|
LYRICS
Everything we sing. Plus, footnotes, trivia and general nonsense about the songs we play, to clear up any trouble and kill any mystique. Currently available for you to view:
Please note that JavaScript must be enabled to view this content.
APOCALYPSE CULTURES EP:
I had a dream I'd like to share just the other day:
I cut a chunk out of my arm and I let it wash away
I realised when I awoke that it'd been happening all my life
Harming every way in just trying to survive
But hey! What did you want me to say,
That I looked at my life and I found it OK?
Because grief, I never grew up in peace
Wouldn't know what to do if I ever got free
And hey! I shouldn't be talking this way
But when I'm with you, I can say what I wanted to say,
I'll say that I won, and you lost
I won
You lost
I had a dream I'd like to share that helps me through the fight
I looked at all the kids in town and I knew they'd grow up right
And though you're like a magnet repelling anyone that gets too close
I know your love is lethal but I just gotta overdose
And hey! Did you expect me to say
That my life before you was completely OK?
'Cause grief, I never grew up with peace
I won't know what to do now I'm finally free
And hey! I shouldn't be talking this way
But when I'm with you, I can say what I wanted to say,
I'll say that we won and they lost
We won
They lost
These are the dreams I like to keep
Inside my heart each time I sleep
I dream of peace at any cost
I'll say that we won and they lost
'Repelling Forces' was written in 2006 and made its first live appearance on June 3 at the Golden Cross. It was the last of the 'Apocalypse Cultures' songs to be performed live.
The simplest interpretation of 'Repelling Forces' is the discovery of love after a lifetime of suffering. However, this being Coybito, and being part of the 'Crossing' series, it isn't quite that simple. In terms of narrative, it features one of the two protagonists in the story persuading the other one to fight alongside her, as the only life she's known so far has been one of destruction and oppression, and of (figurative) self-harm as a survival method.
You're like a magnet repelling anyone that gets too close: As in, magnets repel each other because they have the same polarity or whatever it is (Johnny's the physicist here). Idea is that the character addressed in the song rejects anyone too similar to himself.
(c) Coybito 2002-7.
I blew this joint today
Every day I think I die a little in every single way
So I walked into the rain
Every place I leave, it seems my parting's still the same
So what is it you have to say?
Will it make me care much now anyway?
If we meet at the crossing
We'll find a world so high, and you'll never realise just being there
If we meet at the crossing
We'll find we're so damn dense and none of our friends would recognise
'Cause it's where the worlds collide
And the time and distance just slide
If we meet at the crossing mid-South.
Something calls me south
From a world I realise demonises if you don't shut your mouth
And I never towed the line
One day I'll find a way to stop this world's decline
But amongst the nukes and mines
There's a clearing down the path I gotta find
Held pow-wow with the girl
Took her hand and stepped into another world
'Crossing (North-South)' is part of a two-part song (different verses leading to the same chorus). Shiori attempted, in writing these songs, to write a song that went "down" and a song that went "from left to right", which Chris compared to Syd Barrett's "the middle of this song is a bit afternoon" babble.
Amazingly, it gets more pretentious from there. The 'Crossing' idea- influenced by lots of 'His Dark Materials' and 'The Dark Tower'- would later inspire Shiori to write a bunch of other songs around the same idea: that being of two people from parallel dimensions who meet to plot revolution. It's- gasp- a concept album, although whether all the songs will appear on the same album is up in the air. It may also be worth pointing out that the parallel songs- and 'Crossing (West-East)' in particular- summed up everything Shiori had to say about society and war for ages, and he didn't write another song for months.
Blew this joint: Left here, obviously. One of those events where Shiori's everyday saying make it into his lyrics.
High: Another lyric which would suggest this song is about hash, the idea of the lyric is more "we'll find a world elevated beyond anything we've ever known before, but you can only find it if you seek it".
Part One: Enemies
I could have died feeling angry and never known why
I wanna go to the city where the government lie
And you turn around still asking me exactly why
I wanna go to the city where the government lie?
Well you're signed into a worldview to which I don't subscribe
You try to rationalise the feelings that I cannot describe
And you're looking for logic where it doesn't apply
I wanna go to the city where the government lie
When the guilty rule the country and the innocent die
When they go back on a promise, which ensures that you fry
When the wolves at my door emit an ominous cry
I wanna go to the city where the government lie
When you can't see the stars for all the crap in the sky
When you're planning for the future and the end is nigh
When they threaten deportation for just asking why
I wanna go to the city where the government lie
Part Two: Friends
And there's no glory in the end
Just a sense of wounded pride
When you can't afford to eat, and your house has got no heat
There's no glory in the end, just the emptiness inside
And there's no chances for you now
All the dreams you had have died
When your job's worse by the day and no promotion's on its way
There's no chances for you now, no reward for having tried
But a change is on its way
Yeah, the chance to halt the slide
My only ever plan of worth was to change the entire Earth
Yeah a change is on its way, change that's coming from inside
And there is hope for you now
Yeah, the hope of clear skies
There is good in every man, which we will harness if we can
There is hope for you now, and the warmth that lies inside
'The Myth of Sisyphus' was originally written as an instrumental track sequenced on Shiori's synth, over which Shiori noodled on his guitar. However, the desire to write lyrics to it proved overwhelming, and they spilt out pretty rapidly once the general gist was got. The song was finished in early January 2006 and debuted live on February 18th 2006- which is probably the shortest transition between writing and performing ever by Coybito (although I believe '(I Was A) Temptation Island (Whore)' was equally rapid.) It serves as an experiment in form for Shiori, as this is the first Coybito song since 'August' which has no chorus. The musical complexity came as a shock to Johnny H, who'd mentioned never using the D and G strings of his bass in Shiori's four-note songs. Well, that sure showed HIM.
The song is part of the 'Crossing' concept and therefore obviously ties together with Crossing (North-South), Crossing (West-East), and Deathseekers. The song is from the good guys' viewpoint prior to revolution/fighting the Deathseekers. Essentially the point is this- when things are overwhelmingly pointless and worthless, you can either deal with it, or do something about it. In this case, doing something (natch). The song was influenced by Camus (gee, ya rekkin?), whose 'The Myth Of Sisyphus' essay argues not only against suicide, but for subversion, and for the belief that there is more good than evil in men (a concept also explored in his novel 'The Plague'). Here, the good guy attempts to use the talents of mankind to the best possible use- which I'm sure we're all aiming for anyway, but does it always happen? Are we intrinsically wasted? And if so, isn't it time we did something about it? Ironic side-note about the lyrics to Part 2: in the two days leading up to the gig in which 'Sispyhus' debuted, Shiori was actually PROMOTED at work, and his house had no heat for most of the day pre-gig. Perhaps he should write about never being a millionaire or something.
When they go back on a promise, which ensures that you fry: Shiori was probably thinking here of the Stanley 'Tookie' Williams execution in California here, although it's worth noting that Tookie still, like, MURDERED FIVE PEOPLE. Without getting into a debate on the pros and cons of capital punishment here (Shiori isn't in favour, but still), the line basically means "When they promise you a reprieve, change their minds, and ensure your execution".
When you can't see the stars for all the crap in the sky: i.e., light pollution.
When they threaten deportation for just asking why: Based on the Government of the time's Draconian anti-terror laws, which included arresting a guy under these "laws" for the 'crime' of shouting "nonsense" during a Labour rally, and deporting someone to IRAQ- which they were advising NOBODY to travel to. Of course, deportation in some cases would be ideal- for example, Abu Hamza (although jailing him in Britain, the country he loathes, is amusingly ironic). Shiori knew someone who was deported more than once; however, this was for being an illegal immigrant rather than any political machinations.
This will be the last song I ever write
About how I'm broken down and too weary to fight
The day before the revolution
And how will they see us in 25 years-
The answer to our prayers, or the sum of all fears?
The start or end to persecution?
And if I'm still alive tomorrow
Would you react with joy or react with sorrow? I don't know
But I guess you'll have the answer then
And I can't take it how
You always had the answer except for now
And it's me leading us again
This will be the last time we're together alive
So we'll swim in the river and go for a drive
The day before the revolution
And something has to change
When there's bodies piling up and we don't think it strange.
We're desensitized to execution
And I'm gouging out my heart to save our skin
I will admit to being scared
I will admit to needing you there
But I won't admit (and I'd never dare) to making mistakes
And since we're standing on the crux
And it's just between the two of us
Would I admit that we were in love?
I don't think so. Do you?
No. I won't admit a thing, I won't admit a thing to you.
When Johnny H joined the band in January 2006, he thought he was in for an easy ride- Coybito hardly played live, and he was only playing the E and A strings of his bass to play the band's entire oeuvre. Foolishly, he mentioned this to Shiori, and a few weeks later, having already played five gigs with Coybito, he was handed 'The Day Before The Revolution', which Shiori had written on John's bass. Lesson learnt, eh? Anyway, after practising it for a while and putting it up on MySpace in demo form, we debuted it live on April 21st 2006 at the Hope & Anchor.
Lyrically, 'The Day Before The Revolution' is the latest, narrative-wise, in the 'Crossing' series, in which the characters, Jamie and Kelly, finally find the resolve to go to the city (cf The Myth of Sisyphus) and bring down the fradulent government and their Deathseeker army. Jamie has, by this point, become the leader of the group, despite his reluctance, and is getting nothing from Kelly. Which, of course, begs the question of whether they stand a chance. Time will tell...
I met them in the valley where the temperature drops
At the time of the morning when time just stops
Not every space cadet is on the side of good
And there are mercenary killers with a taste for blood-
And they’re the Deathseekers, honey.
They nixed all the French in the Ivory Coast
Ensured the Sudanese crops were pretty much toast
Since every world you go to has fifty wars
And there’s a million dimensions behind every door
Deathseeker:
“And if you want to kill with no reward
Then you’re a Deathseeker, honey, and you die by the sword
Make sure you pick a winner when you pick your side
‘cause when it comes to death seeking, then it’s join us or die.”
Deathseeker:
“If the devil’s your supplier and rewards you in death
then who wouldn’t want to battle with every breath?”
And if your only chance of living is explored in the kill
Then is it any wonder that it gives you a thrill?
Still, there must have been a time when you dreamt about peace
And another man’s death wasn’t such a release?
But if killing is the one thing that you do well
Then you’re half in the grave and half in hell
We talked for hours and they set me free
In the hope I’d make a worthy adversary
Deathseeker:
“I respect your ideals, but if I see you when you’re done
We’ll have your head on a stick to show that war has won
There’s nothing better than a foe you respect
Who’s trying to destroy all the things you protect
There’s no glory in rape and no valour in theft
So we’ll fight just to fight ‘cause that’s all we have left!”
Deathseekers was written by Shiori based on a conversation with his wife, who told him that there were bouncers in a certain town in the UK who were hired every so often by governments to quash rebellions and uprisings in their country. Needless to say, hiring mercenaries was hardly legitimate and possibly illegal, although it’s obviously unrealistic to romanticise the rebels in these cases as being liberal dreamers since plenty of them probably weren’t and decided violence would be the solution.
Anyway. From there came the story of the Deathseekers, whose lives basically involve getting caught up in any uprising or riot purely for their own bloodlust and deathwish under the belief they’ll be rewarded in death. Having done this for years, they gained the wherewithal to cross dimensions into parallel universes where- inevitably- there were MORE wars! Their obvious enemies are the similarly dimension-hopping heroes of ‘Crossing (North-South)’, the male character of that song is the narrator of this one.
Phew, this is long. Deathseekers knocked about for about a year before debuting on January 29th 2006. The song was pretty much arranged by Blood (appropriately), who, in rehearsals, came up with the guitar-gronk that characterises the song, thus completely transforming it from the sketch in Shiori's mind. Fun fact: ‘Deathseekers’ was the first song John learnt which hadn’t been played by any previous bassist.
Nixed all the French in the Ivory Coast: Refers to an uprising in the Ivory Coast in which they decided to throw out the French peacekeepers there by, em, shooting them all, mostly due to resentment of the UN dissolving the Ivorian government and feelings that France is preserving its own interests in its former colony. Information: here and here
Ensured the Sudanese crops were pretty much toast: A reference to the interminable violence and nastiness in Darfur which was characterised in the media by the crop-burning debacle, which the pesky Janjaweed (themselves essentially Deathseekers) are culpable of. Hundreds of thousands have died, and when RWANDA is sending in troops (the West isn’t, however, doing anything much), things are bad. This excellent article will tell you lots: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict
We'll have your head on a stick: Generic medieval way of sticking it to your enemies- by beheading them and impaling their heads on spikes! Purveyors of this practice include Henry VIII and- surprise!- Vlad the Impaler.
No glory in rape and no valour in theft: This relates to the ‘job’ that UN peacekeepers in Africa and the Middle East have been accused of doing, which was part (but by no means all) of the reason for the Ivory Coast uprising.
JOURNEYS THROUGH THE MORTAL ZEITGEIST EP:
Living in the city where nothing grows
Takes me one step closer to an overdose
And I'm looking for something that'll last the week
And I'm looking for an outlook that's not so bleak
Where I'm free from the people that're putting me down
And I'm free from everything that's wrong with this town
And I look at the ground as it turns to frost
And I think of everybody that I've ever lost
But I'm home
I don't know where I'm going, but I'm home
You ask, where am I going?, I say, home
I don't know where I'm going but I'm home
When I was young, growing up in this place
I thought I could do better than the human race
Now I'm running for a bus that I'll always miss
And I'm wondering, is there much more than this?
(When I was young, growing up near the sea
I thought I could do better than anybody
But I know now
that there'll never be anything more than this
And I look at you all and I start to smile
At the cruel irony of the Golden Mile
And I look at the sky at the start of the day
And I see the sleaze, the filth and the takeaways, and I'm home)
With music influenced by Urusei Yatsura and ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (no, really), 'Where Am I Going?' was originally designed as part of a concept album in which a man witnessed his doppelganger committing a murder. As he was clearly at the scene, and looked exactly the same, what could you do? However, this song (and indeed 'Meeting Up', which was mooted as being part of the same idea) needed to be played NOW, so it was promoted and indeed the general concept album idea was axed.
'Where Am I Going' debuted at Coybito's first gig and has stayed with us ever since. It features on 'Journeys Through The Moral Zeitgeist', with Shiori doing drums and bass as well as the keyboards. The second vocal on verse 2 was added later. Astonishingly, Shiori thought he was selling out writing this song.
city: Originally "island", but Shiori always sang "city" and decided to leave it like that, partially because of the outmoding of the concept album idea.
home: Home for Shiori would probably have been Norfolk Street, in Coventry, at the time, although it was written with Blackpool (his former shitty hometown) in mind.
Golden Mile: Heroically grotty touristy area of Blackpool, which regularly hosts racist comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown, for example.
I say nothing when I say it loud
But I'm happy when I'm under your cloud
Sometimes it's better that I'm on my own
Sometimes it's better that I don't go home
I try forgetting and I try to be pure
But it just makes me want you more
I try to say, what's wrong with myself?
Coz gnawing paranoia is bad for your health
I get the paranoia feedback away from you
I could be happy for an hour or two
But I got stuck here, it's why I stayed
And I can't help the way I was made, no
I tell you things that my friends don't know
I show emotions [I] thought I'd never show
I love your heart and I love your hair
I'd love you more if you were ever there
When we're together, you make me fizz
Our love's ephermal but then everything is
My only fear is becoming mundane
It warps my mind, it would send me insane
I get the paranoia feedback when I'm with you
I should be happy for my hour or two
But I got stuck here, it's why I stayed
You'll never change the way I was made
You warp my mind, you warp my mind, you want my mind...
My emotions are never contrived
I would be happy if you'd recognise
I know everything you tell me is true
I just get miserable coz I love you
I have explained what gets me vexed
It seems forever till I see you next
There's optimism at the end of the verse
I have a friend who is even worse
'Paranoia Feedback' was written by Shiori in about May 2000, and was debuted live in September 2000, during a Techno Logic gig at Strettles, Preston. It appears on Inamorata and 'Journeys Through The Moral Zeitgeist'. On the 'Journeys...' version, Chris plays bass. The outro of the 'Journeys' version is a bunch of samples of Shiori, Chris and Stu, with Shiori playing five-string bass over it.
Live, 'Paranoia Feedback' segues with 'I Don't Wanna See You Again', an Undertones cover.
Nothing when I say it loud: i.e., the "empty vessels make most sound" idea. If you're shouting, you're probably not being rational or interesting.
Pure: Round about this time, 'purity' was a common theme for Shiori. Another song, 'My Ascent Into Madness', was about the notion that purity was ultimately another word for dullness.
Paranoia feedback: If you're in a relationship and are paranoid that you feel unloved, and have nobody to discuss this with, your paranoia loops back into itself and becomes worse, like guitar feedback.
While this is a great concept, in reality it was a fallacy. Shiori had plenty of people to discuss his romantic woes with, and seized the opportunity feverishly, as anyone from that era of his life can wearily recall. Plus, it was not paranoia at all: the girl in question didn't love him at all. Thankfully, there would be better times ahead for Shiori.
Here: In this situation, or in this place.
If you were ever there: Fun fact- Shiori has a video of our sixth gig, at the Jailhouse, in which Paranoia is the final song. Infuriated about certain people not showing up, Shiori changes this part of the song to "BUT YOU'RE NOT FUCKING HERE, ARE YOU, BITCH?!". He then screws up the next line in some sort of karmic effort.
A friend: Accounts vary as to who this actually is. To keep the suspense, Shiori won't say.
Praise the Lord that we got these shores
Praise the Lord that we want much more
Colonial planning in our big designs
Everyone else took a similar line
SO JUST SAY NO! to the new empires
Building their regimes over burning spires
They wanna take over, so they must be mad
The only good regime is the one we had
And when you're sleeping we will launch our defence
Going postal on our former friends
No-one's ever gonna rule the world by fear
And even if they do, they'll have stolen our idea
What do you do when you're trying to survive?
Build your regime over millions of lives?
We only persecuted when we thought was best
For the Zulus, the Indians and all the rest
BUT NO NOT THEM! and they invade these shores
Using our ideas for a selfish cause
So just link up with the superpowers
Interference in the doctrines and the world is ours
It's alright, it's alright, we didn't lose the war, we didn't lose at all
'Lebensraum' was influenced by Devin Townsend's 'Terria' album and was written in early 2002. It premiered in 2003 with Andy Beard on drums, to everyone's delight. On the notorious Jailhouse video, someone comes up and does the Wayne's World "We're not worthy" thing to the band during the intro. At the third Colosseum gig, Shiori actually left the room entirely while singing the outro.
'Lebensraum' closes Journeys Through The Moral Zeitgeist' and features Shiori on bass and drums. You can listen to Lebensraum here (opens in Windows Media Player). The concept behind the song is thus: The Axis of Evil are demonised because "they want to take over the world". Their opponents? Britain (who owned most of the world in the 1800s) and the United States (who replace enemy dictators, but are happy to leave "our dictators" in power, e.g. in Nicaragua).
Praise the Lord: Stu Nasty hated this line.
Everyone else: i.e., the Nazis, the Axis, the Taliban...
Going postal: People sometimes ask about this- it's a reference to a US postal worker who, like Michael Douglas in 'Falling Down', went mental and killed lots of people. "Our former friends" is a reference to how, say, Afghanistan was armed by the US for their fight with Russia.
The Zulus, the Indians and all the rest: The Zulus are an example of one bunch of people who didn't accept Christianity until brutual war. The Indians refers to the Native Americans, who we all know about, but can also refer to the Indian people, who were colonised by the British.
EVOLUTION OF THE PRETZEL EP:
Living in the city where nothing grows
Takes me one step closer to an overdose
And I'm looking for something that'll last the week
And I'm looking for an outlook that's not so bleak
Where I'm free from the people that're putting me down
And I'm free from everything that's wrong with this town
And I look at the ground as it turns to frost
And I think of everybody that I've ever lost
But I'm home
I don't know where I'm going, but I'm home
You ask, where am I going?, I say, home
I don't know where I'm going but I'm home
When I was young, growing up in this place
I thought I could do better than the human race
Now I'm running for a bus that I'll always miss
And I'm wondering, is there much more than this?
(When I was young, growing up near the sea
I thought I could do better than anybody
But I know now
that there'll never be anything more than this
And I look at you all and I start to smile
At the cruel irony of the Golden Mile
And I look at the sky at the start of the day
And I see the sleaze, the filth and the takeaways, and I'm home)
With music influenced by Urusei Yatsura and ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (no, really), 'Where Am I Going?' was originally designed as part of a concept album in which a man witnessed his doppelganger committing a murder. As he was clearly at the scene, and looked exactly the same, what could you do? However, this song (and indeed 'Meeting Up', which was mooted as being part of the same idea) needed to be played NOW, so it was promoted and indeed the general concept album idea was axed.
'Where Am I Going' debuted at Coybito's first gig and has stayed with us ever since. It features on 'Journeys Through The Moral Zeitgeist', with Shiori doing drums and bass as well as the keyboards. The second vocal on verse 2 was added later. Astonishingly, Shiori thought he was selling out writing this song.
city: Originally "island", but Shiori always sang "city" and decided to leave it like that, partially because of the outmoding of the concept album idea.
home: Home for Shiori would probably have been Norfolk Street, in Coventry, at the time, although it was written with Blackpool (his former shitty hometown) in mind.
Golden Mile: Heroically grotty touristy area of Blackpool, which regularly hosts racist comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown, for example.
I've spent so long in this glass onion
That it feels like I'm stuck in a cavern
And I'll spend my life in the real world
'coz nothing else is worth my having
Sarah looks good in a catsuit that stains
And I can't see why they are laughing
She doesn't see that life is a curse
And she wants us all to be happy
It's not real, it's not real at all
Feel nothing, she feels nothing at all
She's not happy, coz when she's out of control
She ain't Sarah, she's not Sarah at all
Sit back and watch you destroy yourselves
As the diamond dogs start their breeding
She's from the outside, she sees all of this
And she can't see what it's achieving
She sees the minnows destroyed by the sharks
And she knows that it's time to go fishing
I called out for help and I banged on the wall
And she was the only one listening
'Sarah' was written in late 2000 as part of yet another abandoned project, which was an anti-capitalist concept album. Unfortunately, Shiori couldn't work out the background of the Sarah character, or what the ending of it all would be, and had to abandon it. Plus, Shiori was worried that the idea was basically just 'Diamond Dogs' fused with 'The Wall' (hence the references in verse 2). Some of the same ideas turned up in the 'Crossing' concept which Shiori is currently kicking around, and 'Sarah' may feature.
'Sarah' is, of course, on 'Evolution of the Pretzel' and has been played at a couple of gigs, done solo by Shiori, and made it into a couple of Techno Logic appearances. It's never gone down well, which is unfortunate, but it's probably too quiet and unlike much of Coybito's output to work. On the demo, there's an outro built out of loops, samples and synthesizers, with Robert Moog saying "Everything surprises me. Every time a musician does something that's not been done before..." before disappearing under echo.
For those who wonder, Shiori did indeed live with a Sarah for a few years, and played this song in her presence at least twice. Strangely, Sarah never asked whether 'Sarah' was about her (perhaps she just assumed it was)- but it isn't. Shiori knew about half-a-dozen Sarahs at the time, so it was obviously in his head.
Glass onion: From the Beatles song of the same name, although with a different meaning. Lennon meant it as "a load of totally see-through layers", and I mean it as something that distorts your view, which is what looking through multiple layers of curved glass would do. Ha, I'm reinterpreting your lyrics, you wife-beating hypocrite.
Real world: As opposed to living in false hope, or your own world, as it were.
A catsuit that stains: As one of Shiori's friends pointed out, proper catsuits don't stain. Sarah's, in the song, is made out of some inferior and crappy material. What material? What am I, a tailor?
She's not Sarah at all: Sarah means "princess" in Hebrew and was the wife of Abraham in the Bible. Is this relevant? No. It just refers to somebody not being themselves, whether that's because of drugs, drink, mental problems or whatever.
An armful said she liked me
I suppose she stole my heart
With her legs at two and ten
She looked like my favourite porn star
And there's no morals behind the spyhole
But she knew I was watching her
Unattainable, she was perfect
Cut the talking, it got worse
And hey! I'm invincible
I don't need your love to see me through
Hey! I'm invincible
And I won't kill myself to be with you
And my love was unconditional
Through the curtains, through the bush
She was flattered by the interest
Like some sort of teenage crush
Yeah, my voyeurist curiosity
Doesn't usually become more
Like Gary Numan, not Jill Dando
I'm amazed she was so damn flawed
Now those days are over
You could say I've reformed
Coz when her love was that bad
I didn't want it any more
Written in 2002ish by Shiori. 'Invincible' was his way of fusing a descending riff, which was inspired by the Foo Fighters' "Times Like These", and the Super Furry Animals analogue synth riff on "Bad Behaviour". The chorus riff was taken from another Shiori song, "Methadone for the Culture Junkie", which probably wouldn't have gone anywhere. The lyrics consider the stalker: what if you ended up dating someone that you were previously stalking? And then found you had nothing in common with them? A concept I'm sure we've all considered.
Invincible appears on 'Evolution of the Pretzel' and will probably be on the album. It's almost invariably a nightmare to play live, for some reason, and the recording was equally torturous. There's a sample from 'Rear Window' at the start: "We've become a race of Peeping Toms. What people oughta do is get outside their own homes and look in for a change."
An armful says she liked me: The first verse of 'Invincible' was written using the Kurt Cobain method of stringing any old lyric together based on cuttings in notebooks and such likes. As a result, the song's subject only became clear to Shiori after writing the opening four lines, hence the vagueness of it all. Shiori abandoned this method shortly after. The story behind this particular incomprehensible lyric is thus: Shiori was once discussing a romantic interest with a friend. The person Shiori was interested in had taken to sending him the wrist-bead thingummys he was fond of wearing. Encouraging Shiori, the friend explained "Of course she likes you- you have an armful that says she likes you!". In the context of the song, this, I guess, refers to the stalker sending his stalkee said beads, or perhaps the other way round.
Two and ten: This is something Shiori heard at work once, and took him ages to figure out. Imagine a clock hands, and you've basically got it.
There's no morals behind the spyhole: When Shiori was living in halls of residence, one of his friends spawned this line to discuss his own, um, "information gathering" technique.
Hey! I'm invincible: If I remember rightly, this was taken from an interview with Lauren Laverne, around the time of Kenickie's second album (by which time I suspect Miss Laverne had lost all interest in being in Kenickie. At least, that's what her interviews- and songwriting- implied). "You just want to wake up and suddenly realise, hey! I'm invincible" was the full quote, I think. Although Lauren's gone on to mild success as a TV and radio presenter, sometimes I wish she'd pick up her guitar again and go back to Kenickie.
Like Gary Numan, not Jill Dando: Jill Dando's alleged stalker murdered her. Gary Numan's stalker MARRIED Numan, as I understand it. For the uninitiated: Dando was a BBC news presenter who was shot in 1999-ish. Numan, of course, was the singer of Tubeway Army, notable for 'Cars' and 'Are Friends Electric?', who currently makes Nine Inch Nails-ish music.
Conformity is over, implausibly over
The bomb threat is over, everything is over
My heart starts over, and everything starts over
And all the things I ever see are all the things I'll ever need and
What they never understand
Is we can never be apart again
It's not a question of a master race
It's something coming from the heart
A man comes over without bothering to ask
Says "we need to reproduce and I'm the man for the task"
But I won't give over, and she won't turn over
As all the things I've ever got are all the things I'd ever want
We carried over in our race to be lovers
And there's no need for a third when we have got one another
Now the threat is over there's still nothing on TV
And all I thought I'd never need is everything I'll ever need
Written in early 2000, slightly before the 'Paranoia Feedback'-era hell. 'Eugenics' was inspired by the Billy Corgan rhythm guitar style, which is, in a nutshell, playing standard chords and missing certain notes (like leaving G open on a Dmaj chord, for example). The lyrics owe a debt to 'The Day After The Revolution' by Pulp, and the kids book "Z for Zachariah" (which I don't recommend) and are about surviving the apocalypse together, only to have that threatened by a guy trying to break it up. At the time, Shiori was vaguely worried about the end of the world, having been surprised when we got to 2000 with no major world-ending crisis. And then Bush got in, but...
Some have shown concern for the third man in the song. One of Shiori's associates suggested "have a threesome" but aaargh, that's not the point. It's a love song.
It took Shiori a while to work out the arrangement for the song, but it was pretty easy to record once it was done. I wish I had more wacky production notes, but tough. The sample at the end, which is hard to make out, is from the Jungle Book film. "Let's get back where WE belong. And get with the beat."
I don't think the lyrics are unambigious enough to merit notes, frankly.
CROSSING SERIES
Living in the city where nothing grows
Takes me one step closer to an overdose
And I'm looking for something that'll last the week
And I'm looking for an outlook that's not so bleak
Where I'm free from the people that're putting me down
And I'm free from everything that's wrong with this town
And I look at the ground as it turns to frost
And I think of everybody that I've ever lost
But I'm home
I don't know where I'm going, but I'm home
You ask, where am I going?, I say, home
I don't know where I'm going but I'm home
When I was young, growing up in this place
I thought I could do better than the human race
Now I'm running for a bus that I'll always miss
And I'm wondering, is there much more than this?
(When I was young, growing up near the sea
I thought I could do better than anybody
But I know now
that there'll never be anything more than this
And I look at you all and I start to smile
At the cruel irony of the Golden Mile
And I look at the sky at the start of the day
And I see the sleaze, the filth and the takeaways, and I'm home)
With music influenced by Urusei Yatsura and ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (no, really), 'Where Am I Going?' was originally designed as part of a concept album in which a man witnessed his doppelganger committing a murder. As he was clearly at the scene, and looked exactly the same, what could you do? However, this song (and indeed 'Meeting Up', which was mooted as being part of the same idea) needed to be played NOW, so it was promoted and indeed the general concept album idea was axed.
'Where Am I Going' debuted at Coybito's first gig and has stayed with us ever since. It features on 'Journeys Through The Moral Zeitgeist', with Shiori doing drums and bass as well as the keyboards. The second vocal on verse 2 was added later. Astonishingly, Shiori thought he was selling out writing this song.
city: Originally "island", but Shiori always sang "city" and decided to leave it like that, partially because of the outmoding of the concept album idea.
home: Home for Shiori would probably have been Norfolk Street, in Coventry, at the time, although it was written with Blackpool (his former shitty hometown) in mind.
Golden Mile: Heroically grotty touristy area of Blackpool, which regularly hosts racist comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown, for example.
I blew this joint today
Every day I think I die a little in every single way
So I walked into the rain
Every place I leave, it seems my parting's still the same
So what is it you have to say?
Will it make me care much now anyway?
If we meet at the crossing
We'll find a world so high, and you'll never realise just being there
If we meet at the crossing
We'll find we're so damn dense and none of our friends would recognise
'Cause it's where the worlds collide
And the time and distance just slide
If we meet at the crossing mid-South.
Something calls me south
From a world I realise demonises if you don't shut your mouth
And I never towed the line
One day I'll find a way to stop this world's decline
But amongst the nukes and mines
There's a clearing down the path I gotta find
Held pow-wow with the girl
Took her hand and stepped into another world
'Crossing (North-South)' is part of a two-part song (different verses leading to the same chorus). Shiori attempted, in writing these songs, to write a song that went "down" and a song that went "from left to right", which Chris compared to Syd Barrett's "the middle of this song is a bit afternoon" babble.
Amazingly, it gets more pretentious from there. The 'Crossing' idea- influenced by lots of 'His Dark Materials' and 'The Dark Tower'- would later inspire Shiori to write a bunch of other songs around the same idea: that being of two people from parallel dimensions who meet to plot revolution. It's- gasp- a concept album, although whether all the songs will appear on the same album is up in the air. It may also be worth pointing out that the parallel songs- and 'Crossing (West-East)' in particular- summed up everything Shiori had to say about society and war for ages, and he didn't write another song for months.
Blew this joint: Left here, obviously. One of those events where Shiori's everyday saying make it into his lyrics.
High: Another lyric which would suggest this song is about hash, the idea of the lyric is more "we'll find a world elevated beyond anything we've ever known before, but you can only find it if you seek it".
SCORCH
CROSSING (WEST-EAST)
I had a dream I'd like to share just the other day:
I cut a chunk out of my arm and I let it wash away
I realised when I awoke that it'd been happening all my life
Harming every way in just trying to survive
But hey! What did you want me to say,
That I looked at my life and I found it OK?
Because grief, I never grew up in peace
Wouldn't know what to do if I ever got free
And hey! I shouldn't be talking this way
But when I'm with you, I can say what I wanted to say,
I'll say that I won, and you lost
I won
You lost
I had a dream I'd like to share that helps me through the fight
I looked at all the kids in town and I knew they'd grow up right
And though you're like a magnet repelling anyone that gets too close
I know your love is lethal but I just gotta overdose
And hey! Did you expect me to say
That my life before you was completely OK?
'Cause grief, I never grew up with peace
I won't know what to do now I'm finally free
And hey! I shouldn't be talking this way
But when I'm with you, I can say what I wanted to say,
I'll say that we won and they lost
We won
They lost
These are the dreams I like to keep
Inside my heart each time I sleep
I dream of peace at any cost
I'll say that we won and they lost
'Repelling Forces' was written in 2006 and made its first live appearance on June 3 at the Golden Cross. It was the last of the 'Apocalypse Cultures' songs to be performed live.
The simplest interpretation of 'Repelling Forces' is the discovery of love after a lifetime of suffering. However, this being Coybito, and being part of the 'Crossing' series, it isn't quite that simple. In terms of narrative, it features one of the two protagonists in the story persuading the other one to fight alongside her, as the only life she's known so far has been one of destruction and oppression, and of (figurative) self-harm as a survival method.
You're like a magnet repelling anyone that gets too close: As in, magnets repel each other because they have the same polarity or whatever it is (Johnny's the physicist here). Idea is that the character addressed in the song rejects anyone too similar to himself.
(c) Coybito 2002-7.
DON'T LEAVE
DEATHSEEKERS
SPECTRES
A KID NAMED KEANU
Part One: Enemies
I could have died feeling angry and never known why
I wanna go to the city where the government lie
And you turn around still asking me exactly why
I wanna go to the city where the government lie?
Well you're signed into a worldview to which I don't subscribe
You try to rationalise the feelings that I cannot describe
And you're looking for logic where it doesn't apply
I wanna go to the city where the government lie
When the guilty rule the country and the innocent die
When they go back on a promise, which ensures that you fry
When the wolves at my door emit an ominous cry
I wanna go to the city where the government lie
When you can't see the stars for all the crap in the sky
When you're planning for the future and the end is nigh
When they threaten deportation for just asking why
I wanna go to the city where the government lie
Part Two: Friends
And there's no glory in the end
Just a sense of wounded pride
When you can't afford to eat, and your house has got no heat
There's no glory in the end, just the emptiness inside
And there's no chances for you now
All the dreams you had have died
When your job's worse by the day and no promotion's on its way
There's no chances for you now, no reward for having tried
But a change is on its way
Yeah, the chance to halt the slide
My only ever plan of worth was to change the entire Earth
Yeah a change is on its way, change that's coming from inside
And there is hope for you now
Yeah, the hope of clear skies
There is good in every man, which we will harness if we can
There is hope for you now, and the warmth that lies inside
'The Myth of Sisyphus' was originally written as an instrumental track sequenced on Shiori's synth, over which Shiori noodled on his guitar. However, the desire to write lyrics to it proved overwhelming, and they spilt out pretty rapidly once the general gist was got. The song was finished in early January 2006 and debuted live on February 18th 2006- which is probably the shortest transition between writing and performing ever by Coybito (although I believe '(I Was A) Temptation Island (Whore)' was equally rapid.) It serves as an experiment in form for Shiori, as this is the first Coybito song since 'August' which has no chorus. The musical complexity came as a shock to Johnny H, who'd mentioned never using the D and G strings of his bass in Shiori's four-note songs. Well, that sure showed HIM.
The song is part of the 'Crossing' concept and therefore obviously ties together with Crossing (North-South), Crossing (West-East), and Deathseekers. The song is from the good guys' viewpoint prior to revolution/fighting the Deathseekers. Essentially the point is this- when things are overwhelmingly pointless and worthless, you can either deal with it, or do something about it. In this case, doing something (natch). The song was influenced by Camus (gee, ya rekkin?), whose 'The Myth Of Sisyphus' essay argues not only against suicide, but for subversion, and for the belief that there is more good than evil in men (a concept also explored in his novel 'The Plague'). Here, the good guy attempts to use the talents of mankind to the best possible use- which I'm sure we're all aiming for anyway, but does it always happen? Are we intrinsically wasted? And if so, isn't it time we did something about it? Ironic side-note about the lyrics to Part 2: in the two days leading up to the gig in which 'Sispyhus' debuted, Shiori was actually PROMOTED at work, and his house had no heat for most of the day pre-gig. Perhaps he should write about never being a millionaire or something.
When they go back on a promise, which ensures that you fry: Shiori was probably thinking here of the Stanley 'Tookie' Williams execution in California here, although it's worth noting that Tookie still, like, MURDERED FIVE PEOPLE. Without getting into a debate on the pros and cons of capital punishment here (Shiori isn't in favour, but still), the line basically means "When they promise you a reprieve, change their minds, and ensure your execution".
When you can't see the stars for all the crap in the sky: i.e., light pollution.
When they threaten deportation for just asking why: Based on the Government of the time's Draconian anti-terror laws, which included arresting a guy under these "laws" for the 'crime' of shouting "nonsense" during a Labour rally, and deporting someone to IRAQ- which they were advising NOBODY to travel to. Of course, deportation in some cases would be ideal- for example, Abu Hamza (although jailing him in Britain, the country he loathes, is amusingly ironic). Shiori knew someone who was deported more than once; however, this was for being an illegal immigrant rather than any political machinations.
This will be the last song I ever write
About how I'm broken down and too weary to fight
The day before the revolution
And how will they see us in 25 years-
The answer to our prayers, or the sum of all fears?
The start or end to persecution?
And if I'm still alive tomorrow
Would you react with joy or react with sorrow? I don't know
But I guess you'll have the answer then
And I can't take it how
You always had the answer except for now
And it's me leading us again
This will be the last time we're together alive
So we'll swim in the river and go for a drive
The day before the revolution
And something has to change
When there's bodies piling up and we don't think it strange.
We're desensitized to execution
And I'm gouging out my heart to save our skin
I will admit to being scared
I will admit to needing you there
But I won't admit (and I'd never dare) to making mistakes
And since we're standing on the crux
And it's just between the two of us
Would I admit that we were in love?
I don't think so. Do you?
No. I won't admit a thing, I won't admit a thing to you.
When Johnny H joined the band in January 2006, he thought he was in for an easy ride- Coybito hardly played live, and he was only playing the E and A strings of his bass to play the band's entire oeuvre. Foolishly, he mentioned this to Shiori, and a few weeks later, having already played five gigs with Coybito, he was handed 'The Day Before The Revolution', which Shiori had written on John's bass. Lesson learnt, eh? Anyway, after practising it for a while and putting it up on MySpace in demo form, we debuted it live on April 21st 2006 at the Hope & Anchor.
Lyrically, 'The Day Before The Revolution' is the latest, narrative-wise, in the 'Crossing' series, in which the characters, Jamie and Kelly, finally find the resolve to go to the city (cf The Myth of Sisyphus) and bring down the fradulent government and their Deathseeker army. Jamie has, by this point, become the leader of the group, despite his reluctance, and is getting nothing from Kelly. Which, of course, begs the question of whether they stand a chance. Time will tell...
I could hear them calling as we entered the approach
"This is riot without license", all the usual reproach
And everybody forgets when your hearts and minds are full
That there's gonna be a point where there's a gun against your skull
And this is war. Could you ever ask for more?
Maybe a simple memorandum on what it is we're dying for?
And this is war, violence with equality
But no matter how you dress it, it still looks the same to me
They sent their representatives, not the leaders though, of course
Who said "of course we understand your problems, of course we feel remorse
But you've got to understand, that our finances are dire
And if you don't fuck off out of our land, we're going to open fire"
But this is war, not a game played with the poor
Over which besuited morons really represent them more
And this is war, there is no time to placate
And you may say you'll hear our problems, but I tell you, it's too late
Bring on your legions!
Your brainwashed demons!
Fighters for freedom!
Because this is war
The spectres and the demons, what a dreary repetoire
They've been coming round for years, so we know just who they are
And everybody tells me, "this is tyranny you choose"
But when you kill our kids and burn our crops, what do we have to lose?
And this is war, down and passed out on the floor
Beaten more or less to death and still coming back for more
And this is war, there is no time to appease
We won't listen to your answers if you won't listen to our pleas
'Death Descends Upon The City' was written in 2006 as a way of starting the 'war' part of the Crossing series: narrative-wise it follows on from 'The Day Before The Revolution' (this part *is* the revolution, as it were). It's one of the fastest songs in the series, and was put together from a couple of ideas Shiori had been kicking around (as most songs are).
Lyrically, the 'spectres' are from a song earlier in the series ('Spectres') and the 'demons'/'brainwashed legions' are the Deathseekers. The rest, I think, is fairly clear- it's kicking out against people who haven't listened to you for years. 'Death Descends Upon The City' is a line from 'Metropolis': the song was originally called 'War' (for obvious reasons) and later 'Violent Direct Action' before settling on this title.
LIVE SONGS
Watch her stumble as she falls away
Tried to search for something to say
Lost for words but I kept in touch
Never thought I would bleed so much
Knew that changes were in the air
Tried to show that I was able to care
But the final showing's been shown
Hard to see it when you're on your own
Watch her stumble as she falls away
Go through life pretending I am OK
Caught a glimpse of the twilight zone
At least you see it when you're on your own
Written in 2000 by Shiori. The song is about various things that were happening to him at the time, and is fairly vague. Various lyrics were added and erased in the early stages, but who cares about them?
'August' was played at the first Coybito gig and appears occasionally at other gigs. On the record, Shiori does much of the guitar work, and Chris plays windchimes.
Watch her stumble: Shiori's rabbit, who died around that time.
Never thought I would bleed so much:Emotionally, but inspired by some random cut on Shiori bleeding interminably, apparently for no reason.
Final showing's been shown: i.e., your last chance has already passed.
'Cracktown Zombie Deathfest' was born out of- my God- a jam. Chris played some metronomic Floyd harmonics on guitar for his own amusement and, out of nowhere, the band spent the next 15 minutes playing post-rock noodling, awakening babies in the house next door and shocking the band members. When the final feedback had died down and the neighbours had come round to complain, it was given the deliberately misleading title 'Cracktown Zombie Deathfest' by Shiori as the stupidest name he could think of, and it was decided that the song should be debuted at Covfest 2, which was to take place just two weeks later. Instead, we played it the next week at the Dog and Trumpet.
The song took on more structure, focus and direction by the time Covfest rolled around, however, built out of a couple of Shiori's riffs and some ideas chucked in by the whole band. Shiori spent most of Saturday hunting down zombie samples and finally found the perfect ones in the "gee, THAT's never been sampled before" 'Night of the Living Dead'. As hoped for, the out-of-leftfield veer into post-rock shocked and delighted the audience, while the blistering feedback and effects finish even defeated seasoned noiseniks The Hearing.
I need to learn my own psychology
But it doesn't make it better when she's messing with me
The studs came down and she was drinking their shots
Take a good look at what you've dropped
I'm in the mood for some, mood for some, mood for repetition
But she changes so much that I'm deconditioned
Glancing through life when my thoughts are scattered
Maybe I'd just like to think that I mattered
Nights on her own or with other people
Nights with her own all those lovely people
Look at the town all the empty people
Look at the sea and all the drowning people
I have 80 minutes and they don't pass fast
Time is slow when you're the worst in the class
And the smell of the city leaves me sick
Conditions are fine for a lunatic
She says she's joined a band but it's one that I'm in
Pathways are clear for a lifetime of sin
It leaves me searching for atmosphere
Coz mediocrity is something I fear
And she dances with me in the depths of night
She glitters like the stars shining in twilight
In the dark she's fine but in the dawn she flips
That's why I wait for an eclipse
And I want to talk but I get no advice
The fragments of my feelings in the pale moonlight
I continue to burn she continues to glow
And a stream of conversation becomes a flow...
This song was written and recorded simultaneously for the 'Inamorata' album by Shiori, in about July 2000. Some of the lyrics were knocking around a bit earlier than that, with the idea of making them into a form of riot-grrl song. However, they fitted nicely, and went here instead. The 'Inamorata' version is slower, longer (at about 6 minutes), and has an extra verse. What's the song about? Who can say. It combined various feelings of frustration that Shiori felt at the time- A-Levels that didn't seem to go anywhere (hence the "psychology" reference), girls pissing him about (of which more later), and other teenage angst stuff- and goth imagery, which came from listening to too much Sisters of Mercy and Joy Division.
The song was recorded pretty quickly by Techno Logic. With Coybito, however, it quickly descended into torture, particularly the bass part, which took three hours to record for various reasons (the increasing insobriety of Shiori and Stu was one of those reasons). Chris and Shiori do miscellaneous percussion on this song.
Nights on her own, or with other people: Something taken from Shiori's sister, Em, who commented on her friend's deceitful social habits: "She won't come out with me- she prefers to spend her nights on her own. Or with other people." Em was almost Shiori's muse at this point: 'Evolution of the Pretzel' was another of her, um, 'adapted' ideas. She also contributed flute to the Techno Logic version of 'August'.
She says she's joined a band but it's one that I'm in: Unsurprisingly, this is autobiographical. Shiori was "in" a "band" with his friend Stef at the time, and his (now former) girlfriend announced once that she'd joined a band with Stef, and she would play drums. It, of course, turned out to be the same band. Hey, Vicky? SCREW YOU. That solves nothing, of course, but I feel better for saying it.
Mediocrity is something I fear: c/f Paranoia Feedback. Shiori's ex-housemate once told him she "can't wait to have a nice, mediocre job". This horrified Shiori, who lists 'mediocrity' and 'dogs' as his key fears. Shiori's other housemate, of course, laughed his arse off.
(c) Coybito 2004
It seems so nice in your idyll retreat
But we'll only get paid if you're willing to cheat
And if this is Eden, I'm the apple and the snake
And you'll get no love from the TV fake
And I've got the grip of the station
And I've got the faith of the nation
As I lead you into temptation
Don't care about your girlfriend when there's money to make
And why'd you want the real? You can get the fake
Coz nothing in your life's going anywhere
And you're arrogant enough to think she cares, yeah
This pain we're in
It's just a case for original sin
This pain you're in
It's more a case of who will lose and who will win
This pain we're in
Well it seems so fake every time you take another jeopardy with her soul, mind and heart
And nothing seems the same as it did at the start
So are you happy with my confession?
Sold out to the oldest profession
I'm not your friend, I'm not your lover
Just another actress going undercover
Written in 2003ish by Shiori. Stu then added a bassline and did a bit of pruning and arrangement (there were a few more lyrics and a bit of music edited out), thus earning a writing credit. 'Temptation Island' was a show made in the US by the Fox network, later remade for Britain by Sky. What appalled Shiori about the whole 'Temptation Island' schtick was that the idiot contestants were brought onto an island, where they met actors whose WHOLE PURPOSE was to seduce the contestants for the sake of ratings. Then, the contestants couldn't choose between their partners and these FUCKING ACTORS. Even worse, the actors themselves- who were being paid solely to seduce people- were basically working as prostitutes. Of course, the whole concept of temptation is Biblical, hence the constant references in the lyrics.
On the song, Chris introduces it with a spoken word part, in which he plays a contestant who can't choose between his girlfriend and an actress. Since the guitar riff kicks in soon after, the intro is entirely Chris. On the run-out, Shiori's then-housemate Steph Matthews plays one of the actresses.
Apple and snake: i.e., temptation and tempter.
Sold out to the oldest profession: Prostitution. The original lyric was "Fox bought me for the oldest profession" but didn't scan.
I know the movers and shakers>
When I'm out in the town
I know those on their way up
Know those going down
I know the coke-snorting mayors
Perversion makes me sick
Know the porn purveyors
Their minds controlled by their dicks
I know there's no repeat
It's here I hear the techno beats
Have no murderous urges
Have no problems with drugs
But when your status is transient
All you're seeking is hugs
I know our social achievements
Are mocked by all that we find
So let's meet up in the city
Control them all with our minds
'Meeting Up' has been knocking around since about 1999, and was Shiori's attempt to combine Sleater-Kinney with drum 'n' bass. He'd also been listening to too much of Blur's '13' album around that time. The song was debuted live in September 2000, during a Techno Logic gig at Strettles, Preston. Part of the reason that "their dick" is sung in falsetto is because Shiori's parents were in the audience. It appears on Inamorata.
The mobile phone thing on the recorded version was something that Shiori debuted at a rehearsal, to the merriment of Chris and Stu. The cheesy ringtone then made it regularly into 'Meeting Up' performances.
Coke-snorting mayors: This was taken from a Channel 4 documentary. There was a US mayor who was constantly on the anti-drugs tip, only to be secretly filmed taking cocaine behind the scenes. Unfortunately, Shiori has forgotten who it was.
Going down: Another of Shiori's regular lyrics. 'Inamorata' has a song CALLED 'Going Down', which means that the character is eventually the one on the way down. The oral sex reference is entirely coincidental.
techno beats:Another vague reference to the concept of the city as fresh and exciting, but also dangerous and wrong.
Murderous urges: Of course, Shiori can't think of anyone he wants to kill.
Drugs: The only problem Shiori has with drugs is the ghastly smell of dope. Oddly, most Coybito reviews contain at least one drug reference, as people cannot believe that Shiori wrote these songs sane.
Our minds: c.f. Pulp's Misshapes: "We won't use guns, we won't use bombs, we'll use the one thing we've got more of, that's our minds."
My girl is hot like a nuclear flame
And I kinda swore I'd never feel this way again
She burns my heart, she burns my systems
She kinda justifies my whole existence
And we burn and we scorch and we vaporise
Coz she's the best fire that I'll ever find
She's an illusion to me I can never see
I'm an ideal to her I can never be
And we burn, burn vaporise
Who keeps me warm in the cold and the dark?
Coz she's the kind of flame that likes to give off sparks
And I know I said I'd never feel this way again- I lied
Coz she's hot like a nuclear flame
Nuclear Flame was written in November 2004 as a sort of ode to Shiori's new lady. A fairly straightforward love song, written on a train en route to a football match. No, really. And you thought Shiori wasn't a cliched man.
'Nuclear Flame' was an odd metaphor dreamt up as a text message simile, and developed from there. The song itself however, mooched around for AGES- Shiori was still writing it by the time the first performance came around. Originally intended as a sort of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club/Spiritualized drone, 'NF' was modified and beaten about until it took the form it's in now. Which is demoed here. At the two-guitarists-no-bass gig, Shiori played the solo on guitar, in a self-indulgence spree that lasted the entire gig.
Wanted to be here twenty years ago
Realised I couldn't make it alone
Thought of all the people that I wanna be near
Watched in shock as they disappeared
Hey, hey, Moses, where did you go/waddya know?
Your only break was the people you know
Hey Rhiannon, I'm glad you're alive
Way up on the prairie, met a native man
He took our courtesy, we took his land
Gave them reservations out on the plain
Reservation blues are always the same
When there's peace in the village above
Then there's peace in the valley of love
Fire on the island, and blood on our hands
Smoke in our jackets, and we fire on demand
So cut negotiations and head into town
There'll be a massacre in Newfoundland
Virtue is the veil that we held all along
They can't speak English so they must be wrong
Written on a day where Shiori finished six songs in about four hours, 'Reservation Blues' existed for ages before Shiori got round to writing the melody. There is a book called 'Reservation Blues' but Shiori's never read it and couldn't tell you what it's about- it's pure coincidence. The lyrics, of course, concern the treatment of Native Americans, who were having 'their; land screwed out of them for centuries. A similar thing happened in Australia, of course
The version of 'Reservation Blues' on 'Utopian Debris' features Shiori on piano. Chris and Shiori worked out the guitar line by listening to '1992' by Blur, Shiori going "sound like that" and Chris banging it out. There was no guitar on the original Reservation Blues, featured on 'Inamorata'. Stu plays a great slide bass on Reservation Blues.
Your only break was the people you know: i.e., God. Moses didn't have much of a great time of it- there was a whole heap of misery before the Israelites reached anything resembling a promised land- but it was easier for him than many people trying to set up their own country. Is the idea.
Rhiannon: The Celtic goddess of love (I think), but Rhiannon was just a name that I quite like and which scans. SO deep.
Smoke in our jackets: Crap smoking jackets pun, but it's meant to refer to guns. The Europeans had them. The Native Americans didn't. Death everywhere.
Just for once, I'd like to fuck someone
Who would still speak to me like three weeks later
Just for once, I'd like to read something
Where I wasn't seen as the goddamn instigator
Say seven words just to make it OK
But you make as much sense as a haiku generator
You take too much on when you take me on
You're like a snake swallowing an alligator
Say that we're through but I come back to you
And I really don't know how either of us cope with it
You knock me out every time we're about
And I hate it so much, you're my sledgehammer opiate
I want it so much, you're my sledgehammer opiate
Just for once, I'd like to do something
Which didn't stop just as I was getting into it.
Just for once, I'd like to know your problems
Without having to read them on the goddamn Internet
Say what you like about the things that we did
But it doesn't disguise who wanted it more
You say we should quit, and I'm tired of this shit,
But I'm still with you and that's hard to ignore
Don't let it end
Not today
It makes no sense
Not this way
Every word that you said still stays in my head
And my pictures of you are like photocopied photofits
It's the point in the track where we can't turn back
And I'll see you in hell, dear sledgehammer opiate
I hate you so much, you're my sledgehammer opiate.
'Sledgehammer Opiate' was written in early 2006 based on various things that happened the end of 2005, and was debuted on April 2nd at the Golden Cross- the third new song in 10 weeks that we'd debuted. The song's lyrical meaning is pretty obvious, I think. Musically, it was mostly influenced by 'The Hot Rock'-era Sleater-Kinney.
Haiku generator- This was doing the rounds on the blogs at the time. It basically took a few sentences of your LJ or whatever and rearranged them into a haiku, which, problematically, rarely made sense.
Like a snake swallowing an alligator- A photo that appeared in both the Metro and Bizarre in late 2005. Basically, a giant snake had fought an alligator and somehow managed to swallow it whole. However, the snake's eyes were bigger than its stomach and the dead alligator burst out of the snake, killing it, hence the simile here.
Sledgehammer opiate- i.e., something that calms you in the most devastating way possible.
You say I’ll spend three years in debt
Parasite of tax and state
Getting drunk and always being stoned
Why are you so full of hate?
You say I need to get a job
What do you think I’m trying to do?
Don’t want to spend my life unqualified
In a job I hate with you
I live my life the way I want to
While you complain – where does it all get you?
So welcome to the real world mentality
Leave your hopes and dreams at the door
You always tell me what you’re against
But is there anything that you’re for?
I never want to stop expanding
Keep on learning; know there’s more
I just want to make the best of myself
Isn’t that what my life is for?
“Track X” was written in 2003 by Chris Blood, who had grown weary of the shortsightedness of people who hate students. Evidently some people would rather society didn’t benefit from doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, etc, and begrudge creative people such as artists and designers the opportunity to hone their skills. For those who ask, the title was given to the song in its pre-lyric days, and it never did get a proper name. See also: 'Song 2' by Blur.
“Track X” was put to music (written by Shiori) and finally recorded at Shiori’s parents’ house in St Annes at the beginning of 2004, following suitably raucous New Year celebrations. Chris, having never sung before aside from at a few drunken karaoke nights, was plied with cider by Shiori and stood in front of a microphone with the lyrics in front of him. And lo, a classic song was born.
“Track X” has been a staple in Coybito’s live show since May 2004, and invariably ends with Chris shrieking random Judas Priest lyrics, for reasons best known to himself.
Parasite of tax and state: the idea of students being a burden on society is pretty ludicrous, particularly given the reasons stated above, and particularly since New Labour took away grants and introduced tuition fees (cheers for that, Blair).
“Getting drunk and always being stoned” : Student haters love to wheel out this stereotype of what they think students spend all day, every day doing. While a minority of students are in it for a free ride courtesy of mummy and daddy’s money, it should be pointed out that they are not representative of most students who, y’know, actually want a degree at the end of it.
This also fails to take into account those who DON’T receive any help from their parents and end up having to work an eight-hour day and THEN do their coursework; Chris himself once had an international student fall asleep in his lap in a computer lab one night, so exhausted were they at trying to conduct a degree and a job at once.
You say I need to get a job; what do you think I’m trying to do?: As shocking as this may seem to some people, most students are not trying to avoid getting a job; rather, they are studying for a degree in order that they can find a BETTER job than they might get if they did not have a degree, a concept that seems to be lost on a fair few non-students.
(c) All lyrics written by Shiori Coybito, except 'Track X' lyrics (and footnotes) written by Chris Blood.
|
