How Do I Live (Bunny Back in the Box Version)

How do I
Get through one night without you?
If I had to live without you
What kind of life would that be?
Oh, and I
I need you in my arms, need you to hold
You're my world, my heart, my soul
If you ever leave
Baby that would take away everything good in my life
Without you
There'd be no sun in my sky
There'd be no love in my life
There'd be no world left for me
Oh, and I
Baby I don't know what I would do
I'd be lost if I lost you
If you ever leave
Baby that would take away everything that's real in my life
And tell me now
How do I live without you?
I wanna know
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go
How will I ever, ever survive?
(Nick Smalley on guitar, ladies and gentlemen!)
(Yeah)
(Play that shit!)
(Mmm)
(I hear ya, I hear you in here)
(In my heart)
(Mmm, so good on my eardrums)
(Yeah)
(You got that Telecaster twang)
(Twangin' into my soul)
(Alright now, let's bring it back here, now)
(I need somethin' with a little soul)
(Casey, take us there, bring it back!)
(Alright, come on now!)
And tell me now
How do I live without you?
I wanna know
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go
How will I ever, ever survive?
(Oh, it's- it's done. Oh.)

Artist commentary:

Michael Guy Bowman: (composer)

God knows this is the dumbest thing I've ever created (at least for MSPA). But maybe it's also the most awesome thing because of that? In the process of creating this, I ended up learning a lot about the recording process, but let me tell you, if I ever EVER have to perform this song again, I am officially dropping the key signature a few steps - this song stretched my range pretty dangerously and it shows. Fun fact: did you know Dianne Warren also wrote "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" from Armageddon? She has like the best career ever, writing the cheesiest, most epic love songs ever for some of the most ridiculous action movies of all time.

I actually put a lot of work into it, retaking the vocals and guitar parts entirely before extending the song an extra verse. Nick's drunken air guitar solo remains intact, of course.

Michael Guy Bowman: (composer, Bowmantown Discord, excerpt) 7/29/2017

I put that recording on the forum and knew it was a little bit of a risk, because Andrew didn't want to use tracks with vocals. But, I knew if anything would be the exception, this would probably be it.

Also, Joseph, who recorded the guitar on harlequin, was missing, and when I solicited an awesome guitar solo, Nick responded out of the blue… And was the only response… So I used that

I don't think anyone's ever seen from Joseph again

Michael Guy Bowman: (composer, Michael Guy Bowman Talks About His Homestuck Music, adapted to text) 7/20/2024

How Do I Live was another glaring exception to the "no vocals" rule. I think that was another one where I knew it would make Andrew laugh, so I went for it, even if it wasn't really what was called for. But, I knew that he had a special fascination with Con Air. I, on a whim, made the How Do I Live track, done, y'know, stupidly and sarcastically and with this idea that "I'll do it dumb just to do it," and... (laughs) I think I might have tried a little harder.

And I realized, y'know, how far How Do I Live was going to go. As the cosplay and convention scene for the comic built up, we saw, y'know, videos of people showing up to places where Andrew was tabling, and singing at him. (Caption in post: "please send me this if you can find it") When they're performing it in large groups of people in costumes, I'm hearing the notes I sang come out, rather than the notes that were on the original recording, and that was, like... one of those surreal things where it was like, oh my god, I can't believe who this has reached! I could tell that Andrew hated having people sing at him. No regrets there, a lot of fun.

Homestuck Vol. 5

Official Discography

Numbered volumes

How Do I Live (Bunny Back in the Box Version)