“living the dream”: the cliché, and what to write instead
“Living the dream” is on the Wackometer's list of worn-out phrases. Your listener has heard it so many times they finish it before you do, and that's the moment they stop listening.
Fresh swaps for “living the dream”
- living on a group-chat high
- living the screenshot
- living the good part of the song
These are starting points. The best swap is the one only you could write: a real place, a real object, a real moment.
How to fix any cliché
- Ask what the phrase is trying to say (heartbreak, freedom, devotion).
- Find one object or moment from your own life that shows it.
- Describe that thing plainly. Specific beats poetic.
Paste your lyrics into the Wackometer and it highlights every cliché it knows. Tap one to swap it in place.