Their EP and first two albums, Willoughby's Beach (2011), 12 Bar Bruise (2012) and Eyes Like the Sky (2013), primarily blended surf music and garage rock, and were released on the band's independent record label, Flightless, founded by Moore in 2012. Their third to eighth albums—Float Along – Fill Your Lungs (2013), Oddments, I'm in Your Mind Fuzz (2014), Quarters!, Paper Mâché Dream Balloon (2015) and Nonagon Infinity (2016)—expanded their sound, including elements of film music, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, folk, jazz, soul and heavy metal.
In 2017, the band fulfilled a promise to release five studio albums within the year: Flying Microtonal Banana in February; Murder of the Universe in June; Sketches of Brunswick East, a collaboration with Mild High Club, in August; Polygondwanaland, which was released into the public domain, in November; and Gumboot Soup in December. The band released its fourteenth album, Fishing for Fishies, on 26 April 2019, followed by a fifteenth album, Infest the Rats' Nest, released on 16 August that year.
On the 19th of April they released their first feature-length film, concert movie "Chunky Shrapnel". Named after a lyric from the band’s 2017 song Murder Of The Universe, The film combines concert footage from the band’s 2019 European tour with documentary style-filmmaking of King Gizzard behind the scenes. While Chunky Shrapnel does also document the band offstage, the film’s director, Josh Angus Stewart, said that it prioritizes music over personalities.
Chunky Shrapnel was originally set to premiere at Melbourne’s Astor Theatre, before the Australian government closed cinemas nationwide to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The film was eventually released and finally available for 24 hours only on vimeo.
In all, throughout 2020, the band released several live albums, a concert film, a double compilation of demos, K.G. , their 16th studio album and a compilation of early singles and all the tracks on the Anglesea EP called Teenage Gizzard . In August, Eric Moore (the band's second drummer and manager) left the band to focus on running his record label, Flightless. In February 2021, the band released L.W., their third microtonal album, which was followed by the synth-based dream pop album Butterfly 3000 in June. These albums were released independently rather than on Flightless. The band's twentieth studio album, Omnium Gatherum, was released on 22 April 2022.
The band members all grew up and went to school in the Deniliquin, Melbourne and Geelong areas. The band started off as a group of friends jamming together, before a mutual friend asked them to play at a show. The band's name was created "last minute". Mackenzie wanted to name the band "Gizzard Gizzard" while another band member wanted Jim Morrison's nickname "Lizard King". They eventually compromised with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The artist Jason Galea has created all of the band's album art, and a majority of their music videos.
Work This Time
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
But I see that you've got hypothermia
So I place a block to stop the rot
And hope that I can warm you up
Do I have to shake you babe until you're blind?
'Cause every light bulb's blown and I'm feeling so inclined
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
I know I'm lazy but baby I will work this time
It's kind of funny
That I live the poetry I can not write
But you my beauty
Shall be fixed forever loosely in my heart
Do I have to shake you babe until you're blind?
'Cause every light bulb's blown and I'm feeling so inclined
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
I know I'm lazy but baby I will work this time
The lyrics of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's song "Work This Time" speak to a struggle with motivation and effort in a relationship. The first verse sets the scene with the singer knocking hello to their partner, realizing that they are suffering from hypothermia, and trying to warm them up by placing a block to stop the rot. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for a relationship that is in a state of decline, perhaps due to neglect or lack of effort. The singer recognizes that they need to work to save the relationship, but it won't be an easy task.
In the chorus, the singer questions whether they need to go to extreme measures to get through to their partner, shaking them until they are blind, because the situation seems almost hopeless ("every light bulb's blown"). The repetition of "Can never lay my whole head down" emphasizes the constant struggle to stay committed and motivated in the relationship, but the singer declares that they will work harder this time, despite their inherent laziness.
The second verse adds a layer of self-reflection, noting that the singer lives the poetry that they cannot write, implying that they struggle to express their emotions and feelings in a meaningful way. They affirm their love for their partner, acknowledging that they may never be able to fully "fix" the relationship, but they will hold onto their partner in their heart regardless, forever "loosely" - a poetic and somewhat bittersweet way of expressing emotional attachment.
Line by Line Meaning
I knock hello
I greet you with a knock on the door
But I see that you've got hypothermia
I notice that you are cold and possibly suffering from hypothermia
So I place a block to stop the rot
I try to stop any further harm by taking action
And hope that I can warm you up
I hope that I can provide comfort and warmth for you
Do I have to shake you babe until you're blind?
Do I need to do something drastic to get your attention?
'Cause every light bulb's blown and I'm feeling so inclined
Everything seems to be going wrong and I am motivated to take action
Can never lay my whole head down
I can never fully relax or let my guard down
I know I'm lazy but baby I will work this time
I acknowledge that I may have been lazy in the past, but I am determined to put in effort now
It's kind of funny
It's ironic in a way
That I live the poetry I cannot write
I experience things that I struggle to put into words
But you my beauty
However, you stand out as uniquely beautiful
Shall be fixed forever loosely in my heart
You will always hold a special place in my heart
Can never lay my whole head down
I cannot fully relax, even in moments of contentment
I know I'm lazy but baby I will work this time
Despite my tendencies towards laziness, I am committed to putting in effort now
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Joseph Walker, Stuart Douglas Mackenzie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sarutta A
I knock hello but I see that you've got hypothermia
So I place a block to stop the rot and hope that I can warm you up
Do I have to shake you babe until you're blind?
Cause every light bulbs' gone and I'm feeling so inclined
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
I know I'm lazy but baby I will work this time
It's kind of funny that I live the poetry I can not write
But you my beauty shall be fixed forever loosely in my heart
Do I have to shake you babe until you're blind?
Cause every light bulbs' gone and I'm feeling so inclined
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
I know I'm lazy but baby I will work this time
skinnylegend mp4
Vundabar - Out Of It
Mac Demarco - On The Level
Cigarettes After Sex - Dreaming Of You
Shannon and the Clams - Rip Van Winkle
Donovan - Hurdy Gurdy Man
Moses Gun Collective - Shalala
Moses Gun Collective - Dream Girls
Moses Gun Collective - Back Into The Womb
Black Sabbath - Planet Carvan
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Work This Time
The Growlers - Not the Man
Noah and the Whale - Blue Skies
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Cut Dead
Tijuana Panthers - Red Headed Girl
Chicano Batman - Cycles of Existential Rhyme
Current Joys - Blondie
Dayglow - Can i call you tonight
Part time - Night Drive
Surf Curse - Freaks
Current Joys - you broke my heart
Current Joys - kids
Her's - Harvey
Allah Las - Raspberry Jam
Devendra Banhart - Saturday Night
Beach House - Myth
Black Sabbath Solitude
Led Zeppelin - No Quarter
Natasha De La Cruz
I walk in hell
but I see that you've got hypothermia
So I place a block to stop the rot
and hope that I can warm you up
Do I have to shake you, babe
until you're blind?
'cause every light bulb's gone
and I'm feeling so inclined
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
I know I'm lazy
but, baby, I will work this time
It's kind of funny
that I live the poetry I cannot write
but you, my beauty, shall be fixed forever
loosely in my heart
Do I have to shake you, babe
until you're blind?
'cause every light bulb's gone
and I'm feeling so inclined
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
I know I'm lazy
but, baby, I will work this time
Suzane Teodosio
I knock hello
But I see that you've got hypothermia
So I place a block to stop the rot
And hope that I can warm you up
Do I have to shake you babe until you're blind?
'Cause every light bulb's blown and I'm feeling so inclined
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
I know I'm lazy but baby I will work this time
It's kind of funny
That I live the poetry I can not write
But you my beauty
Shall be fixed forever loosely in my heart
Do I have to shake you babe until you're blind?
'Cause every light bulb's blown and I'm feeling so inclined
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
Can never lay my whole head down
I know I'm lazy but baby I will work this time
Evan M
Lol I saw these guys in Central Park a few weeks back with my friend and his boys. Only ever heard the name and didn’t know what to expect, just thought it’d be cool to hang with him again and go to a concert.
Anyway, I was contemplating on taking acid the whole day (it was raining all day and we drove up from south jersey). Long story short, I decided to take it going into the concert. I was wearing a Flatbush Zombies shirt with a basketball/skull character eating acid and the back of it said “psilocybin” with the number 69 on it, almost like a jersey.
Anyways, this older lady was walking with this one cute girl who were kind of looking at me funny. She asked me in this European accent “so how many mushrooms did you manage to sneak in?”
Lol I told her I didn’t and never mentioned the acid either, I didn’t know her, she was just a random lady asking me an insane question. But then I saw what looked like the same lady and girl up on stage messing with the equipment and whatnot.
Pretty sure they were part of the band somehow and wanted shrooms lol, really not too sure though. The question she asked me made me curious of her intentions, but she sounded like she wanted some if I did.
And that’s how my first Gizzard concert went.
Lord Revolver
This song is almost to the point where its too good it hurts
Ellie A
I feel exactly the same
Neo
+Lord Revolver IT does hurt, its like fucking four five times and just being in pure bliss at the same time as a lot of genital pain.
Chris P
It hurts when it stops..
Joe Camargo
Ye, i came here back for that reason, planning a cover of it.
Val Nikos
Me too :-)
Rhys Powell
This feels like walking into the ocean and just continuing to walk out to sea as the waves crash over you
EyBoyO Scoot
this comment is great thanks
Danielle Spargo
accurate imagery
Danielle Spargo
TVchernobylface
thanks for bringing me back to this song. i was feeling kinda rough and i forgot this song even existed. but i feel amazing after hearing it