After gaining some recognition in local circles in Jacksonville, Florida and competing at Scribble Jam, Astronautalis self-released his debut album, You and Yer Good Ideas, in 2003. He eventually signed with Fighting Records and the record was re-released in 2005, followed by his second album, The Mighty Ocean and Nine Dark Theaters, in 2006. He released the third album, Pomegranate, on Eyeball Records in 2008. In winter 2009, he toured with the Canadian indie rock band Tegan and Sara through Europe, and supported them again through the spring of 2010 in Australia. His fourth album, This Is Our Science, was released on Fake Four Inc in 2011.
Astronautalis has been described as "if Beck were a decade or so younger and had grown up more heavily immersed in hip-hop," with his rapping style noted for "blending styles of indie rock, electro, and talkin’ blues" with hip-hop. He has described himself as "historical fiction hip-hop."
During live performances, he often performs a freestyle rap based on topics chosen by members of his audience
Trouble Hunters
Astronautalis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Come on, let's pick a fight.
We hunt for trouble tonight.
I know it's hopeless, Hell
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Come on, boys, we're right!
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
You know we're right!
We hunt for trouble
With our fingers dipped in blood.
We hold the rifles
With a hangman's heart.
If reunited
'Fore the last sun lie,
The snake
They cut in the parts
That come back alive for 'em.
Brother Benjamin is off in France.
We're taking Trenton back again.
The garrison of Hessians will fall.
They say Delaware will freeze a man.
We chasin' sovereigns
Across the Styx and dodging ice floes.
It's all on Honeyman,
Our mole inside the ivy that grows.
So unnatural to see this leaf
So far from its home.
Must deracinate the weed,
Drive it out of the loam.
I know it's hopeless, Hell
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Come on, let's pick a fight.
We hunt for trouble tonight.
I know it's hopeless, Hell
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Come on, boys, we're right!
We hunt for trouble
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
You know we're right!
With fingers frozen from tracking
And groping and trapping,
Found the trouble and coupled
At the mouths that prize the purse from the apt.
And the victim claimed by the slow mechanism
That broke its opponents back.
While the crimson coats were bending elbows in half,
WE ATTACKED!
I know you noticed the battle.
It don't need quoting.
It's spoken over ad nauseum.
Darling, the sharpest story.
Every veteran, politician, talking head'll
Get on the pedestal,
Spin the saga any way
That will make their means our end.
We, we've got ourselves a fight song
For the wool they'll pull over your eyes.
Tell the devil that we're coming right home
Tonight, tonight.
I know it's hopeless, Hell
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Come on, let's pick a fight.
We hunt for trouble tonight!
I know it's hopeless, Hell
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Come on, boys, we're right!
We hunt for trouble
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
You know we're right!
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.
I know it's hopeless, Hell
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Come on, let's pick a fight!
We hunt for trouble tonight!
I know it's hopeless, Hell
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Come on, boys, we're right!
We hunt for trouble
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight.
You know we're right!
The lyrics to Astronautalis's song Trouble Hunters have several layers of meaning. On the surface, the lyrics convey a sense of rebellion and defiance. The opening lines, "I know it's hopeless, Hell / Ain't big enough to hold us back," suggest that the singers are so powerful and unstoppable that not even the gates of hell can contain them. The repeated refrain of "We hunt for trouble tonight" reinforces this idea of seeking out and reveling in danger.
However, the lyrics also reference historical events and figures, suggesting a deeper layer of meaning. The lines "Brother Benjamin is off in France / We're taking Trenton back again / The garrison of Hessians will fall / They say Delaware will freeze a man" refer to the American Revolutionary War and the pivotal Battle of Trenton. The mention of "Honeyman, / Our mole inside the ivy that grows" may refer to John Honeyman, a spy who provided crucial information to George Washington during the war.
Line by Line Meaning
I know it's hopeless, Hell
I understand that this is a hopeless situation
Ain't big enough to hold us back.
Even Hell can't stop us
Come on, let's pick a fight.
Let's start something, let's be proactive
We hunt for trouble tonight.
We actively seek out challenges and conflict tonight.
Come on, boys, we're right!
We are confident in our cause and ready to fight
With our fingers dipped in blood.
We are willing to get our hands dirty
We hold the rifles
We are armed and dangerous
With a hangman's heart.
We are ruthless and merciless
If reunited
If we come back together
'Fore the last sun lie,
Before the last sunset
The snake
The enemy
They cut in the parts
They will be defeated
That come back alive for 'em.
We will rise from defeat and come back at them
Brother Benjamin is off in France.
We have support from our allies overseas
We're taking Trenton back again.
We are reclaiming what is rightfully ours
The garrison of Hessians will fall.
Our enemies will be defeated
They say Delaware will freeze a man.
Even in harsh environments, we will endure
We chasin' sovereigns
We are pursuing those in power
Across the Styx and dodging ice floes.
We will travel through harsh conditions, determined to reach our goals
It's all on Honeyman,
We are relying on our inside informant
Our mole inside the ivy that grows.
Our insider is in a position of power
So unnatural to see this leaf
This is an unexpected and unwelcome sight
So far from its home.
It is out of place
Must deracinate the weed,
We need to remove the unwanted element
Drive it out of the loam.
Get rid of it completely
With fingers frozen from tracking
Our determination has left us cold and numb
And groping and trapping,
We are finding and capturing our enemies
Found the trouble and coupled
We have identified the challenge and met it head-on
At the mouths that prize the purse from the apt.
At the source of the greed that is causing the trouble
And the victim claimed by the slow mechanism
The cause of the problem will ultimately destroy itself
That broke its opponents back.
Their tactics have led to their own defeat
While the crimson coats were bending elbows in half,
As their enemies let down their guard
WE ATTACKED!
We acted decisively and with force
We've got ourselves a fight song
We have a rallying cry for our cause
For the wool they'll pull over your eyes.
To expose those who try to deceive us
Tell the devil that we're coming right home
We will overcome any obstacle and come out victorious
Every veteran, politician, talking head'll
Everyone with an opinion
Get on the pedestal,
They will try to sway public opinion
Spin the saga any way
They will twist the story to fit their agenda
That will make their means our end.
They will manipulate us so that we unknowingly work against our own goals
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.
A call to action, to move forward and fight
Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.