In 2006 Dananananaykroyd released two limited edition 7" singles, "Totally Bone" and "Some Dresses" on Moshi Moshi and Jealous Records respectively. A Japan-only CD EP, collecting both singles, was later released on Kanazawa's Klee/Rallye records. Singer Giles Bailey left the group and was replaced by drummer Calum Gunn while John Baillie Jnr joined the band on drums and additional lead vocals.
Dananananaykroyd released their first EP, Sissy Hits, on London-based Holy Roar Records in June 2008. Shortly after, they introduced ex-Russia drummer Paul Carlin as their new (other) drummer after James Hamilton of Errors left the band. Dananananaykroyd signed to Best Before Records shortly thereafter, and recorded their debut full-length album Hey Everyone! in the US with producer Machine.
The band have toured the UK extensively with bands such as Foals and in 2009 completed a European tour with the Kaiser Chiefs. They played at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2009.
In June 2009, the band announced that bass player Laura Hyde had left, and would be replaced on tour by Ryan McGinness.
In August 2009 during a concert in Sydney, Australia, near the beginning of the band's set, singer John Baillie Junior jumped off stage and broke his arm causing the band to cancel the remainder of their Australian tour, as well as appearances at Pukkelpop and Belladrum festivals. Baillie snapped both bones that run from the wrist to the elbow, shearing a large chunk of bone from his elbow. Emergency surgery was needed in Sydney to fix the injury, leaving four metal screws in his arm permanently. His return show (with Calum and John sharing vocals duties) was Reading Festival only 3 weeks later which the band opened, playing to 10,000+ people on the Radio 1/NME stage. Baillie had said that one day he wanted to return to the venue in Sydney and continue the show from the floor where he fell and from the point in the set where it was cut short. The band were able to do this in July 2011, in which they performed at the Annandale Hotel exactly two years to the date after the accident.
The band announced that they were disbanding on 29th September 2011. Some of the former members of Dananananaykroyd went on to form Alarm Bells. Gunn joined Her Parents, while Baillie took on production duties in pop project Bossy Love.
Black Wax
Dananananaykroyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Snap shut as they peer out from a collar
He's wearing your lipstick
And drinking from your glass
Inside there's a drill shot
And buzz through the bathroom wall
Taste it from the telephone hear it in the siren wail
Write your name
In cellophane strips,
Across contours of your bloodied mouth
See a distraction, Over the black wax
Every movement, highlights in yellow
See a distraction, Over the black wax
Every movement, highlights in yellow
From kinky buses to rickets ladders
For a thousand foot tunnel and a world underground
Step out from your heavy breath crouch
Breaking to the point pleased to meet you
Take everything she's got
And wrap it in plastic, wrap it in plastic
Take everything she's got
And wrap it in plastic, wrap it in plastic
Encase it in song and take her ...
See a distraction over the black wax
Every movement, highlights in yellow
See a distraction over the black wax
Every movement, highlights in yellow
I can see a distraction
That mounts this paramount task
And its said with such sadness
That the thrill is sealed in black wax
This ride, so far,
Came and went, here we are,
When they find you, so far
It'll take a miracle, here we are
(repeat)
Here we are, here we are
Here we are
The lyrics to Dananananaykroyd's "Black Wax" paint a vivid picture of a mysterious and almost surreal experience. The first two lines set the scene with the glow of L.E.D lights illuminating a potholed road. The image of someone peering out from a collar adds to the atmosphere of the unknown. The third line reveals that the person is wearing lipstick and drinking from a glass belonging to someone else. Then we hear a drill and buzzing sound coming from the bathroom, which could be interpreted in many ways. The lyrics then move towards a sensory experience, inviting us to taste something from the phone and hear it in the wail of a siren. The line "Write your name in cellophane strips / Across contours of your bloodied mouth" is both striking and cryptic - it's unclear if this is a violent or sexual act, or if it's purely metaphorical.
As the chorus kicks in, we see that there's a "distraction" happening over the black wax. The highlight in yellow could also mean that something is being revealed or exposed. The second and third verse seem to hint at a criminal or underground activity - with "kinky buses" and "rickets ladders" suggesting means of escape or transportation. The phrase "breaking to the point pleased to meet you" could indicate that the singer is meeting someone for the first time, perhaps as part of some kind of illicit deal. The repetition of "Take everything she's got / And wrap it in plastic" could also suggest a violent act, or alternatively that the singer is trying to protect something precious.
The final verse is perhaps the most powerful, with the singer acknowledging that there's a distraction needed for a paramount task, and that despite the thrill, it's "sealed in black wax". The phrase "This ride, so far, / Came and went, here we are" seems to suggest that the events described in the song have been an intense and fleeting experience. The repeated line "Here we are" could convey a sense of disbelief or exhaustion, as if the singer has been through something harrowing and they're still trying to process it.
Overall, the lyrics to "Black Wax" are open to interpretation and could have a variety of meanings. The song invites the listener to immerse themselves in its surreal world and make their own sense of the images presented.
Line by Line Meaning
Those L.E.Ds throw their glow to the potholed ground
The streetlights illuminate the rough surface of the road
Snap shut as they peer out from a collar
The lights turn off as they emerge from a cover
He's wearing your lipstick
He has put on the lipstick that belongs to you
And drinking from your glass
He is drinking from the glass that you used
Inside there's a drill shot
There is a loud noise of machinery drilling inside
And buzz through the bathroom wall
The sound echoes through the wall of the bathroom
Taste it from the telephone hear it in the siren wail
The noise can be felt through different mediums like the telephone and sirens
Write your name in cellophane strips, across contours of your bloodied mouth
Use the transparent strips to write on the shape of your lips that have been injured
See a distraction, Over the black wax
There's an action that diverts attention from the black wax
Every movement, highlights in yellow
Every movement is emphasized by the yellow color
From kinky buses to rickets ladders
From strange forms of transportation to unstable structures
For a thousand foot tunnel and a world underground
Leading to a tunnel that goes for miles under the ground to a new dimension
Step out from your heavy breath crouch
Stop panting and breathe normally
Breaking to the point pleased to meet you
Going all the way and feeling gratified to have reached the destination
Take everything she's got And wrap it in plastic, wrap it in plastic
Package all of her belongings in plastic
Encase it in song and take her ...
Put all of it in a song and take it away
I can see a distraction That mounts this paramount task
I can see something that is diverting attention from an important job
And its said with such sadness That the thrill is sealed in black wax
It is lamented that the excitement is trapped inside the black wax
This ride, so far, Came and went, here we are, When they find you, so far It'll take a miracle, here we are
The journey has been long but we have arrived, and finding you feels impossible but we are here
Here we are, here we are, Here we are
We have arrived
Contributed by Caroline W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.