Working Theory: Is “It Was a Good Day” Ice Cube’s “Mulholland Drive”?
I have a working theory that Ice Cube’s song It Was a Good Day is a dream sequence similar to David Lynch’s Mullholland Drive. Please add any additional theories or questions.
The world that Ice Cube exists in is a harsh one with gangs, murder, drug-dealing, etc and he hast to be on alert at all times. I’m not sure if the song is describing a dream he’s having at night or a psychotic breakdown, but essentially he invents a world which becomes increasingly more fantastic as a coping mechanism for the intense stresses of his life. Another take could be that he’s actually been shot and this is the gangsta version of “come into the light”…
“Just waking up in the morning gotta thank god, I dont know but today seems kind of odd”
Most dream sequences start with the dreamer thinking they’ve woken up when in fact it’s just part of their dream.
“No barking from the dogs, no smog, and momma cooked a breakfast with no hog”
Odd behavior in animals, the environment and his mother
“I got my grub on, but didn’t pig out”
His own behavior is uncharacteristic and idealistic - he somehow has impulse control that he didn’t previously have
“Finally got a call from a girl wanna dig out”
He gets sexual attention from a long-lost love interest
“Hooked it up on later as I hit the do’, thinking will i live, another twenty-fo’”
Things are going working out so well that he wonders if this is his last day alive
The rest of the first verse and the second verse describe an ideal but not insane world with a clear narative. Half way through the third verse things start breaking down…
“Today was like one of those fly dreams, didn’t even see a berry flashing those high beams”
Here he acknowledges that the world seems “dream like”
“No helicopter looking for a murder, two in the morning got the fat burger”
A subtle acknowledgement of the dream-state; all nearby Fat Burgers are closed by 1am.
“Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp, and it read Ice Cube’s a pimp”
This is the lyric that actually got me thinking that the whole rap might be a dream. “Reality” is becoming unglued but in a self-centered but pleasant way
“Drunk as hell but no throwing up, half way home and my pager still blowing up”
At this point it seems like the rules of reality start to breakdown. Typical actions don’t have expected reactions. Previously in the song action / reaction relationships hadn’t been tested.
“Today I didn’t even have to use my A.K., I got to say it was a good day.”
The gun, which is says is notable to have not shot, is also a symbol of mortality. Shooting a gun = death. The gun wasn’t fired = no death. This plays into the CitL (come into the light) theory of this song being about him waking from a near death experience.
“Hey wait, wait a minute Pooh Stop the shit. What the fuck am I thinking about?”
The last few seconds of the song give it away. This line is spoken after the music ends. It appears that he’s woken up abruptly and is totally disoriented.
Updates
9/7/11: Feedback from Jessica about him not shooting his gun being inconsistent with reality. This got me thinking about the gun as a symbol of mortality.
9/8/11: Ryan pointed out that Fatburger closes at 1am.
