Through a chance encounter at a Portuguese festival in Lisbon (Lisboa Soundz 2006), where both Amarante (Singer/Guitarist of Los Hermanos) and Moretti (drummer of The Strokes) had performed, the two chatted well through the night and into the morning by the side of the river, humoring the idea of working together on music that had no affiliation to their particular bands.
A year later, Amarante traveled to the United States to record with Devendra Banhart on his Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon album. On the off hours of an arduous recording process, Amarante would meet with Moretti to discuss anything but music.
Binki Shapiro, musician and native of Los Angeles, was introduced to the pair through mutual acquaintances and became a fast friend, encouraging the two to focus on the music they had spoken of long before. Through the process of late night “show-and-tell” the three developed and arranged songs Moretti had begun and soon after started writing original music for the group as a band.
A couple of months later they all moved into a house in Echo Park to demo songs and soon after, with the help of producer Noah Georgeson, who had recorded Banhart’s album, they finished their self-titled debut, Little Joy, named after the cocktail lounge just down the street from their home.
Little Joy was released worldwide by Rough Trade Records, a division of The Beggar’s Group, on Nov. 4th, 2008.
The Next Time Around
Little Joy Lyrics
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The measure of your worth
Can sink your weight in gold
Sat by the ivory sill
The further out you look
The further out you'll be
It's not enough to set the terms
If nothing ventured nothing earned
Though odds are set against
In time I'll belong to you
It's how it's meant to be
Settled on your own
Sweeping dust from stone
With a letter home
Back where the hour's long
The simplest things invite a thrill
If just by noticing at will
It's not enough to set the terms
If nothing ventured nothing learned
It's how it's always been
E onde a sorte ha de te levar saiba o caminho e o fim mais que chegar
E quiera o dia ser gentil a tua mao aberta pra quem e
In time I'll belong to you
It's how it's meant to be
And how it's always been
The lyrics to Little Joy's song "Next Time Around" capture the feeling of longing and hopefulness. The opening lines, "One too many goals, the measure of your worth, can sink your weight in gold," suggest that the singer may have set unrealistic expectations for themselves. This is further emphasized by the following lines, "Sat by the ivory sill, the further out you look, the further out you'll be," which imply that the singer is stuck in a state of overthinking and may need to take a step back to reevaluate their priorities.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "In time I'll belong to you, it's how it's meant to be," which could be interpreted as an expression of faith in fate and destiny. The lines, "It's not enough to set the terms, if nothing ventured nothing earned, though odds are set against," suggest that achieving one's goals requires taking risks and accepting that failure is always a possibility. The second verse takes on a more nostalgic tone, with lines such as "Back where the hour's long, the simplest things invite a thrill, if just by noticing at will," evoking feelings of longing for a simpler time.
Line by Line Meaning
One too many goals
Having too many ambitions
The measure of your worth
The way in which you value yourself
Can sink your weight in gold
Can be very significant
Sat by the ivory sill
Seated by the window
The further out you look
The more distant your perspective becomes
The further out you'll be
The more distant your perspective will be
It's not enough to set the terms
You need to take risks in order to succeed
If nothing ventured nothing earned
If you don't take risks you won't achieve anything
Though odds are set against
Even if the chances of success are low
In time I'll belong to you
Eventually we'll be together
It's how it's meant to be
Our destiny is to be together
Settled on your own
Being content with being by yourself
Sweeping dust from stone
Taking care of the small details
With a letter home
Writing to someone far away
Back where the hour's long
In a place where time moves slowly
The simplest things invite a thrill
Finding joy in the little things
If just by noticing at will
Simply by paying attention
E onde a sorte ha de te levar saiba o caminho e o fim mais que chegar
Wherever luck takes you, know the way and the end that will come
E quiera o dia ser gentil a tua mao aberta pra quem e
And if the day wishes to be kind, your hand is open to those who need it
It's not enough to set the terms
You need to take risks in order to succeed
If nothing ventured nothing learned
If you don't take risks you won't learn anything
It's how it's always been
This is the way things have always been
And how it's always been
And this is how it has always been
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: FABRIZIO MORETTI, JORDANA SHAPIRO, RODRIGO AMARANTE NEVES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind