Well, the truth is:
Action Set is a rock band, stylistically ranging from pop to alternative rock to folk to post-punk. The band often refer to their music as retro-post-modern, slyly citing the inefficieny of any label in describing music in general. The band was formed by Sam Smith (vocals/guitar) and Patrick Hipp (vocals/guitar) in August of 2005 out of need to fill an already booked slot opening for local New York band Red Orange Morning. Smith and Hipp, while coming from similar music backgrounds, had mostly toiled in local bands, struggling to find a group that clicked together as effortlessly as their many influences seemed to. Smith had been performing solo following the dissolution of his band The Arrest (for which an Action Set song was later named) and opened for Red Orange Morning several times, leading to the band asking him to do a solo set at their October 2005 show at WXPN's World Cafe in Philadelphia. With no interest in continuing his solo acoustic career, Smith began looking for another band. He eventually enlisted Hipp to come in as a singer/guitarist, and the two were later joined by former Arrest drummer John Paul Player.
The group quickly gelled and soon were embarking on a mini-tour of the East Coast that would eventually reach as far north as Boston, playing with Miles From Land at PA's Lounge. While in Boston, the band recorded the "Hide & Seek" EP, produced by Miles From Land guitarist Chris Player.
After returning to their home state of New Jersey, Smith and company began preparing for another show at the World Cafe. Shortly before the March 2006 performance, Player left the band and was temporarily replaced with Red Orange Morning drummer Don Ocava. Once the band made it through the show, Ocava stayed on with the band as their permanent drummer. Shortly after, bassist Travis Doyle joined the band, adding a third singer to the band's sound. In June of 2006, the band began work on their first full length album, If The Opposite Is True, where the band whittled down nearly thirty songs to a sensible and tight ten tracks.
The band continues to play the Philadelphia/New York area as they finish their debut album.
London Bridges
Action Set Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
make it up as you go
paint your victim, tiny fractions
setting the pieces to whole
mistaken for careless
stupid and fearless
from cradle to casket
with our eggs in one basket
pretty victim, hearts are broken
who are you fooling but you?
london bridges, seven minutes
how do you find your way home?
blush and bruise
pretty and useless
do you cry for your children
if they don't cry for you?
The opening lines of London Bridges by Action Set set a tone of lightness and joy, with the words "pretty tickled, hearts are humble". There is a sense of optimism and excitement, almost as if the singer is daring to dream and see the world in a fresh light. The next line, "make it up as you go", suggests spontaneity and improvisation. The idea of "painting your victim, tiny fractions" is slightly more ambiguous, hinting at both the possibility of creating something beautiful and the danger of hurting someone in the process. The final line of this verse, "setting the pieces to whole", implies that the singer is striving to put things back together, to create something cohesive and harmonious out of the broken pieces.
The second verse continues this theme of ambiguity, with the line "mistaken for careless". The singer seems to be aware that their actions may be seen as reckless or thoughtless by others, yet they are undeterred. There is a sense of bravery and defiance in the line "stupid and fearless", as if the singer is proud of their willingness to take risks. The phrase "from cradle to casket" suggests that this attitude is a lifelong one, that the singer has always been this way and always will be. The final line of the verse, "with our eggs in one basket", raises the stakes of this potentially dangerous approach to life, implying that the singer is risking everything they have.
The final verse returns to the idea of victimhood, suggesting that the singer feels vulnerable and exposed. The line "pretty victim, hearts are broken" hints at a sense of betrayal or hurt, perhaps caused by the reckless behavior mentioned earlier. The next line, "who are you fooling but you?", implies that the singer is aware that they are not fooling anyone, that their pretense of strength and invincibility is just that - a pretense. The mention of "london bridges" and "seven minutes" suggests that the singer is lost and searching for a way home, both literally and metaphorically. The final lines of the song, "blush and bruise, pretty and useless, do you cry for your children if they don't cry for you?", leave the listener with a sense of sadness and loneliness. Despite the bravado and daring of the earlier verses, there is a vulnerability and a sense of longing for connection that permeates the song as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
pretty tickled, hearts are humble
We are happy and content with ourselves
make it up as you go
We improvise as we live
paint your victim, tiny fractions
We manipulate others in small ways
setting the pieces to whole
We create a complete picture from our manipulations
mistaken for careless
Others view us as reckless
stupid and fearless
We are ignorant of the risks we take
from cradle to casket
Our entire lives
with our eggs in one basket
We put all our hopes and dreams into one thing
pretty victim, hearts are broken
We are hurt and vulnerable
who are you fooling but you?
We are only deceiving ourselves
london bridges, seven minutes
Trying to find our way home in the city
how do you find your way home?
Navigating our way through life
blush and bruise
We are hurt and ashamed
pretty and useless
We may look good but are not of much value
do you cry for your children
Would you feel for someone else?
if they don't cry for you?
If they wouldn't do the same for you
Contributed by Grace R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.