adhd brain lol, but hey rambling was pretty fun.
When I first heard this song, and realized it was all an elaborate "Why did the chicken cross the road?" joke, I laughed and then immediately started crying. Especially when the camera switches to a shot of Bo's silhouette.
This is so beautiful. Something I want to comment on, is that a cheaper artist would have left it at "she died." I say this is cheaper because so often we see women characters being sacrificed for the sake of making stories more seemingly profound. So on that level it's nice to at least leave the possibility open that she lived, and made it across that road. But also, In a world of darkness, it would be so easy to assume the worst, that the chicken died, to succumb to negativity, and just give up. But to believe that she made it across the road, leads us to believe that goodness is possible, and it is worth crossing that road. Thank you Bo, for your beautiful beautiful art.
I also interpreted it as maybe the chicken just let the car hit her, so she can go ''to the other side'', but that would be very dark and I definitely prefer the little hopeful possibility she just crossed the road and started a new chapter of her life. It is really up for interpretation and I think it's just very excellent writing on Bo's part!
Honestly, upon pondering that idea some more I’ve come to the realization that the opposite is true. Trying to find examples that align with your narrative of women being sacrificed for the sake of profound storytelling was very difficult; however, I can think of many such cases with men (too many war movies to count, men sacrificing themselves for their family, etc). Very interested in your response.
I just remembered something else. In a very similar scenario from Bo’s first special, “what.”, there’s a segment in which Bo tells the story of a male frog searching for a female frog. The story ends with the male frog dying a painful death, getting eaten by a toad. Is this the part where I comment that males are always being sacrificed for the sake of making stories more seemingly profound?
I can’t believe I watched “I’m Bo Yo” back when I was a kid and now I’m watching this with my kid. It’s amazing how far you’ve come along. We’ve watched your Netflix specials multiple times. I hope to see you live one day Bo! Keep rocking it!
The cinematography is fantastic. The first shots are of a pure white background, Bo wears a white shirt, which seems pretty symbolic of the chicken being himself as well. Then as soon as he gets to the line of "The chicken must first cross the road." it cuts to an outer shot of Bo, surrounded by this shadowed clutter of all the materials he used for the special. Maybe Inside was his road that he had to cross, and now he's on the other side, having finished it and now the Inside Outtakes as well. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, regardless, it's a beautiful song, visually, lyrically, and aurally. "I'll see you when I see you You can pick the street, I'll meet you On the other side."
Listening to this version, then listening to the album track on Apple Music, hit in a different way. Both are equally powerful, musically and vocally heart-wrenching, especially in this version. But in the album, the part where he goes - “So that’s why she did it,” with the chicken softly cooing in the background, then at the end he speaks, “…goodbye.” Fucking hits. Like a gut punch. Bo’s storytelling and expression is so fucking incredible. So thankful to Bo for sharing all of “Inside”, this piece of his heart, with the world.
I remember feeling a well of emotions the first time I heard him sing “the road” as he strikes a few keys in a higher octave. 2:24. I think that’s why I prefer this version to the album where he does the lower crescendo in that part.
Great. Now every time a kid asks me why the chicken crossed the road, I’m going to start uncontrollably sobbing and traumatize the child. Especially once they tell me the punchline 😭
@@gemgen101 to be fair, they're small things, like the pace, a couple different notes, the instrumentals, particularly on/after "the road." On the album, there's added strings after that part, and the piano is played differently on the word "road." I like this version's raw emotion and just piano. It's subtle though and it certainly doesn't stop me from enjoying the version on the album. They're just different
You can see in the song "Goodbye" that would have been the song that played just before this on the special one of the first lines is "I'll see you when I see you, you can pick the street, I'll meet you... on the other side" which was setting this song up. The interconnection is so strong on "Goodbye" weaving in and out of so many songs from the special.
About 13 years you played at my college and I went not knowing who you were. I was so happy that happened! I am blown away every time I hear your music
I love everything about this song, but there's one aspect of the composition that astounds me. It never resolves into a major OR minor key at any point. Reflecting the emotional turmoil and fate of the chicken, the tone constantly shifts between happy and sad, ending on that uncertain, unresolved cadence. Masterpiece.
@@UltraSuperGamer The one at 2:25 at least is A (the chicken must) > Am (first cross the) > E (road) before then pivoting to G# > C#m. The music refuses to properly stop on the moment of happiness in A major, melts away to minor, hangs on the dominant chord as if we're going to come home again, refuses to resolve it and instead modulates to a different minor key. It's exactly as if you caught yourself in a happy thought and remembered something horribly sad. The ending goes even further by stopping on A minor and not moving to E. It's the literal punchline of the joke that is supposed to wrap things up and yet nothing feels finished.
I love how the double meaning of getting to the other side is still ambiguous. When I was younger I always interpreted it as an anti-joke and that the simple explanation was the chicken wanted to get to the other side not once considering the “other side” part of the punchline. And along comes Bo saying that it’s open to interpretation and that little boy who thought the chicken who just crossed an actual road this whole time without thinking anything of it could’ve been right this whole time in the most beautiful way possible
This honestly made me tear up. I hope he comes back eventually, because we need more beautiful songs like this, and more laughter. Basically, I think we all miss him. It's already been one year.
It’s not the meaning, but as a mom who hit postpartum depression when my son was born right at the start of the pandemic, this shit hit me like a ton of bricks. Not a song about a chicken crossing the road reminding me of PPD & making me weep bc the chicken got to leave and I didn’t 😭😭😭
Congratulations on your son! Motherhood is hard, but it's also wonderful and beautiful. I hope no one ever makes you feel bad about this path you took. You created a new life - how incredible is that?
It’s so beautiful. I’ve struggled with addiction for so many years. It’s something that has claimed the lives of several of my closest childhood friends. This year I’ve made the decision to cross the road of sobriety and make it to the other side. A life of brighter days. One that is full and rich and absolutely breathtaking. This song resonates with me in such a profound way. Your art has been a huge life saver for me. Thank you. And bless you. May you continue to inspire new generations of individuals who are still struggling to cross their own roads. Much love Bo.
This is the 1 year anniversary of my friend's dad's passing & I always pictured him as the Chicken in this story. RIP. I hope you're happier now that you got to the other side.
“A life of brighter days… a width of road away” Like so many of Bo’s lyrics, this one stirs my soul. Bo, I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but if you do… thank you.
Of all the great songs on the Inside Outtakes, this is my favorite. Such a beautiful story with an equally beautiful gut punch. Mr. Burnham, if you're reading this, you inspire me to become a better singer and your songs have helped me through so many dark times in my life. I think we ought to believe that we got to the other side with your help. Thank you
*me listening to this song for the 10th time this week* My 6 year old daughter: hey, this is the song that you cried to before! Me: yes it is, it is sad My daughter: well mom, it's about a chicken! And it's not even real! Me thinking to myself: I desperately hope you never have to understand why this song is so upsetting. I hope she never has to "cross the road". I hope she knows her worth from the start, and is able to one day become a mother. But also knows that she is so so so so much more than just a "mother"
mmmmm, that's some fine, fingerlickin' feminist bullshite right there. C'mon! It's painfully obvious that you made up this whole conversation with your fictional daughter, and even referred to yourself in the 3rd person thinking that is would somehow make your BS believable. Any actual parent knows that a six year old does not talk that way and does even think that way. Grow up, loose the whole gender thing and maybe one day you'll actually be fit to have a child of your own. Then you can post about what she really says instead of posting this BS.
That's cute. It's cool that this song can have so many different meanings to people, I know myself as someone about to leave home and start college I relate hard to this song
The music composition was brilliant. The piano was touching, the lyrics sunk me into the story... I was on the edge of my seat. When, on the verge of tears, at the end of the song, I realized the joke was: "Why did the chicken cross the road" I was floored. Thank you.
Sang this song at my job's open mic (I work at a cafe in a hostel) Everyone absolutely loved it. We laughed, we cried. Thanks for writing amazing songs Bo. I sing your music at open mic a lot
I legitimately can’t stop listening to this song. It’s really good. I didn’t expect a song about a chicken to be so emotional. But I was pleasantly surprised.
I really like that the end of this song is open to interpretation. Even though Bo suggests that people should have more faith in the chicken in believing that she made it across the road, he doesn't continue on whether or not she actually made it. I think she did. :)
I like that he sings that he likes to believe, "She made it to the other side." Just for any people from different cultures that might not be familiar with the English idiom: the "other side" is an euphemism for the afterlife. And of course it also has the very literal meaning of "she crossed the road." So you can pick the interpretation that personally is more meaningful to you.
When I tell you that this song is the song that single handedly sent me into a spiral. I have never, and I mean never have had such a strong emotional reaction to a song, let alone a song about a fucking chicken. This song has reshaped the way I see the world. I haven’t stopped playing this song since the special came out, there is not a day where this song isn’t in my thoughts. I don’t know what you did in this song Bo but I am completely emotionally enamored by it. It brings out emotions I didn’t even know I had, I feel like you’re describing me. “But I think we ought to believe that she got to, the other side” Is something I will always think about. Bo you’re an incredible creator and I am so happy that you are bringing new stuff. But yeah, this song has become the most special thing to me now. Thank you.
i sobbed so much louder and in such a violent way hearing it. i didnt know i could be so loud. it has entirely enveloped me in so much hope and understanding, i mean really EVERY singular word i can identify with deeply, in multifaceted ways. you put into words exactly what i feel, truly this song feels like what i have been searching for, connection, my entire fucking life. im getting a tattoo that says "but i think we ought to believe that she got to the other side" soon
came back to this song to have a good cry. thank you, bo. you’re my biggest musical inspiration. seeing your first special as a kid really changed me. i sat with my family on christmas eve and my world felt absolutely changed. i was having a life changing experience while my eldest sibling got in trouble for showing us an “inappropriate movie”😂your work made me realize my piano playing, and any art i’ve done since, doesn’t have to be so crushingly conforming. years later, my eldest sibling and i are watching your newest special. we watched your first special afterwards. my brother looks at me and says, “you know i was putting this on for you when you were younger. i just knew you’d get something from it.” maybe if i were better at articulating my emotions, he would’ve known just how much it really did impact me. i hope i can someday tell you how much your work means to me and my family. it’s been so special to connect with my brother over your work. we’ve watched everything together, it means a lot considering we have a 15yr age difference. thanks for all you do
god i know im putting so much meaning into this but this really reminded me of my own mother, she's so giving, spent so long living for others like my dad. Now she's free and struggling but stronger than she could ever think. ik its a song based on a popular joke kinda but damn made me tear up almost, guess its just perpective damn.
No you're on point. I definitely teared up. it does read as allegorical/symbolic to people with certain life experiences, even though Bo's exaggerated-emotional sense of humor is in there too. Pure art. So proud of you and your mom!
I lost my ex partner to suicide several months ago. I loved him a whole lot and I've been struggling immensely since. Last night I was rewatching Inside Outtakes and this song and what it meant just finally clicked. Today I still feel the loss but I also feel hopeful that the other side is everything he hoped for. Thank you for helping me make a little more sense of everything.
So sorry for your loss. I've recently been watching people recounting their near death experiences and I found it quite conforting as their experiences seemed to have a common thread. It's here on TH-cam www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideNDEYT/videos Hopefully it will help you. All the best.
I wondered if he ever wrote serious songs utilizing his wonderful voice. And here it is. I have so much love for Bo. It’s obvious what an inherently amazing person he is.
Being somewhat hopeful in the face of bad situation, without making light of them, is something that I rarely see in media but that I think is very important... after I started doing this my view on myself and the world changed a bit for the better, or at least I could see myself striving and hoping for getting in the other side of the road, to a better place in my life, someday, and I think i got there compared to my older self, but there are still other roads in the horizon. I can't thank you enough for this, Bo
This truly is a Bo Burnham song. It gives me such intense Make Happy vibes, but with its own beautiful Inside feel. Definitely my favorite thing to come from the outtakes.
Makes sense the original question why did the chicken cross the road is a metaphor for the question are you happy and he's the chicken and the room is the road in my opinion. It's full of metaphors. He makes my neurons fire like no other.
Crying everytime I hear this because I'm always thinking of my mother as the chicken... she never wanted the life she had.. she loved us kids but... she didn't want that life and I get scared often I'm the same and I'm scared have kids in fear I may feel resentment for not being free anymore...
It never resolves. The chords never resolve, ending on a minor 4th and not a major 1st or minor 6th, but also the story. The story never resolves. When the chicken sees the headlights, nobody knows what happened next. It's this lack of a resolution that really makes this scary. That's what we fear most. *Uncertainty.*
this song gives so much more meaning to the line in Goodbye: "You can pick the street. I'll meet you on the other side"
wow yeah. nice one
that's exactly what went through my mind today while listening the deluxe album!
I DIDN'T NEED TO CRY TODAY, THANKS.
Yep! I realized the same thing. Also in Goodbye, he's the one getting called to get a joke told to him if he smells smoke. The alt version he definitely goes mad and DIAF, goes to the other side. 🤯
Yep, thing is I thought it was a reference to the the punch like 'to get to the other side'.
Maybe that's why he left it without including this song, you can still get the punch of that line.
(But yea no, knowing this song still recontextualizes that like a little)
To dissect a joke this deeply and translate it musically, and then cut it from the project, is just a testament to the talent and hard work that went into Inside.
Dude... It's finally here 🤯
Its finally here holy shit 😳
@@jinjani9380 its finally where?
@@haydencapps here
@@haydencapps under there
Actually one of the most beautiful songs of INSIDE. I can see why it might not have fit in thematically with the rest but I'm so grateful we got to experience it!
:,) amazingly said
Insane how you got 4 bots to reply lol
@@euclxd8033 there's 6, acually
I actually think it fits perfectly thematically with the themes of the whole special. Feeling trapped, finding identity in the world, freedom. It is a little strange to have a song about a chicken at all, let alone in the context of this, but to me the fact that it actually DOES fit so well even though its so weird that its a song about a chicken using the cheesiest joke in existence just makes it all the more impressive how beautiful it it.
@Eric Young I agree completely, the themes subject matters align well with the rest of the special. What sets this one apart (from what I've found) is that it isn't directly related to the internet/social media/communication by digital means which is the red thread throughout the entire special. The Chicken is more of a commentary of being trapped in an upfullfilled life with aspirations of greater things. The themes you mentioned are definitely the same, Bo clearly thought this through, but the context of which the themes are utilised are just different enough for it to not fit in seamlessly as does the other songs.
That being said, I don't think it would shatter the experience whatsoever to have had the song in the original, I do however believe I understand Bo's reasoning as to why it was removed.
At the end of the day, it's an absolutely fantastic song and I'm happy we got to experience it!
For French speakers, the part about the chicken becoming a dentist has a deeper (accidental) meaning. The chicken becoming a dentist kind of implies that chickens would have teeth, and in French there's an idiom ''Quand les poules auront des dents...'' (When chickens will have teeth), which more accurately translates to ''When pigs fly'' (Used when talking about something that will never happen). So to me, when the chicken talks about becoming a dentist, it is even more literally talking about something inconceivable, that could seemingly never happen than what the song already implies.
Thats really clever wow
Fucking hell
Damn
im dumb
@@sean78745 Doesn't matter if it's intended, it's there.
This song is everything Bo is
- Creatively genius
- Sorrowful and meaningful
- Comedic through the pain
- a chicken
This comment helps me understand why Bo’s music helped me get through the death of my daughter last year. Another thing that helped me is the TH-cam channel Destiny Image.
This song is everything Bo is
- Chicken
- Road
- Joke
@Creative edited videos what the fuck is here nigga
Consistent
I didn't think someone could make me cry over a song about chicken, yet here we are
i love you sully g
yooooo sully
Yo you gotta make an inside song tho
But was it really about chicken? Being chicken? Not chickening out? Crossing over? Learning to duck 🦆 when you’re chicken in oncoming traffic?
same dude
Only Bo could give me chills with a song about why the chicken crossed the road.
Mhm
@Don't Read My Profile Photo I won’t don’t worry
True
❤️
Indeed. My existential crisis has just had an infusion of hope and meaning.
The line "the road is gigantic the chicken is little" manages to make me tear up every time. There is something so relatable about a little chicken standing in the middle of a huge road and life feels like a big car is bearing down on you, and knowing there is nothing you can do to stop it because you're just a little chicken.
I feel you.
I thought it was just me...of all the words he could have used, "little" just cuts me up.
As a heroin addict who has been sober for 7 months but struggles to know what to do with sobriety, this song and that analogy specifically really hit hard.
It seems imposaible for me to attain anything close to fulfillment or happiness and i feel like this is all so much bigger than me and ita just going to kill me one way or another in the end while everyone just seems to think its as easy as just doing what you need to do.
@@mississippiatheistette8769keep up the good work family !!! we are proud of you. don’t give up or give in. Merry christmas to you and yours!
In any other album, this would be the centerpiece. For inside, it's an outtake. Inside was magic.
The most special special, ever.
Imo this should’ve been in the actual special.
this should have been the credits song for inside
@@Sundae62im not sure if it would fit thematically, fantastic song though
He said it should of been the finale.
LYRICS:
The chicken wakes up like she does every morning
To the sounds of her husband's screams
Sat in the dark on the eggs she is warming
She closes her eyes and dreams of
Walking to Memphis, becoming a dentist
Anything but this
I mean, she likes her life as a mother and wife but
Is that all, she is?
She stares out the window
The very next morning, the chicken decides to
Make her escape, get a taste of freedom
She runs out the coop that her life's been confined to
Suddenly sees the things she's only dreamed of
Just up ahead, gophers run through a meadow
Deer graze, birds sing
Her future is waiting, right there for the taking
There's just, one thing
The chicken must first cross the road
The road
A sea of trees and green and moss
Waiting just across the road, the road
A life of brighter days, a width of road away
The road is gigantic, the chicken is little
She moves her head, left-right-left, right-left-right
All of a sudden, she stops in the middle
Frozen in place by a pair of headlights
It's anyone's guess what
Then happened next but
Most think, she died
But I think we ought to believe that
She got to
The other side
So that's why she did it
up
Thanks
Thank you
Thank you fella
The hero we need.
Imagine writing and recording this masterpiece only to decide it DIDN’T make the cut and instead you’d just let it collect dust on a hard drive for a YEAR.
It makes sense though. Inside is incredibly cohesive. There isn't one bit that isn't about the overarching theme.
The Chicken is great, but it doesn't fit.
@@AcetylsaliciIique oh it fits. The road is the room. The headlights are LEDS The question why did the chicken cross is the same question is are you happy. No one knows what happened next bc he's going to step away and we're going to be left wondering...
@@DetroitNickel Oh, you can always make these kind of connections, but Inside is more specific than that.
It's neither just about being trapped in a room/life, and it isn't just a sequel to Make Happy.
It's about the internet. It's about how we have become a part of it and how we can never go outside again.
The chicken is not trapped in a performance like we are, she's trapped in a very real, very old school situation.
@@AcetylsaliciIique i get it but we know bo. He's always turning it modern and meta. I have no doubt that's what he did here and that's why this was made for inside, and intentionally left for last. Agree to disagree.
@@DetroitNickel This is genuinely the most respectful and intelligent internet debate I've ever read and I love the points you guys both brought up
As much as I love this song, it's even cooler how seemingly everyone who's listened to it has taken a different meaning from it. Some see it as a metaphor for suicide, some see it as a metaphor for escaping an abusive relationship, and some just see it as a deconstruction of the classic joke. My personal take on its meaning is that it's meant to serve as a metaphor for transitioning from one part of your life to another. Needless to say, I listened to this song a LOT during the summer after I graduated.
I remember when Inside came out Bo didn’t release them on any music streaming services immediately. There was a few week period around when I graduated where I listened to Goodbye as “Untitled Ending Song” on a google drive I found online looking for the songs on Apple Music
Robert does a great job of breaking expectations in his songs, he puts everything into his work very intelligently. It would seem like just a chicken, but you feel that everything is much deeper than you could imagine.
Living for one day is better than never living at all 🥹
It is not by any stretch of the imagination or lucid interpretation a method for suicide lmao
I think this song is all those things, it is a brilliant, meaningful deconstruction of the classic joke using it to represent a difficult and massive change within somebody's life, whether that be escaping an abusive relationship, contemplating suicide, changing your career or just transitioning from one thing to another. It resonates with so many people because everybody has felt unsatisfied with their life at one point or another and/or has had to make an incredibly hard decision that they know they couldn't go back from.
I feel like this song reflects why Bo made this special in the first place. Despite the knowledge that comedy is an insufficient tool to solve all of our world's problems (and the guilt and fear that accompanies that), Bo made Inside because he continues to strive for something better...to be better...to get to the other side of the road that holds a brighter future. Bo is an optimist, even when faced with tragedy.
Agreed. To me this song encompasses how Ive always felt about Bo’s work, and what I think he’s wanted to impart on his audience. It makes you feel “seen,” like someone understands how fucking awful you feel most of the time. But in the end, all we want is to make it out, to make it to what we want to accomplish, despite the obstacles in our way. It helps knowing Bo believes we can make it to the other side.
He's been performing this song since around 2016 I believe, it's the ending song to his performances at the Largo Theatre.
Fucking what
Yeah, you can see that best in the song “From Gods perspective” I think, with lines like “This could be heaven, doesn’t just the thought of it makes it worth a try?”
@@pakkitman if there’s anything that Inside showed me it’s that Bo wants to put real art out into the world. I mean, look at Inside, itself- the whole thing keeps an overarching theme in itself, struggling through his mental health, feeling as though he’s stuck inside the confines of the internet, which dictates ours and his life, especially considering his career being built on that very thing. If you listen to pretty much any of his songs from Inside or the Outtakes you can see that each song definitely has a deeper meaning, at least especially when put together. To me it seems like he started creating all of these songs various styles, a lot of them talking about the internet and his mental health taking a toll especially from Covid, and somewhere along the way figured that both topics are ones he keeps coming back to and when you watch it all put together it only evokes a sad feeling if you think a lot into it. It literally became the internet dictating our lives and causing or effecting our mental health issues. So, when I look at it, I don’t think of an extended joke; I find a well-known joke beautifully twisted into a long metaphor for his or someone else’s experiences.
As a Mum, who got left with two kids, one of them newborn, by the screaming husband, this song kills me, fills me with inspiration, makes me cry, feel, and smile. Absolutely incredible.
Just please take care whenever you cross the street
@@MrRoblox1377 go away please.
To Cambria
don't listen to this stupid pleb. you're strong and very cool. i wish you the bestest of lives for you and your kids, Cambria
🖤
I have a couple of eggs too, and an exhusband that used to scream about EVERYTHING. It’s not all we are. 🤍
This song hits emotions I didn’t even know I had. Bravo
I had to check this was the actual guy like 4 times. I’m about 87% sure it’s the real Panda
Just like golf it
You and me both Anthony 💛
Like aporthochitgegethicol, personally it’s my fav emotion. I love my flesh melting
Indeed it does
I hope you’re doing well. Life is complicated but you’re such an inspiration to me and so many others 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
How has no one commented on this 😮
Love ur video by the way❤❤
OMG HI I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE YOU HERE!!😭💕
Really wondering where he went
I think is one of the songs that sounds the most like him. It fits so perfectly with his other finales, the only difference is that it’s much calmer from the others, which sound more like a panic attack. It just shows how much Bo has grown as a person and I’m so happy to have seen his progression over the past 15 years
I agree! it's taking a dumb joke and making it super emotional and thought provoking like cant handle this or we think we know you
@@gab2912 That this comment already has 5 bots feels like I’m watching another outtake with fake ads. That this was part of their joke.
I completely agree with you. When I first saw that pasty white boy in a tie-dye shirt I never imagined he could create something like this.
I know he often jokes about his vocal abilities but… he can really sing!
2:38 Especially. Most people would need autotune to pull that off
He's gotten better throughout his career
The jokes are over, he won a fucking grammy! (for an auto tuned song hahahahah the jokes continue!)
@Owen Polar lmao
@@TheKillahKyla everything has autotune these days. like bo here.
I'm a grown fucking man bawling like a baby that hasn't been fed for four hours over the OLDEST JOKE IN THE BOOK.
Only Bo can make something so simple, this moving. Thank you, Mister Burnham.
I think with all the lessons he's taught me over the years I'm going to start calling him Master Burnham
@@DetroitNickel accurate.
I thank Bo Burnham for stopping me from becoming an incel, considering how much time I spend on the internet lol
Edit: Pewdiepie and Kurtis Conner too are I guess my role models for the whole respecting everyone regardless of who they are too
I'm crying too omg what I wasn't expecting it.
Did anyone notice that in the TH-cam version, when Bo sings about the road its really soft, but if you listen on spotify, the keys are like an octave down, and the chorus is way more dramatic? Idk, I still think this is a really good song! I love you Bo!
I think you might be right, don’t wanna check cause I’m just now getting over crying my eyes out over this song lol
This versions is significantly more enjoyable. Listened to it on repeat all day today!
This is Bo's most vocally impressive song. He sounds excellent.
No, he sounds eggcellent.
@@idonotknow9212 Nice one.
This song’s highest note is E4. (which is very impressive. i can’t do that shit) However, I do think Comedy and Problematic would be more vocally difficult.
@@Aaronnh it's clean and pretty, but obviously Bo isn't comfortable writing into his falsetto. Which is fine. A good composer and singer writes in their range. A bad one extends beyond it because they don't know what else to do to increase the intensity of the song.
Bo Burnham has always been a master at turning tragedy into comedy. Here he does the opposite by turning a joke into tragedy
Great comment. He's not just a comedian, he's a genius
you’re amazing for your insight. i’ve never heard it put this way. i love bo man. thank you
I mean... Bo always did both, that's why he's so good. He makes you laugh, and then makes you regret laughing
Really, who’s gonna go for joking at a time like this? Should I be joking at a time like this?
Yes Bo Burnham with such lines as
"If you're black don't want to see your face, they're like a high school track, just a stupid race"
But yeah he had a panic attack so let's all adore him and pretend he's a saint
Do notice how lightning works in this clip. At the end, Bo looks like that chicken frozen by headlights on the road. He is just brilliant. Genius in every single detail.
True. Genius of details ❤️
I also like the detail that she aspires to be a dentist, when chickens don't have teeth. It hints on the plan being unrealistic because of the isolated life the chicken leads
@@georgelane6350 I feel like dentist and Memphis just rhymed and he needed a line to show that she had dreams of some kind. Didn’t matter what.
@@crouton7297 nah man, outrageously careful construction is Bo's whole thing.
This is a very simple, dull take. You see a black line on paper and tell everyone it can only mean "one" thing
anyone can turn tragedy into comedy. but only a true artist can turn comedy into tragedy
This is an excellent comment
One of the most touching songs he's written is (un)surprisingly about a chicken crossing the road. Well done Mr Burnham.
Here's a human reply to you
@@nairaaaa11 finally a human comment is here
I think about my boyfriend every time I listen to Bo's stuff because my boyfriend loved all of his music. He committed suicide almost 2 months ago. I miss you so much Gavin, I love you.
I am so sorry as a person who can relate to having people die around them I can attest to the fact that. It always will hurt no death is worse. It just depends on the person affected. And I am so sorry. I can't imagine losing mine. I fear. But you will be in my prayers tonight if that is okay. I cried because it hits very close to home
I hope healing comes to you
Whenever you cross the road on the other side, decades upon decades from now, I hope you'll meet him there. I'm so sorry.
May God bless you and grant you peace
I hope you are doing very well.
Not only is Bo a lyrical GENUIS but people don’t give his actual musical talent enough credit. His chord progressions complex and beautiful. His vocals rhythmically interact with the song in cool ways. We will never see one like Bo again
I sadly couldn't agree more, his talent is something beyond, unmatched, incomparable. Although I don't think I'll be around to see the next "legend", as he implies in this humble and yet gorgeous composition, we ought hope for the best, even when the odds aren't at favor...
There will always be a Bo around, to help healing the World with "comedy" 😁
Nah, I think Bo is simply once in a generation. I'd consider him the spiritual successor to Carlin, making controversial (To the older generation) comedy for young people. Obviously his methods are drastically different, but Bo's content and criticisms just keep reminding me of him
@@nighteye4042 Long live Bo
Bo gonna make such a wanderfull things in the future… i cant wait to see it
tim minchen steve allen ...
The chicken wakes up like she does every morning
To the sounds of her husband's scream
Sat in the dark on the eggs she is warming
She closes her eyes and dreams of
Walking to Memphis, becoming a dentist
Anything but this
I mean, she likes her life as a mother and wife
But is that all she is?
She stares out the window
The very next morning, the chicken decides to
Make her escape, get a taste of freedom
She runs out the coop that her life's been confined to
Suddenly sees the thing she's only dreamed of
Just up ahead, gophers run through a meadow
Deer graze, birds sing
Her future is waiting, right there for the taking
There's just one thing
The chicken must first cross the road
The road
A sea of trees and green and moss
Waiting just across the road, the road
A life of brighter days, a width of road away
The road is gigantic, the chicken is little
She moves ahead left-right-left, right-left-right
All of a sudden, she stops in the middle
Frozen in place by a pair of headlights
It's anyone's guess what then happened next
But most think she died
But I think we ought to believe that she got to
The other side
So that's why she did it
Goodbye
Now I feel the musical talent Bo has is even more than I thought...
He turned a literal story into a song with the lyrics looking nothing like a song
still relevant, thanks 👍
Thought he originally sang Dear Grace instead of Deer graze as if the chicken was reacting to the beauty of life beyond the road and needed to find grace to quell the amazement. I really liked that line as I heard it, especially combined with how he sang it. But I suppose, Deer graze makes more sense. Anyway amazing song.
Friend: “Hey, why’d the chicken cross the road?”
Me: “The chicken wakes up like she does every morning
To the sounds of her husband's screams
Sat in the dark on the eggs she is warming
She closes her eyes and dreams of
Walking to Memphis, becoming a dentist
Anything but this
I mean, she likes her life as a mother and wife
But is that all she is?
She stares out the window
The very next morning, the chicken decides to
Make her escape, get a taste of freedom
She runs out the coop that her life's been confined to
Suddenly sees the thing she's only dreamed of
Just up ahead, gophers run through a meadow
Deer graze, birds sing
Her future is waiting, right there for the taking
There's just one thing
The chicken must first cross the road
The road
A sea of trees and green and moss
Waiting just across the road, the road
A life of brighter days, a width of road away
The road is gigantic, the chicken is little
She moves ahead left-right-left, right-left-right
All of a sudden, she stops in the middle
Frozen in place by a pair of headlights
It's anyone's guess what then happened next
But most think she died
But I think we ought to believe that she got to
The other side
So that's why she did it”
Friend: “I was gonna say ‘buck-ause’ but sure, whatever.”
@@CroweCollects buckause...
she did it buckause??
@@CroweCollects Well I heard this joke in French and the end was "To reach the other side" *shrugs*
@@CroweCollects there's tons of endings to the joke. and a bunch of variations too.
“To get to the other side” anti joke
I’m so happy this is finally online.
luv u sabrina
didnt expect to see you here
Got tired of playing the victim card and using abuse for Gus's clout?
Reminder that sabrina uses her ex being a bad boyfriend as an excuse to air out dirty laundry to the public to send her 12 year old fans to attack her ex and his innocent family members. She also monetizes her "abuse" story and runs ads over them cause she only really cares about money and attention.
Yo
Me too :)
I don't know if Bo ever reads comments or if I'll get a chance to meet him in my lifetime, but all I have to say is thank you and nothing else. THANK YOU, weird kid from youtube, life is very less miserable with you up there.
"Thank you, weird man, bye!"
Bo is the only person who can write a song about the world’s oldest joke and make it ten times more powerful.
For one thing, probably his most beautiful and moving piano piece yet. The key choice here is in the lyric "but is that all she is?". He could have gone for "is that all there is?" But instead he makes it personal, which adds a real weight to the character study. It's a magnificent song and shows the scale of his talent and imagination. Who else would write this as a response to "why did the chicken cross the road?". There is only one Bo Burnham.
It’s interesting you mention character study because there are a lot of TEDtalks that talk about the chemical hormones that are released when we tell stories. Depending on the specific details , structure, and how much was built up , we can manipulate certain types of chemicals in others that make us feel more attracted to what someone is saying. If you don’t finish what you’re saying you literally leave people feeling stressed ou,t hanging on your word like a cliff hanger or a knock knock joke unanswered- use the doorbell next time!-. So the choice to connect audience with more similarities with the chicken they could connect with, and further incorporating her in a story with that line you mentioned, created more sensory inputs for us to connect and pick up on.
- Basically I just admire your point of view and insight and wanted to contribute something. Not sure if it’s anything.
Thought provoking and intellectually inspiring for sure, if not a serenely hopeful motivation what with an ambiguous ending that was left to the imagination!
Pretty sure the piano is just his own song “Sad” from what.
But yes, very beautiful
Pity about the kids she abandoned though
@@Burke1O1 We don't know that they hatched. Perhaps they wouldn't have without her there. Also, I'm going to bite my tongue about all the other things I could say in response to your comment.
@@lauramarinaperez8325 so youre saying she left her kids to die? pure and total selfishness
This song is obviously allegorical, but Bo uses his shots to compliment the words he sings. He's really brilliant in that sense. At 1:37 he talks escape and freedom for the chicken. That's the same shot he uses to capture him and the door, both in frame. Of course, the door is his escape at the end of Make Happy and Inside, both.
I dunno if you guys noticed it, but I subscribe to the idea that it was intentional.
Astute observation!😊
@@sammybutler3027 indeed
it's an allegorical song for sure. the lyrics can easily be telling bo's own struggles with fame and anxiety, but it goes so much further than that too. the message is something that can be interpreted in any number of ways and i'm sure most people can relate to it even if only to a certain extent. it's a masterpiece in every sense.
I was struck that he framed the shot to be like he was staring down headlights. I like your observation too
100 percent. Bo never does anything in his specials without purpose and intention.
that moment when i realized that whether the chicken died or successfully crossed the road , she still got to the other side 😭 had me sobbing. thanks bo
As in death is also known as “the other side?” Yeah it’s so fucking clever.
Ohshit.
Yea, I mean do it, or die trying, right?
I always come back to this song because it reminds me of my mother. She was the chicken, she had dreams and ambitions, but gave them up because my dad wanted children. She was confined to a life she didn’t desire. She loves my sisters and I, but she was unhappy that she wasn't able to follow through with her dreams. She endured my father's abuse while doing whatever she could to protect us from him. Fortunately for us, he passed away, and my mom was free from him. I'm glad he died, because it meant she was able to cross the road and get to the other side.
i hope shes in good health rn
i made my mother listen to this song, i was crying at the same time and she said, "are you crying because the chicks are left without a mother?" no mom i'm crying because you are the chicken
😭😭😭
lmao
I hope your mom is happy, really hope she doesn't wake up to her husband screaming
@@TitaniumTronic thank you so much :) i wish the same for your mother. unfortunately it's a bit like that :/
Bro now you made me cry
Beautifully composed, and beautifully written. I can't stop listening to this. I'm in awe, thank you Bo for sharing your art. I am hooked on it
Something's here apparently.
This song means so much to me. For years, my mother lived as a prisoner in an abusive relationship, for most of her life. 9 years ago, she crossed the road, made it to the other side. She found love and freedom, but she was never fully free from the fear a life of abuse caused... for 9 years she got to live free from abuse, and then 2 months ago she left this world.
It makes me cry to think she only got 9 years of freedom, but she did make it to the other side for them. I don't know if afterlife is real or not, but I hope she finally made it, and is free from all of the pain and fears that plagued her on this earth.
Striving for freedom and happiness, It's always worth it. Even if it isn't forever. For so many years what stopped her from escaping was fear. Please don't let it ever stop you, if you are in a bad place, or being hurt. I promise you there's so much more to you and life than that.
This song is about so many things, but right now this is how it hit me and even if it makes me cry it makes me think about how proud I am of her for crossing and trying, despite the risk and pain. It was worth it in the end.
sorry for your loss
Very sorry to hear for your loss. This story was a heavy read but I really enjoy hearing other peoples life stories. We all have a different story and either way it’s beautiful in its own way. Have a good week friend!
I lost my mom in December. I can't even start to type what this song means to me because my eyes burn from crying. I understand ❤️
@@ErinJeanette sorry for your loss
@@o8198 thank you ❤️
This is a masterpiece.
The fact that this song answers a life long joke question while telling a compelling story says everything.
Bo is a genius.
I remember having my own theories about the ending of Inside. Seeing Bo afraid to come outside of his house only to want to go back inside was very bleak, but this song puts into perspective what might have been going through his head before opening the door. Verses like "the future is right there for the taking" and mostly how when she's in the middle of the road "she sees a pair of headlights", much like the spotlight that points at Bo at the end (and the rest of lights that follow him throughout the special), represent (i think) this human fear of being killed by the other. The fear that accompanies the desire of being a human that connects to those around him. The fear of rejection. The fear of failing to ever find connection. The fear of telling a joke when no one's laughing in the background. The fear of being the center of attention, selected by the crowd in a very Truman Show kinda way (just instead of Truman going outside, it's Bo trying to get inside again) and the anxiety it brings.
There is this existentialist author called Jean Paul Sartre who has a very famous quote: "hell is the other" because to trust someone is yo give them the tools to hurt you, but you still trust them because you need to not feel lonely.
Bo managed to make a metaphor for how the internet brings both isolation and connection and how paradoxically, being on the inside no longer protects you from the outside when there is a tool that is an open window to the dystopian reality we live now. Idk if there's anything else like Inside (other than the outtakes), but I'm so glad it exists.
I loved the last part of your comment. Well said.
@Jack FleckMy bad. I corrected it, thanks man :)
Wow, super well put. Thanks for your insight and eloquence!
@@Mariana16562 .
Spot on
Bo is such a special artist. He doesn't just do comedy, he goes deep too and he can be very dark when he wants to
He’s so relatable too. It’s like he peers into the deepest crevices of ourselves where everything’s hidden, and makes it into a song. He’s has a knack for making us feel so many different types of ways with his music.
He makes us laugh, cry, have an existential crisis or two, and he makes us feel noticed. It’s a wonderful feeling.
guys did you hear the news, it's finally here
@@rtheawesomegm of course how could I miss it! 🤣
#deep
#Deep
This song encompasses how I’ve always felt about Bo’s work, and what I think he’s wanted to impart on his audience all these years. It makes you feel “seen,” like someone actually understands how fucking awful you feel most of the time. But in the end, despite how we have masked the pain with self deprecating humor, we still hope to beat the obstacles in our way. People in my life dont seem to understand why Inside impacted me so deeply, I think because in their minds its just dark comedy. To me it’s a symbol of overcoming isolation and sadness, even when you don’t believe in yourself. It sure helps me knowing Bo believes I can make it to the other side.
so well said, I love the way you put it
LYRICS
The chicken wakes up like she does every morning
To the sounds of her husband's screams
Sat in the dark on the eggs she is warming
She closes her eyes and dreams of walking to Memphis, becoming a dentist
Anything but this
I mean, she likes her life as a mother and wife but is that all she is?
She stares out the window
The very next morning, the chicken decides to make her escape, get a taste of freedom
She runs out the coop that her life's been confined to
Suddenly sees the thing she's only dreamed of
Just up ahead gophers run through a meadow
Deer graze, birds sing
Her future is waiting, right there for the taking
There's just, one thing
the chicken must first cross the road
The road
A sea of trees and green and moss
Waiting just across the road, the road
A life of brighter days,
a width of road away
The road is gigantic, the chicken is little
She moves ahead left-right-left, right-left-right
All of a sudden, she stops in the middle
Frozen in place by a pair of headlights
It's anyone's guess what then happened next
But most think she died
But I think we ought to believe that she got to the other side
So, that's why she did it
Can we talk about how beautiful Bo's voice sounds in this?!
Yes we can! 💓 The best it's been in anything I've heard from him. When he gets to the road. It gives it new meaning completely and takes the song to a new place with his voice alone!
OMG YES fr fr bro zoomer moment
What do you expect hes a singer
Not exactly.... He's an artist
@@paul-pk8ex can we talk about how hes a singer. can we talk about how he has 2 legs. can we talk about how hes a Caucasian male? omg can we talk about his number of fingers bro he has 10 omg heart emoji heart emoji heart emoji
This is one of my favourite of Bo's melodies so far. Very much like Art is Dead, God's Perspective etc. So glad we got to see it!
seriously, the piano harmony during the 2nd verse (?) is so fulfilling
Yes! Art is Dead is one of my favorites of his! He's such a genius.
As a domestic violence survivor, this song makes me sob. Because I can't imagine what would of happened to me if I hadn't gotten to the other side. I know I would of ended up dead.
Welcome to the other side. You are welcome here. You are truly loved here.
❤️
@@ChessHistorian huh
Very glad to hear you got out. 💜
@@ChessHistorian lol
If Bo ever decides just to make a serious album. I’m buying it immediately. Such a brilliant talent and artist.
I wonder when that’ll be… if he ends up making another…
It’s been a whole year
@@noobabros I don’t think bo has ever released an album within a year of the last
@@onlykflow ohh
I mean inside is a really cool blend of seriousness and comedy, and it’s kind of hard to even pin down how you feel because simple songs like white woman’s instagram still have genuine sections in them that aren’t drenched in hilarious satire. When you get near the end, or with songs like all time low, it’s like it wants to be serious but it does it through a parodic and satirical lens. It’s like the simple funny songs eventually open up into the darker but still fun songs which then opens up into more genuine feelings. It’s like a progressive character study that you don’t even see until you’re at the end, stunned. No idea what this was about when I started writing this, adhd brain lol, but hey rambling was pretty fun.
@@noobabros bruh let him cook
Love this song. We finally have our answer.
@Creative edited videos No way!!1!1!!!1!!!!!11!!!!!!!!!11111!!!1
When I first heard this song, and realized it was all an elaborate "Why did the chicken cross the road?" joke, I laughed and then immediately started crying. Especially when the camera switches to a shot of Bo's silhouette.
Hits right in the kokoro.
This is so beautiful. Something I want to comment on, is that a cheaper artist would have left it at "she died." I say this is cheaper because so often we see women characters being sacrificed for the sake of making stories more seemingly profound. So on that level it's nice to at least leave the possibility open that she lived, and made it across that road.
But also, In a world of darkness, it would be so easy to assume the worst, that the chicken died, to succumb to negativity, and just give up. But to believe that she made it across the road, leads us to believe that goodness is possible, and it is worth crossing that road.
Thank you Bo, for your beautiful beautiful art.
I also interpreted it as maybe the chicken just let the car hit her, so she can go ''to the other side'', but that would be very dark and I definitely prefer the little hopeful possibility she just crossed the road and started a new chapter of her life. It is really up for interpretation and I think it's just very excellent writing on Bo's part!
The chicken died and went "to the other side"
“so often we see women characters sacrificed for the sake of making stories more seemingly profound”? um, we do?? news to me.
Honestly, upon pondering that idea some more I’ve come to the realization that the opposite is true. Trying to find examples that align with your narrative of women being sacrificed for the sake of profound storytelling was very difficult; however, I can think of many such cases with men (too many war movies to count, men sacrificing themselves for their family, etc). Very interested in your response.
I just remembered something else. In a very similar scenario from Bo’s first special, “what.”, there’s a segment in which Bo tells the story of a male frog searching for a female frog. The story ends with the male frog dying a painful death, getting eaten by a toad. Is this the part where I comment that males are always being sacrificed for the sake of making stories more seemingly profound?
I can’t believe I watched “I’m Bo Yo” back when I was a kid and now I’m watching this with my kid.
It’s amazing how far you’ve come along. We’ve watched your Netflix specials multiple times. I hope to see you live one day Bo! Keep rocking it!
and i’m the greatest rapper ever whether i whether your whether or whether you think i’m clever or not
@@plinkoviral Think you're better; you're not
@@blubernautDONT NEED A SWEATER IM HOT
The cinematography is fantastic. The first shots are of a pure white background, Bo wears a white shirt, which seems pretty symbolic of the chicken being himself as well. Then as soon as he gets to the line of "The chicken must first cross the road." it cuts to an outer shot of Bo, surrounded by this shadowed clutter of all the materials he used for the special. Maybe Inside was his road that he had to cross, and now he's on the other side, having finished it and now the Inside Outtakes as well. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, regardless, it's a beautiful song, visually, lyrically, and aurally.
"I'll see you when I see you
You can pick the street, I'll meet you
On the other side."
no, this is definitely a work that meant to be analyzed
you just shook me to my core. i’m crying now oh my god.
I would say this tracks bc it’s like he has to finish “telling the joke” and finish this. And he got stuck in between making this so it tracks.
Listening to this version, then listening to the album track on Apple Music, hit in a different way. Both are equally powerful, musically and vocally heart-wrenching, especially in this version. But in the album, the part where he goes - “So that’s why she did it,” with the chicken softly cooing in the background, then at the end he speaks, “…goodbye.” Fucking hits. Like a gut punch. Bo’s storytelling and expression is so fucking incredible. So thankful to Bo for sharing all of “Inside”, this piece of his heart, with the world.
I remember feeling a well of emotions the first time I heard him sing “the road” as he strikes a few keys in a higher octave. 2:24. I think that’s why I prefer this version to the album where he does the lower crescendo in that part.
They both sound great i just don't like the actual clucking chickens in the studio version
@@DetroitNickel where can I watch the studio version?
@@ricksanchez5841 it's audio only th-cam.com/video/HrZ8HbhnXYM/w-d-xo.html
@@ricksanchez5841 it’s on Spotify!
@@brieface Cool thanks
this is literally the most beautiful song i have ever heard. i want to be able to play piano like this and write music like this.
been at it for 10 yuears, goodluck! :P bo is insanely talented especially as a songwriter
@karsonhudman1949 Bo aspired to be like Tim Minchin, now you can aspire to be like Bo. Eventually I’ll aspire to be like you.
So do it, cross the road
Great. Now every time a kid asks me why the chicken crossed the road, I’m going to start uncontrollably sobbing and traumatize the child. Especially once they tell me the punchline 😭
Oh no lol
Me too.
easily my new favorite from the outtakes. just wish this live version was available on the deluxe album too. so raw and beautiful
Just curious, What parts are different? Maybe I subconsciously just hear theTH-cam version when I hear the song on Spotify
@@gemgen101 to be fair, they're small things, like the pace, a couple different notes, the instrumentals, particularly on/after "the road." On the album, there's added strings after that part, and the piano is played differently on the word "road." I like this version's raw emotion and just piano. It's subtle though and it certainly doesn't stop me from enjoying the version on the album. They're just different
@@gemgen101 the intro is shorter on the released version
You can see in the song "Goodbye" that would have been the song that played just before this on the special one of the first lines is "I'll see you when I see you, you can pick the street, I'll meet you... on the other side" which was setting this song up. The interconnection is so strong on "Goodbye" weaving in and out of so many songs from the special.
About 13 years you played at my college and I went not knowing who you were. I was so happy that happened! I am blown away every time I hear your music
I love everything about this song, but there's one aspect of the composition that astounds me. It never resolves into a major OR minor key at any point.
Reflecting the emotional turmoil and fate of the chicken, the tone constantly shifts between happy and sad, ending on that uncertain, unresolved cadence.
Masterpiece.
That’s so cool! Can you explain why the chord on “The Road” is so satisfying and beautiful?
@@UltraSuperGamer The one at 2:25 at least is A (the chicken must) > Am (first cross the) > E (road) before then pivoting to G# > C#m. The music refuses to properly stop on the moment of happiness in A major, melts away to minor, hangs on the dominant chord as if we're going to come home again, refuses to resolve it and instead modulates to a different minor key. It's exactly as if you caught yourself in a happy thought and remembered something horribly sad.
The ending goes even further by stopping on A minor and not moving to E. It's the literal punchline of the joke that is supposed to wrap things up and yet nothing feels finished.
@@jan_Masewin Wonderful comment, thank you!
thank you, I didn't have the terminology to understand what I noticed about the piece
Thank God you were here because I would've never known that and still don't know it
I love how the double meaning of getting to the other side is still ambiguous. When I was younger I always interpreted it as an anti-joke and that the simple explanation was the chicken wanted to get to the other side not once considering the “other side” part of the punchline. And along comes Bo saying that it’s open to interpretation and that little boy who thought the chicken who just crossed an actual road this whole time without thinking anything of it could’ve been right this whole time in the most beautiful way possible
Gave me a mental breakdown first time listening, still hits like a truck, great job as always Bo.
Might not be the best place to say this but that’s some good irony. Whether intended or not, your pun is appreciated.
Tbf the truck also hit the chicken
This honestly made me tear up. I hope he comes back eventually, because we need more beautiful songs like this, and more laughter. Basically, I think we all miss him. It's already been one year.
I avoided this song for awhile because of the title but it’s actually one of my favourites
:> dont judge a song by its title
What did the chicken do to you man?
@@kushagramauni5218 Made my car tyres bloody
@@kushagramauni5218 it took my dignity thats all i had now its long gone
He’s the only person I know who is capable of singing about the most random things, and pulls it off everytime.
Check out Brian David Gilbert
BDG like someone else said, and also Bill Wurtz
I think its because it's not random at all. This is a very cleverly chosen metaphor that can't be made with just anything.
It’s not the meaning, but as a mom who hit postpartum depression when my son was born right at the start of the pandemic, this shit hit me like a ton of bricks. Not a song about a chicken crossing the road reminding me of PPD & making me weep bc the chicken got to leave and I didn’t 😭😭😭
The great thing about art is that we all bring our meaning to it. I hope you have found a supportive and understanding community to lean on ❤️
Congratulations on your son! Motherhood is hard, but it's also wonderful and beautiful. I hope no one ever makes you feel bad about this path you took. You created a new life - how incredible is that?
💓💓💓
Somebody pointed out this, the "The road is gigantic, the chicken is little" is such a dope line.
It’s so beautiful. I’ve struggled with addiction for so many years. It’s something that has claimed the lives of several of my closest childhood friends. This year I’ve made the decision to cross the road of sobriety and make it to the other side. A life of brighter days. One that is full and rich and absolutely breathtaking. This song resonates with me in such a profound way. Your art has been a huge life saver for me. Thank you. And bless you. May you continue to inspire new generations of individuals who are still struggling to cross their own roads. Much love Bo.
I hope your journey has been going well.
This might be the most important song you’ve ever written. Thank you for it.
his music has helped me through so much it’s insane :)
This is the 1 year anniversary of my friend's dad's passing & I always pictured him as the Chicken in this story. RIP. I hope you're happier now that you got to the other side.
“A life of brighter days… a width of road away”
Like so many of Bo’s lyrics, this one stirs my soul.
Bo, I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but if you do… thank you.
Chills only Bo.
I love that bo let go of the silly facade and embraced his voice, he's now one of my favourite singers
Idk if he ever had a bad "silly" inflection on his voice? Maaybe. I kind of feel like he's maybe just gotten better at singing overtime as ya do
Never thought I'd get so emotional over a why did the chicken cross the road joke but here we are
This song genuinely makes me feel powerful. Powerful to know the truth of something nobody is supposed to know
Of all the great songs on the Inside Outtakes, this is my favorite. Such a beautiful story with an equally beautiful gut punch. Mr. Burnham, if you're reading this, you inspire me to become a better singer and your songs have helped me through so many dark times in my life. I think we ought to believe that we got to the other side with your help. Thank you
Absolutely beautiful. Even for a song about chicken it’s just absolutely beautiful and I so badly want to learn this.
Chickens=beautiful
Me too 0:
*me listening to this song for the 10th time this week*
My 6 year old daughter: hey, this is the song that you cried to before!
Me: yes it is, it is sad
My daughter: well mom, it's about a chicken! And it's not even real!
Me thinking to myself: I desperately hope you never have to understand why this song is so upsetting. I hope she never has to "cross the road". I hope she knows her worth from the start, and is able to one day become a mother. But also knows that she is so so so so much more than just a "mother"
This comment is beautiful for so many reasons.
mmmmm, that's some fine, fingerlickin' feminist bullshite right there.
C'mon! It's painfully obvious that you made up this whole conversation with your fictional daughter, and even referred to yourself in the 3rd person thinking that is would somehow make your BS believable. Any actual parent knows that a six year old does not talk that way and does even think that way. Grow up, loose the whole gender thing and maybe one day you'll actually be fit to have a child of your own. Then you can post about what she really says instead of posting this BS.
Guys, we better fucking make sure that this kid never has to understand why this song is sad.
That's cute. It's cool that this song can have so many different meanings to people, I know myself as someone about to leave home and start college I relate hard to this song
And also that her husband doesn't scream cockadoodledoo at her every morning.
The music composition was brilliant. The piano was touching, the lyrics sunk me into the story... I was on the edge of my seat. When, on the verge of tears, at the end of the song, I realized the joke was: "Why did the chicken cross the road" I was floored. Thank you.
Sang this song at my job's open mic (I work at a cafe in a hostel)
Everyone absolutely loved it. We laughed, we cried. Thanks for writing amazing songs Bo. I sing your music at open mic a lot
Why the hell am I tearing up at a song about a “why did the chicken cross the road joke”?
Truly wonderful job Bo, can’t express how talented you are
I legitimately can’t stop listening to this song. It’s really good. I didn’t expect a song about a chicken to be so emotional. But I was pleasantly surprised.
@@Family_5439 they’re just bots
Where has Bo gone ...
This one has made me cry every time. A masterpiece.
Amen
Bro you typed this before watching 10 seconds of the video 💀
you literly didn't even watched a third of it
@@voidlands2 I've literally been listening to this song on repeat since the outtakes came out
“Cry every time” they said 1 minute after release
Edit: Outtakes with this song have been out already for a bit, my mistake.
I really like that the end of this song is open to interpretation. Even though Bo suggests that people should have more faith in the chicken in believing that she made it across the road, he doesn't continue on whether or not she actually made it. I think she did. :)
I like that he sings that he likes to believe, "She made it to the other side."
Just for any people from different cultures that might not be familiar with the English idiom: the "other side" is an euphemism for the afterlife. And of course it also has the very literal meaning of "she crossed the road." So you can pick the interpretation that personally is more meaningful to you.
When I tell you that this song is the song that single handedly sent me into a spiral. I have never, and I mean never have had such a strong emotional reaction to a song, let alone a song about a fucking chicken. This song has reshaped the way I see the world. I haven’t stopped playing this song since the special came out, there is not a day where this song isn’t in my thoughts. I don’t know what you did in this song Bo but I am completely emotionally enamored by it. It brings out emotions I didn’t even know I had, I feel like you’re describing me. “But I think we ought to believe that she got to, the other side” Is something I will always think about. Bo you’re an incredible creator and I am so happy that you are bringing new stuff. But yeah, this song has become the most special thing to me now. Thank you.
Same with me. He took an old joke, turned it into a metaphor for existential longing, and completely eviscertaed me. In the best way.
Great comment. I'm completely mind blown by it. And him.. Yet again. He just keeps getting better and better. And inspiring me more and more!
i sobbed so much louder and in such a violent way hearing it. i didnt know i could be so loud. it has entirely enveloped me in so much hope and understanding, i mean really EVERY singular word i can identify with deeply, in multifaceted ways. you put into words exactly what i feel, truly this song feels like what i have been searching for, connection, my entire fucking life.
im getting a tattoo that says "but i think we ought to believe that she got to the other side" soon
This song is for mother who had to give up everything for everyone but herself
Amen to that! Mothers need to pursue their passions too. 🐔
came back to this song to have a good cry. thank you, bo. you’re my biggest musical inspiration. seeing your first special as a kid really changed me. i sat with my family on christmas eve and my world felt absolutely changed. i was having a life changing experience while my eldest sibling got in trouble for showing us an “inappropriate movie”😂your work made me realize my piano playing, and any art i’ve done since, doesn’t have to be so crushingly conforming. years later, my eldest sibling and i are watching your newest special. we watched your first special afterwards. my brother looks at me and says, “you know i was putting this on for you when you were younger. i just knew you’d get something from it.” maybe if i were better at articulating my emotions, he would’ve known just how much it really did impact me. i hope i can someday tell you how much your work means to me and my family. it’s been so special to connect with my brother over your work. we’ve watched everything together, it means a lot considering we have a 15yr age difference. thanks for all you do
His voice is honestly fucking beautiful these days, with his previous specials his voice was still great, but damn he improved 100 fold.
god i know im putting so much meaning into this but this really reminded me of my own mother, she's so giving, spent so long living for others like my dad. Now she's free and struggling but stronger than she could ever think. ik its a song based on a popular joke kinda but damn made me tear up almost, guess its just perpective damn.
No you're on point. I definitely teared up. it does read as allegorical/symbolic to people with certain life experiences, even though Bo's exaggerated-emotional sense of humor is in there too. Pure art. So proud of you and your mom!
I lost my ex partner to suicide several months ago. I loved him a whole lot and I've been struggling immensely since. Last night I was rewatching Inside Outtakes and this song and what it meant just finally clicked. Today I still feel the loss but I also feel hopeful that the other side is everything he hoped for. Thank you for helping me make a little more sense of everything.
I’m sorry for your loss :(.
I'm sorry to hear that.
So sorry for your loss. I've recently been watching people recounting their near death experiences and I found it quite conforting as their experiences seemed to have a common thread. It's here on TH-cam www.youtube.com/@TheOtherSideNDEYT/videos Hopefully it will help you. All the best.
So sorry for your loss.
so sorry for your loss :(
I wondered if he ever wrote serious songs utilizing his wonderful voice. And here it is. I have so much love for Bo. It’s obvious what an inherently amazing person he is.
I think this is a serious song. Disguised as comedy as usual.
art is dead is a good example, serious, but in the middle of a comedy show
all the songs he makes are seriousnt
From Gods Perspectiive is a good one
Being somewhat hopeful in the face of bad situation, without making light of them, is something that I rarely see in media but that I think is very important... after I started doing this my view on myself and the world changed a bit for the better, or at least I could see myself striving and hoping for getting in the other side of the road, to a better place in my life, someday, and I think i got there compared to my older self, but there are still other roads in the horizon.
I can't thank you enough for this, Bo
This truly is a Bo Burnham song. It gives me such intense Make Happy vibes, but with its own beautiful Inside feel.
Definitely my favorite thing to come from the outtakes.
Like he brings the lyrics from make happy but the singing and performance from inside
@Owen Polar what is this.. masterpiece..
Makes sense the original question why did the chicken cross the road is a metaphor for the question are you happy and he's the chicken and the room is the road in my opinion. It's full of metaphors. He makes my neurons fire like no other.
Inside helped me get out of an abusive relationship especially this song
What a finish! I'll miss the Inside era a lot, but it was fun while it lasted!
Crying everytime I hear this because I'm always thinking of my mother as the chicken... she never wanted the life she had.. she loved us kids but... she didn't want that life and I get scared often I'm the same and I'm scared have kids in fear I may feel resentment for not being free anymore...
There’s very few things that make me cry on this planet, and yet here I am at 26 years of age crying at a song about a chicken. Thanks Bo
It never resolves. The chords never resolve, ending on a minor 4th and not a major 1st or minor 6th, but also the story. The story never resolves. When the chicken sees the headlights, nobody knows what happened next. It's this lack of a resolution that really makes this scary. That's what we fear most. *Uncertainty.*