Snaith grew up in Dundas, Ontario, Canada, which gave its name to a song from his debut album Start Breaking My Heart. He studied at the University of Toronto as an undergrad, but was based in the UK for several years until he completed his Ph.D. in mathematics at the Imperial College, London in 2005.
Snaith previously recorded under the stage name "Manitoba", but changed it under threat of a lawsuit by Handsome "Dick" Manitoba, frontman for The Dictators, a punk-rocker with an appetite for litigation. Uninterested in the legal stoush, Snaith is quoted saying that he chose the new moniker "Caribou" while on an LSD trip with friends in the Canadian wilderness. He then climbed a tree and didn't come down until he finished his first album under the new moniker, which was four months later.
He has recorded five full lengths: Start Breaking My Heart, a jazzy, "folktronica" IDM album, Up in Flames, the critically acclaimed shoegazer with analog synths and sometimes live, sometimes sampled drums, The Milk of Human Kindness, his krautrock-inspired album that bleeds 70's prog and 70's drugscapes, the psychedelic pop record, Andorra which landed him the prestigious 2008 Polaris Music Prize on September 29th, 2008 and Swim a disco / dance inspired album created from the idea of making dance music that sounds like being under water. A few years prior to the recording of the album, Snaith's wife gave him swimming lessons as a Christmas present, prompting him to take it up as a new hobby. This partially led to the eventual ideology behind Swim.
His eclectic live performances are renowned, in part for their use of simultaneous drummers and synchronised visuals. The live band currently consists of Dan Snaith (guitar, keyboards, vocals, drums, flutophone), Ryan Smith (guitar, keyboards), Brad Weber (drums) and John Schmersal (bass, vocals).
Can't Do Without You
Caribou Lyrics
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And you're the only thing I think about (I can't do without you)
It's all that I can still do (I can't do without you)
And you know you're the one I dream about (I can't do without you)
I couldn't do without you
The repetitive phrase of "Can't do without" is a clear indication of just how important the subject of the song is to the singer - they are absolutely essential, fundamental, and vital to their life. This sets the tone for the entire song as a deeply emotional and personal expression of love and dependence. The repetition creates a sense of desperation and obsession that is mirrored in the understated and repetitive instrumentation. It's as if the singer is unable to move or progress in any way without the person they are addressing.
The chorus, "I can't do without you", reinforces the theme established in the first half of the song. The repetition is akin to a mantra or a call to a higher power. The addition of "And you're the only thing I think about" reinforces the idea that the person in question is all-encompassing, consuming the singer's every thought and action. This is then contrasted by the admission that "It's all that I can still do", suggesting a helplessness in the singer's situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't do without
I depend on you so much that I literally can't function without you
I can't do without you
I need you in my life, you're incredibly important to me
And you're the only thing I think about (I can't do without you)
You consume my thoughts, you're always on my mind and I can't seem to focus on anything else
It's all that I can still do (I can't do without you)
Even though things may be falling apart in my life, thinking about you and having you in my life is the one thing that keeps me going
And you know you're the one I dream about (I can't do without you)
My dreams and aspirations revolve around you, you're the most important thing to me
I couldn't do without you
Life without you seems impossible and unbearable, you're an integral part of my being
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Daniel Snaith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mylarmelodies
This was our first dance song at our wedding. 3:02 is seared into my mind - confetti, flashes of a camera, everyone dancing 🥲
@j.westbestoftherest9102
Still married?
@ukenadean
@@j.westbestoftherest9102😂
@hadleyedwards222
Love how it just shifts from this super constricted sound, that matches the situation and when you see how beautiful the fish thing is it just opens up into a wider sound....amazing
@bepunkt
On a concert last year (Zurich, oct 20) Dan said on stage, that "Can't do without you" is a direct message to the fans, without whom all this madness (tours, etc.) wouldn't happen. That with his first success he was unsure about what to think about beeing that much appreciated, that he couldn't take it and it made him insecure. But now he just has to say thank you for all this.
Therefore I just can understand this video (and the fish) as a allegory on this feelings.
@TateBirchmore
Oh, I so feel that way too!! #WhenTheMessageHitsHome
@jacksoncreekpress
This is summer - fleeting, but loving every minute of it.
@joematthews8647
This song is amazing
How did I not find it till now
@BartleyTroyan
That was amazing.
I discovered Caribou several years ago when WYEP in Pittsburgh played Leave House, one random, terrible evening.
It's funny how you find music and how it can change you.
@matgrad9478
I will forever love this track!!!!!