Why I Love the Song “High to Death” by Car Seat Headrest

[Audio Remaster - Originally Published 12/25/2021]
I hope you don't have something against dogs.
Special thanks to ethanJP (Cocadope) for allowing me to use his artwork in the thumbnail:
/ cocadope
My debut novel, Winter Without End, is now available for purchase from Fenris Publishing in both ebook and paperback format:
www.fenrispubl...
A post-apocalyptic story told through the eyes of a dog, Winter Without End follows a Labrador retriever who, after being abandoned by his human family in the aftermath of a devastating pandemic, makes an uneasy alliance with a wounded wolf in order to survive.
Additionally, if you would like to see more videos from me, please consider supporting my channel on Patreon:
/ cardinalwest
and follow me on Twitter for updates:
/ cardinal_west
To see the animated intro on its own, go here:
• Video
And yes, I am a furry.
Original Upload: • Video

[@aidan8473]

The gay furry allegations are going to be impossible to beat now

[@n0etic_f0x]

There are worse things to be. Like a fan of Tate or a MAGA member and there are way more of those (This is a lie we run every IT department in all of North Amarica)

[@Inverse-Kills]

wuh oh

[@str_]

not just allegations now

[@Short_insomniac_]

This is my favourite song of all time. I got drunk on new years this year ( or technically last year (?)) I slumped into my bed and put this song on.When it got to the “keep smoking, I love you” I cried. I cried a lot. I don’t have any friends and I feel extremely lonely despite my family being with me. My mom tends to say that I’m “too negative.” I hate it. But even though I’m very pessimistic, I want to get happier and I want more in life.

[@waywardman7897]

If you want to get happier in life, you should try to do things that make you happy. If you don't do things that make you happy, you'll just be trapped in a perpetual cycle of misery. Go talk to people. real people, not weirdos like me on the internet. GO have an adventure, make a weird ass song, write a story, go on a walk, eat your favorite meal. Do something that's special to yourself. And have fun with it. Don't treat it like a chore. Have a good day.

[@Short_insomniac_]

@@waywardman7897 thanks man❤️

[@waywardman7897]

@@Short_insomniac_ no problem

[@wiremouth]

hey how are you doing now?

[@Short_insomniac_]

@@wiremouth still doing pretty shitty but okay thanks for asking❤️

[@yesterdayssjamm]

would totally recommend Ballad of Costa Concordia for a long car seat headrest song as well! really beautiful song that I personally interpret to be about growing up in a toxic environment and moving on from that experience

[@finnameme8108]

This is possibly the song of all time

[@tannerholechek5873]

I had never heard of this band until your original video. I just want to thank you for introducing me to this song. It has been a very long time since I've had a song resonate with me this deeply. Thank you, Cardinal West.

[@coley4242]

I love the breakdown but I'd have to argue that The Yellow Wallpaper had as much of an impact on the song as All Summer in a Night. The verse about having a breakdown in your room following the wallpaper is a direct reference. "it keeps following me/used to be so human" also seems inspired by the story. And in the Face to Face version instead of "let me out william" he uses "you and jane can't keep me in the paper anymore".

[@whatsername1070]

Fantastic analysis, this is definitely one of my favorite albums of all time. I always used to interpret the "let me out, William" sound byte as representing the memory of the other person in the relationship - even though it's in the past, that version of them still exists inside Will's head. and it's only at the end of the album does he accept it, this memory being a separate version of themselves that doesn't have to stay trapped. Once they become only lyrics, both the memory of that person and Will are set free. But I also like this interpretation that it's an internal struggle, that feeling of being trapped by your own depressed intoxicated thoughts. I'm just kind of rambling here but tl;dr great video :)

[@thecrookedman3070]

I'm so happy to see other Watership Down Car Seat Headrest lovers! i hope y'all have a great Christmas!!!

[@taiga-moss]

I have the album art tattooed on the back of my right arm, this album changed my life. glad to see it getting the video essay treatment!!

[@Riuey]

I would like to highlight a curiosity: after the song starts with the outro, the machine sounds, many "words" that are being said along with the woman's sample, sound like words in Portuguese such as "accept" and "wait" (aceita, espera em português). I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but I always took these "words" as great additions to the song, because "aceita" would be the robotic part of the relationship demonstrating what has become of the coexistence of the two lovers and shows that there is no way it works anymore, making Will give up the idea of continuing with it, and surrender to the last seconds of the night. and "espera", which would be "wait" I think it's pretty self explanatory, and you can think what you want. are great additions that I like to overlook when listening to High to Death, even if it's a coincidence, but I really like it

[@dilliedAlly]

The original upload of this led me to listening to this album in full, and it has become my favorite of all time. You do a great job breaking it down! I would love if you made a video on "Famous Prophets (Stars)" at some point, too :)

[@Shrimple329]

this song is insanely relatable to me, the part when its, keep smoking i love you, but i dont wanna die, it makes me cry everytime. it reminds me of a relationship i had where i just ignored all my needs to make them happy until i finally know i needed to live and i couldnt put my life on hold and ignore who i am for them. its personal, but they were just killing me bro and this song made me cry all the time when i was in a relationship, twin fantasy is insanely relatable to me, and it hits so deep after going through a similar experience and going through toxic codependency. love this love, love this album, love the band.

[@CoduhyMinecraft]

This song and a cloudy snowy field

[@ErdriedDeirdre]

Oh my gosh I'm from VA too. And now I have new music to listen to! 😍 Thanks!

[@juliam.2135]

high to death is my favorite song from this album and honestly one of my favorite songs of all time. it never fails to make me cry. i haven't seen a lot of people discussing this song (i feel like usually bodys, beach life in death and sober to death are more praised) so thank you so much for this video ! ❤️ edit: i love the deep interpretation of the lyrics but imo the most impactful one (maybe after and i sat there on the steps, considering death) is "i can't get off the ground". as much as twin fantasy is about, well, fantasy it's also about living outside of one - living a life. that's why i think lyrics on this song are so literal and non-literal at the same time. "i can't get off the ground" hits me so hard because it feels so human. you fall and you feel like you're not able to get up. you're not able to continue. you just lay there and think about everything you could do if you weren't laying down. it's just my theory and thoughts about that line you seemed to skip tho. a great video ❤️ didn't actually know about the origin of "let me out, william" and it adds so much to the song!

[@ash-hc8np]

this video made me cry. 10/10.

[@red-kn3iu]

Thank you for making these breakdowns. The one on "Bodys" is what got me to finally listen to them and they are in my top 3 now. Thanks man and keep up the good work :)

[@zd91]

I try to avoid being cheesy or overly sentimental/melodramatic, but a few times recently when I've hit some low points or was at a crossroads in my life, High to Death has spoken to me in a way no other song can. It's so comforting

[@joeeljalapeno1816]

It was the perfect song for a lonely cristmas I love it

[@reddoreed8764]

This song has left me sleepless in bed multiple nights.

[@waywardman7897]

Dang, I just remembered this video, and how big of a douche I was when I originally watched it in 2021-2022, I can't exactly remember All I can say is, sorry for being such a huge jerk I remember just absolutely dunking on this song and anybody who liked it, calling the song, and the people who enjoyed it, cringe and edgy, which is really funny, because around that time, I think I was going through an edgy phase lol But yeah, I really apologize for my poor behavior, and I wish you the best with all of your creative endeavors This is a really high quality video, and I think it's really cool that you're able to find value in something I don't Best of luck moving forward!

[@Kaltag2278]

Never heard of it but I definitely will check it out now.

[@nicolasmendoza3396]

I'd love it if you reviewed Sober to Death or The Gun Song, this is my 6th rewatch of this video 😭

[@ellieh5440]

this is such an underrated video wtf

[@EllisHCN]

Another fantastic video, Cardinal West!!

[@FangFace935x]

amazing as always :3

[@Sparkling34]

my goodness I forgot about this channel!! im a year behind !

[@makoako9728]

amazing video !! absolutely love this song and man will toledo is too damn real

[@dindindundun8211]

I'd love to see a video about your thoughts on the Warrior Cats series. I read the first series as a child - my sibling and I were really into it.

[@sebastianwong3164]

i love it too!!

[@NervousYoungInhuman]

car sleep headschlest

[@basstheart8593]

WHAT

[@Inverse-Kills]

jschlatt rest

[@sawbonesquad4876]

Just subbed because of your Xenofiction vids, I do love me some Car Seat Headrest though.

[@peach4855]

i was reading the description and had to click off at the last sentence....... this video is fucking goated

[@thechickenwizard8172]

Hey, I'm glad that you're taking the time and effort to remaster all your old videos, but are you going to make any new content soon?

[@CardinalWest]

Yep! I actually have a brand new video (in this style) coming out tomorrow, and I'm starting editing on another new project that I hope will be out in February.

[@Kaltag2278]

@@CardinalWest yyyaaaaa

[@SevLev29]

This isn't the remaster; it's the face to face version

[@Dulceria-La-Princesita]

Hello everyone. I'm just here to remind you all of the fact that MIRROR TO MIRROR > FACE TO FACE! Fact beyond dispute.

[@Inverse-Kills]

minds dont have no piano part fool

[@mmarshin]

depends the song

[@elias-ks7ql]

how dare you talk about csh's long form songs withut mentioning the ballad of the costa concordia? for shame...

[@kylekenderdine4197]

Do you have a schedule for releasing videos, if so how often do you post vidoes?

[@CardinalWest]

Normally I don't have a schedule, but since I got a new mic and better audio software at the start of this year, over the last 2 months I've been going through some of my older videos and doing audio remasters, then spacing out those uploads, while also working on new content. I have a brand-new video on another song from this album coming out tomorrow, and I've got another new video that I just started editing that I hope to have out in February.

[@kylekenderdine4197]

@@CardinalWest One more question will you do a remaster of the fox and the hound (the book) or the animals of farthing woods?

[@CardinalWest]

​@@kylekenderdine4197 If you mean the analysis of The Fox and the Hound book, I'm happy with that video as is (I had my new mic by the time I made it), but if you meant the video on the book's impact on animation, that remaster will be coming out in January alongside the Shrek one (both of those are already done). I *may* do a remaster of the AoFW video at some point since it was one of my earliest videos, but I don't currently have plans for it.

[@mintleaf4111]

i love you

[@Inverse-Kills]

keep smoking

[@waywardman7897]

I realized one of my old comments got removed... Yikes, the only comment criticizing the song...

[@CardinalWest]

I haven't removed any comments (I don't ever, with the exception of spam links to unsafe sites), though it's possible that KZbin auto-removed the comment if it contained strong language. Or was your comment on the original upload, perhaps? This is the audio remaster, and the original is unlisted, though still available (it's linked in the bottom of the description on this video).

[@waywardman7897]

@@CardinalWest lol, it was in the original video's description. Didn't even notice this wasn't the OG video. Pretty cool video, but personally, I think this is the worst song on the album. It's the only song I pretty much dislike. I don't find the lyrics good, but everything else is fine. Reminds me too much of kids in high school going through emo phases. That being said, you can still like the song, I'm not a thought police. This is a pretty cool video all things considered. Keep up the work, and make sure it's good.

[@chowrites6179]

Not my kind of music but I can respect the love for deeper meaning. I definitely prefer my metal and rap with "Bullet" from Hollywood Undead being that one song that seems personify my mental image of myself

[@joahfaria2077]

Fantastic video. Loved your analysis. But I’m sorry, recommending teens of style over teens of denial seems criminal to me

[@Z50nemesis]

34:16 come on madlo is at least a b lol

[@sarahtohme4041]

Ikr I have to disagree w that ranking

[@Mop-Tollsy]

I have to skip this track on the album, I just can't get through it, it's too uncomfy

[@_pawzl]

your weird

[@Mop-Tollsy]

@realLyphy thanks? It's a good track, it swells emotions in me, i'm just not always ready for those emotions when I want to enjoy the emotions on the rest of the album. Very nice video, thanks

[@unreaall]

hojin jung's pronouns are they/them!

[@scrubbingdoubles8585]

Jesus loves you John 3:16 Romans 8:35-39

[@DussyBestroyer69]

no

[@GayJester]

no

[@basstheart8593]

no

[@tokidokidori]

no

[@Inverse-Kills]

no

[@quirked.]

high to death is criminally underrated i personally think its at least top 2 of twin fantasy (2011 version)