The Way We Get By

Lead singer Britt Daniel wrote this single for Spoon's fourth studio album, Kill the Moonlight. The song is about an apathetic generation that will do anything to distract themselves from the boredom of everyday life, which usually gets them into trouble.

At least three references to rocker Iggy Pop are in this song. First, "We go to sleep to 'Shake Appeal,'" is a nod "Shake Appeal," a single from Iggy's third album with The Stooges, Raw Power (1973). Second, "We make love to 'Some Weird Sin,'" cites a track co-written by David Bowie from Iggy's second solo album, Lust for Life. Third, "Fall in love to 'Down On The Street,'" takes us back to The Stooges with a reference to the opening track from Fun House (1970).

This song didn't chart, but it became a popular choice for TV shows, including The O.C. (in the 2003 episode "The Outsider"); Hustle (in the promos for episodes from 2006) and Shameless (in the 2011 pilot). It was also featured in the movies Mean Creek, a 2004 indie drama starring Rory Culkin;The Puffy Chair, a 2005 dramedy starring Mark and Jay Duplass; and Stranger Than Fiction, a 2006 comedy starring Will Ferrell.