What Do Rex Orange County Television So Far So Good Lyrics Mean?

I was half-asleep doing dishes when 'Television / So Far So Good' came on and it stopped me in the middle of a plate scrub — that’s the kind of tiny, real moment where this song’s lyrics hit hardest. What makes the words so popular, to me, is how plainly they talk about being messy and hopeful at once. They sound like someone speaking across a kitchen table: honest, a little awkward, and strangely comforting. That conversational honesty is rare in pop; instead of big metaphors, you get concrete little images and confessions that stick in your head and your captions. Another thing that keeps the lyrics alive is how singable they are. The melodies are simple but clever, and Rex’s vocal phrasing accentuates lines in ways that make them perfect for covers, late-night piano sessions, or that one lyric you screenshot for an Instagram story. Social media did the rest: people clipped short, relatable lines and used them as mood tags or memes. Also, the production—warm piano, soft percussion—gives those words space to breathe, so they feel like a private conversation even when a thousand people are listening. I also think nostalgia plays a role. Whether you first heard it during a breakup, a move, or a rainy commute, the lyrics bookmark moments in life. They’re personal enough to mean something specific to you while being universal enough that lots of people can slot them into their own stories. That blend of intimacy and universality is why I keep coming back to the lines long after the track ends.

I still get a little giddy whenever I hear the opening lines of 'Television / So Far So Good'—that song first showed up publicly in 2017. It arrived during the wave when Rex was turning bedroom-recorded charm into bigger releases, and the track is usually associated with the material he was putting out around the time of 'Apricot Princess' (so think late 2017). I remember seeing threads on fan forums back then, everyone posting clips and trying to pin down the exact date the studio upload hit streaming services. For most listeners, the lyrics effectively debuted with those streaming uploads and the handful of live performances he did around that period. Beyond the release timing, what sticks with me is how the lyrics circulated: they spread fast on sites like Genius and in YouTube lyric videos, and then fans started quoting lines in captions and playlists. If you’re hunting for the very first appearance, look to early streaming uploads and the live-set recordings from late 2017 shows. But for everyday listening, the version on streaming platforms is what most people consider the debut, and that’s where I first learned the words too—messed up my bus ride routine for a week because I couldn’t stop singing along.

Funny thing — I was halfway through my morning playlist when 'Television / So Far So Good' popped up and I started thinking about who actually wrote those lines that get stuck in your head. The short factual bit is simple: the lyrics were written by Alexander O'Connor, the artist who records under the name Rex Orange County. He’s the primary songwriter for most of his tracks, and this one reflects his typical mix of candid emotion and laid-back melody. If you want to double-check the official credits, I usually look at the album liner notes or streaming-service credits (Spotify and Tidal often list songwriters now), or search performing-rights databases like ASCAP or BMI. Fans also annotate lyrical nuances on sites like Genius, which can be fun for seeing how people interpret his lines. For me, the thing that makes his writing stick is how conversational it feels — like glimpses of a diary set to a sunlit chord progression.

I still get a little giddy whenever that opening line kicks in — 'Television / So Far So Good' is on Rex Orange County's album 'Apricot Princess'. I first heard it late at night on a low-fi playlist while doing homework and it felt like the perfect two-song mood stitched together: wistful, honest, a little awkward in the most charming way. The track title itself (with the slash) hints at that split personality — part contemplative slowburn, part quirky refrain — which fits so well among the other songs on 'Apricot Princess'. If you want the lyrics right away, I usually check Genius for the annotated lines and Spotify or Apple Music to confirm the exact track listing. Vinyl nerds: the album sequencing on a physical copy gives you that satisfying moment when the needle lands and the song flows into the next one. Either way, it’s a great record to dive into if you like the blend of indie pop and bedroom-soul that Rex nails so well.

My take on how 'Television' and 'So Far So Good' link together is mostly about the small, human ways Rex talks himself through awkward feelings. When I listen, I get this image of someone late at night, half-watching something on the screen while thinking about a conversation that didn’t go right or a relationship that’s a little frayed. The TV is both company and a kind of a mirror — it reflects his loneliness back at him but also makes everything feel a bit softer, like a low-light filter on real life. Lyrically, the lines that land hardest are the tiny admissions and the ironic shrug of phrases like “so far so good.” It’s not a triumphant statement; it’s a breathing-out. Paired with the tactile imagery of flipping channels or the hum of the living room, the songs feel like private confessions to anyone who’s used distraction as a bandage. Musically, the mellow guitar or gentle piano undercuts grand drama and makes those confessions feel more honest. For me, it’s less about a plot and more about mood: the way two songs can hold a tiny narrative of moving from trying to be okay to quietly accepting that you’ll keep figuring things out. I often find myself replaying these tracks while doing dishes or walking home because they capture that weird mix of resignation and hope better than most modern pop songs, and that keeps me coming back.

I've been playing 'Television / So Far So Good' on repeat lately, and to be honest it's not the kind of song that leans on graphic or sexual content — it's more bittersweet and conversational. That said, Rex sometimes slips in swear words in a casual, offhand way across his catalogue, and this track has a bit of blunt language here and there. It's not full of repetitive profanity or violent imagery; the language is used more to underline emotion than to shock. If you're trying to decide whether to let a teen listen, it's milder than most explicit rap tracks but not completely sanitized. If you want a foolproof check, I usually look at where I stream: Spotify and Apple Music will tag tracks as 'Explicit' when applicable, and Genius has the full lyrics with annotations (and will show any strong language). You can also find live/acoustic versions that sometimes clean things up, or ask for the radio edit if one exists. Personally, I treat this song as emotionally honest rather than gratuitously explicit — but if you're sensitive to swearing, give it a quick lyric-scan first.

I get why this wording is a little fuzzy — there are a few ways to interpret “how long” when you’re asking about a song: do you mean the track runtime, the number of lines, or the total word count of the lyrics? I usually think in terms of listening time, but when I’m singing along at home I care about word count too (so I can judge whether I’ll run out of breath mid-verse). If you mean the runtime, the studio track of 'Television' by Rex Orange County sits around the typical pop-indie length — roughly three to four minutes. Live versions and stripped-down performances can shift that by 20–40 seconds. If you’re asking about the lyrics themselves, I’d ballpark the full lyric sheet at somewhere between 150 and 250 words depending on whether you count repeated choruses and ad-libs. That usually translates to about 20–30 lines on a typical lyric page. The clearest way to get an exact figure is to check the streaming platform for the official track length and to copy the lyrics from a reputable source like the song’s page on Genius or an official lyric sheet, then paste them into a word counter. I do this whenever I want to time a cover or plan a karaoke set — helps avoid embarrassing breathless moments mid-bridge.

I still get a little giddy when I hunt for lyrics online, and yes—you can find the lyrics to Rex Orange County’s track often listed as 'television / so far so good' on several sites, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, for the most reliable, licensed lyrics check streaming services like Spotify (it has real-time lyrics powered by partners in many regions), Apple Music (they show synced lyrics on most tracks), Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. These platforms often display the official lyrics while the song plays, and that avoids the sketchy user-submitted stuff. Another great spot is Musixmatch, which licenses many songs and integrates with phone music apps. For annotated context and fan discussion, Genius usually has a community breakdown that’s handy if you want meaning or line-by-line notes. If you prefer standalone web pages, you’ll find the lyrics on sites like AZLyrics or MetroLyrics sometimes, but accuracy varies since users upload those transcriptions. And because full song lyrics are copyrighted, I can’t paste them here—but searching for the full track title plus "lyrics" usually surfaces what you need. If you want an official physical source, check the album liner notes or the artist/label’s site; sometimes they publish lyrics or lyric videos on YouTube. Personally I like following along on Apple Music while reading Genius annotations afterward—it’s the best combo for getting both words and deeper feels about the song.