Green attended Emerson College briefly in 1998 before leaving to concentrate on his music, going on to co-found the anti folk group The Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson. In 2004 The Moldy Peaches went on hiatus and both Green and Dawson embarked on solo careers.
Green released several albums on Rough Trade Records. Among his better known songs are "Jessica" (about singer Jessica Simpson), "Novotel", "Friends of Mine", "Dance with Me", "Carolina" and "Emily", and, in Britain, his cover of The Libertines track "What a Waster".
Prior to Jacket Full of Danger in 2006, all of Green's albums had been released on the 22nd of the month. His latest album was released on March 18, 2008 and is titled Sixes & Sevens. Titles include "Morning After Midnight", "Twee Twee Dee", and "Drowning Head First", the latter a duet between Green and his girlfriend.
In January 2008, The Moldy Peaches began having a resurgence in popularity, due to their music being included in the hit indie film Juno.
Lockout
Adam Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got caught in a lockout.
And it block outs everything that is true.
Mom calls, do you actually greet her?
She's fine, telling me some good news.
You... can't... be... the best...
Just... remember... nothing... lasts...
Let's meet at the texaco station.
Bring me a pack of (?).
All your sons and daughters gonna be there.
Seem's like (?) twice.
You... can't... be... the best...
Just... remember... nothing... lasts...
Oooh...
When i took my message to the people,
they said we should be just friends.
Then I started acting obnoxious.
Then I started singing again, started singing again
In the song "Lockout" by Adam Green, the first two lines bring out a feeling of confusion, as if the artist has been locked out of something that is really important. The third line then tells us that this lockout is so strong that it seems to be blocking out everything that is true. The confusion and disorientation seems to be aggravated by the singer getting a call from his mom, who seems to be completely fine while sharing some good news with him, even though he might not be able to comprehend it fully. The lines "You... can't... be... the best...Just... remember... nothing... lasts..." could be interpreted in many ways. It seems like the artist is talking to himself, trying to remind himself and come to grips with realities of life. Nothing is constant, even if one tries to be the best, it's never going to last forever.
The next couple of lines bring out a sense of hope and optimism, as the artist asks someone to meet him at a texaco station and bring him a pack. It is quite unclear what the pack is supposed to contain, but one can assume it's possibly cigarettes, alcohol or some other form of relief. The subsequent lines suggest that they'll be able to find some solace in the company of each other's sons and daughters. The song ends on a positive note when the artist says that even when he took his message to people, Some were not interested and suggested that they should just be friends. But even after that, he started singing again. The song is simple yet profound, as Adam Green manages to convey the emotions of the singer with just a few well-chosen words.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night,
The night before this one,
I've got caught in a lockout.
I was confined or restricted from entry,
And it block outs everything that is true.
This confinement makes me feel like the reality is hidden from me,
Mom calls, do you actually greet her?
My mom calls me, and I wonder if I should greet her,
She's fine, telling me some good news.
My mother is well, and she shares some positive information with me.
You... can't... be... the best...
You cannot be the greatest,
Just... remember... nothing... lasts...
Everything has an end,
Let's meet at the texaco station.
Meet me at the Texaco gas station,
Bring me a pack of (?).
Bring me a pack of an unspecified item,
All your sons and daughters gonna be there.
All of your male and female descendants will be there,
Seem's like (?) twice.
It seems like it happened two times before,
Oooh...
An expression of excitement or enthusiasm,
When i took my message to the people,
When I brought my information to the public,
they said we should be just friends.
They recommended we only have a friendly relationship,
Then I started acting obnoxious.
Later, I began behaving unreasonably,
Then I started singing again, started singing again
Nevertheless, I returned to singing,
Writer(s): Adam M. Green, Adam Green Copyright: Average Cabbage Music, Average Cabbage
Contributed by Andrew N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.