They prefer the sound of vintage musical instruments, particularly the upright piano, and have often recorded at Marcata Recording, a recording studio built in Harlem in 1999 by the three former members of Jonathan Fire*Eater and later relocated to upstate New York.
Each of the members of The Walkmen grew up in and around the Washington, D.C. area, played in many of the same bands from early in their careers, and even attended the same Washington-area high school. The bandmates eventually moved to Harlem and became a part of the burgeoning New York City rock scene.
The band was formed in 2000 following the breakup of two separate bands: Jonathan Fire*Eater, whose members included Martin, Maroon and Barrick, and The Recoys, whose members included Leithauser and Bauer. The three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater, which had recorded for Dreamworks Records, had money left over from that past recording contract and used the remaining funds to construct a rehearsal space in uptown New York. The rehearsal space featured a 24-track recording studio and was dubbed Marcata Studios.
The newly-formed band, who wished to distance themselves from the garage rock sounds of previous bands, released a self-titled EP of songs in 2001 on Startime International, a small Brooklyn-based record label.[4] Shortly after release of the EP, which featured an eccentric blend of upright pianos and other vintage instruments, The Walkmen made their official live debut with a performance at Joe's Pub in the East Village.
The 2002 debut album Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone, released by Startime, was well received by critics. The album was noted for its innovative approach to atmosphere and instrumentation, with sparse bass and drums complemented by plinking piano, jangly guitars and Leithauser's unique vocal stylings. Two of the songs on the album, "The Blizzard of '96" and "That's the Punchline," were adaptations of tracks meant for The Recoys' unreleased full-length album.
The Rat
The Walkmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got a nerve to be calling my number
I know we've been through this before
Can't you hear me? I'm calling out your name
Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door
You've got a nerve to be asking a favor
You've got a nerve to be calling my number
Can't you hear me? I'm bleeding on the wall
Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door
Can't you hear me when I'm calling out your name?
When I used to go out, I would know everyone that I saw
Now I go out alone if I go out at all
When I used to go out I'd know everyone I saw
Now I go out alone if I go out at all
When I used to go out I'd know everyone I saw
Now I go out alone if I go out at all
You've got a nerve to be asking a favor
You've got a nerve to be calling my number
I'm sure we've been through this before
Can't you hear me? I'm beating on your wall
Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door
The Walkmen's "The Rat" is a song about betrayal and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who has been wronged by someone they trusted, and who is now seeking some form of retribution or closure.
The opening lines, "You've got a nerve to be asking a favor / You've got a nerve to be calling my number," suggest that the singer has already been wronged by the person they're addressing. Despite this, their former partner is now reaching out to them, likely asking for something they don't deserve after causing the singer pain.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly frustrated and angry, demanding that their former partner hear them and see them now. The repeated lines "Can't you hear me? I'm calling out your name / Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door" express the singer's desperation to be heard and acknowledged.
The second half of the song shifts to a reflection on the singer's current state of loneliness. The lines "When I used to go out I'd know everyone I saw / Now I go out alone if I go out at all" express a sense of isolation and disconnection from the world around them. It's possible that this loneliness is a result of the betrayal that inspired the song, or it may be a consequence of the singer's attempts to distance themselves from their former partner.
Overall, "The Rat" is a raw and emotional song about the pain of betrayal and the struggle to move on from a failed relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You've got a nerve to be asking a favor
You're being audacious asking for something from me
You've got a nerve to be calling my number
You're being bold calling me after everything that's happened
I know we've been through this before
I'm familiar with this pattern and history between us
Can't you hear me? I'm calling out your name
Can't you understand how much I need your attention and care?
Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door
Can't you realize how desperate I am to get your attention and affection?
Can't you hear me when I'm calling out your name?
Can't you listen to my desperate pleas and cry for help?
When I used to go out, I would know everyone that I saw
I was once well-known and had many friends
Now I go out alone if I go out at all
Now I'm isolated and alone because of everything that's happened
Can't you hear me? I'm bleeding on the wall
Can't you see how much pain and suffering I'm going through?
I'm sure we've been through this before
I'm certain we've gone through this cycle of pain before
Can't you hear me? I'm beating on your wall
Can't you sense how much anger and frustration I'm feeling?
Can't you see me? I'm pounding on your door
Can't you understand how much I want to be with you and fix everything?
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: James Leithauser, Matthew Barrick, Paul C. Maroon, Peter M. Bauer, Walter Martin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind