Seeking healthy highs: a therapist reacts to “We Got the Moves” by Electric Callboy
“Summer mood, hot sand under my feet
Cold beer, cheap wine, yeah, that's all that we need
We got the moves, we got the moves.”
This is utter chaos, and I'm obsessed. The breakdown is fire, the tone change, the techno-pop fusion.
What are we going to find in this song about mental health?
Apparently what this guy yells in the song (Döp-dödödö-döp) is essentially, “Get off my lawn idiots. But the direct translation is, “What's going on?”
What's interesting about “We Got the Moves” is that it's super relatable when it comes to the momentum of pleasure. When something feels good and everyone is experiencing it and feeling good together, you never want it to end. Then when it does end, you're usually alone, and you're experiencing the come down from it alone. There can be this feeling of, “Oh my God, I want to go back to this.”
Especially with drinking, it feels so good in the moment. It’s something you’re doing together, having fun. You don't experience a hangover with your friends. You experience the hangover alone. And because the only high we have is this high pleasure, with alcohol and partying and raving, and we've got the moves, it feels very appealing in contrast to the low. We automatically just want to do it again.
“We don't need no club, all we need is the sun
Yeah, we will rave like hell 'til the weekend is done
We got the moves, we got the moves
And, everybody, put your hands straight up
Tonight is the night”
A question to consider: what moves do you have to help in your lows? What moves do you have to get non-artificial highs? Do you have those moves, or only moves like this with an artificial high like alcohol? This song says a lot about substance use. Are those the only highs that you can get? That’s just a question.
What moves do you have? What moves do you have to get out of that low after you've experienced a high? What moves do you have to create non-artificial highs? What are your moves? Do you got the moves?
If you feel like you can only get artificial highs or escape reality, and you can only feel good in those places, visit our Anonymous Forum. And if maybe one of the moves you want to get is a move to help other people: do that with us. We got the moves. Come volunteer with us: heartsupport.com/swat
