altopalo is a group of long-time friends that make music that Pitchfork cal… Read Full Bio ↴altopalo is a group of long-time friends that make music that Pitchfork calls "genre-less". Their LP "frenemy" is a self-produced sonic journey about both the hardships and joys of friendship. Created in and out of bedrooms in Indiana and New York, the record also speaks to the band's artist community, with features from Bartees Strange and Dora Jar peppered throughout. For the Deluxe LP "frenemy (with friends)", altopalo have called on their friends to give their original tracks their own individual sparkle. In this package we have remixed tracks from Chrome Sparks, J. Mordechai, Jacana People, James Hartnett, Clear Eyes, Swansea Skag, and Youngest Brother.

It was touch and go as to whether altopalo would come together to make another album again. Being best friends for over ten years has made them incredibly comfortable with each other, to the extent that their friendship has become more like a brotherhood, a familial kind of relationship with all the strains and hurt that entails. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in the summer of 2020, drummer Dillon Treacy decided that he needed to take a step back from the band as the only black member of a group otherwise made up of white people, at least until they could all take some time to reflect. This lasted a couple of weeks and wasn’t something that they publicly talked about on social media, but Dillon’s leave of absence led altopalo to realize how they needed to be with each other in order to make music and relate to each other. Added to the fact that the pandemic forced the music industry machinery of constant gigging and endless album cycles to grind to a halt, altopalo had to become truly friends again rather than friends who played in a band together. Going into writing frenemy, they were clear that they wanted to make an album that spoke to their relationships to each other; as guitarist Mike Haldeman puts it, “the least dishonest thing we could do is just make music about us. The source material is literally the fabric of our friendship.”

Honey
Altopalo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wanna give you something but came up with nothing
Always hard for me to pick a gift
When all you see is wonder
All I got is bummer
Maybe we can try to split the diff

She's a rose in my head
It grows in the sand

She knows how it's been
A rose in mind
A dose in my head
It puts me to bed
A rose in my lense
It's you til the end

Never said love and then I did
Never saw color then you dropped in
Never said love and then I did
Could've said nothing but it locked in

I'm terrified of nothing
Way more scared of something
Always standing still till something shifts
In winter summer color see it all you love it
Maybe you can show me what I missed

When I met you
Didn't I seem nice?
Or was that you?
I think you make me nice

Never said love and then I did
Never saw color then you dropped in
Never said love and then I did
Could've said nothing but it locked in

(Never said love and then I did) She's a rose in my head
(Never saw color then you dropped in) It grows in the sand

(Never said love and then I did) She knows how it's been
(Could've said nothing but it locked) A rose in mind

Overall Meaning

The song "Honey" by Altopalo is about the difficulty of finding the perfect gift for someone special, and how the gift of love can overcome any shortcomings. The singer struggles to find the perfect gift but realizes that love is more important than any tangible item. Throughout the song, the singer references a rose that grows in their mind and puts them to bed, representing the love that they feel for their partner. The singer also expresses their fear of change and their willingness to be shown what they may have missed in life.

The repeated phrase "Never said love and then I did" represents the singer's realization of their love for their partner. The lyrics "Could've said nothing but it locked in" suggest that the love was already there, but the singer had not acknowledged it until now. The rose symbolizes the timelessness and beauty of their love, and the sand represents the impermanence of life.

The song is an electro-pop ballad with dreamy synths and gentle percussion. It was released in 2020 as part of Altopalo's sophomore album "farawayfromeveryoneyouknow." The band is known for their experimental sound and unconventional song structures.

Line by Line Meaning

I wanna give you something but came up with nothing
I struggle to choose gifts, and although you inspire wonder in me, I can't think of anything meaningful to give you.

All you see is wonder, all I got is bummer
You see the beauty in the world, but I can only see the negative.

Maybe we can try to split the diff
Let's compromise and find a middle ground.

She's a rose in my head, it grows in the sand
You are like a beautiful rose that grows in an unexpected place.

She knows how it's been, a rose in mind
You understand what life is like and have a positive outlook despite any difficulties.

A dose in my head, it puts me to bed
You bring me peace and help me sleep soundly.

A rose in my lense, it's you til the end
You are always in my sights, and I will love you forever.

Never said love and then I did
I never intended to open up about my feelings, but I couldn't help myself.

Never saw color then you dropped in
I wasn't paying attention to the beauty around me until I met you.

Could've said nothing but it locked in
I could have kept my feelings to myself, but I couldn't hold them back any longer.

I'm terrified of nothing, way more scared of something
I'm not afraid of anything concrete, but the thought of something unknown or unpredictable terrifies me.

Always standing still till something shifts
I tend to wait for change to happen instead of taking action myself.

In winter summer color see it all you love it
You find beauty in every season and know how to appreciate it fully.

Maybe you can show me what I missed
Perhaps you can help me learn to see the good in everything.

When I met you, didn't I seem nice?
I hope that I had a positive attitude and made a good impression when we first met.

Or was that you? I think you make me nice
Maybe you bring out the best in me and help me be a better person.

She's a rose in my head, it grows in the sand (Never said love and then I did)
You are always on my mind, even when I wasn't ready to express my love for you.

She knows how it's been (Never saw color then you dropped in)
You understand what life is like and helped me see the beauty in the world.

A rose in mind (Never said love and then I did)
My love for you has been growing in my mind, even before I was able to say it out loud.

Could've said nothing but it locked (Never said love and then I did)
I could have kept silent about my feelings, but my love for you could not be contained forever.

Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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