As a teenager, Slug (Sean Daley) became entranced with hip-hop, graffiti, and breakdancing, forming the Rhymesayers label and collective (originally known as Headshots) with two high-school friends, Siddiq Ali (Stress) and Derek Turner (Spawn). After some early gigs as Urban Atmosphere -- where Slug DJed behind Spawn's rhyming -- the pair hooked up with producer Ant (Anthony Davis), as well as like-minded locals such as MC Musab, Mr. Gene Poole, and the Abstract Pack, forming an underground hip-hop clique dedicated to freestyling and clever lyricism. In 1997, Atmosphere released their debut album, Overcast!, which received college radio airplay and earned an underground hip-hop following thanks to Slug's deeply personal, poetic musings, as well as Ant's bare-bones -- but inventive -- production.
Atmosphere participated in the supergroup the Dynospectrum (who released a self-titled album on Rhymesayers in 1998) and Slug contributed to another supergroup, Anticon's Deep Puddle Dynamics (whose full-length The Taste of Rain...Why Kneel appeared in 1999). The Headshots collective concluded their series of underground cassettes with a seventh volume in 1999, later reissued as an Atmosphere release called Headshots: Se7en. The group also began a series of limited releases (often sold exclusively on tour) titled Sad Clown Bad Dub, beginning with an extremely scarce 1999 cassette.
A year later, Atmosphere (then down to the duo of Slug and Ant) released the Ford One and Ford Two EPs, followed by the Lucy EP in 2001. Collected as the 2001 full-length Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs, the three EPs were built around the theme of Slug's complicated relationship with his ex-girlfriend, the lost love of his life. As Atmosphere's following increased beyond underground hip-hop circles, they toured consistently, both at home and overseas; while Ant usually didn't accompany the group on the road, Mr. Dibbs of the group 1200 Hobos often joined in behind the turntables while Slug was assisted on the mike by young rappers like the teenaged Eyedea. In June 2002, Atmosphere unleashed God Loves Ugly, an 18-track effort that returned to previous themes ("F*@k You Lucy"), but also contained the group's pop-friendly single "Modern Man's Hustle," which reached the Top 20 of the U.S. rap singles chart.
By this time indie rap superstars, Atmosphere returned with their fourth album, Seven's Travels, in 2003, followed two years later by You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. Following the record's success, Ant began regularly touring with the group. They continued to put music out during the next couple of years, including the free download Strictly Leakage in late 2007, a near-party album that they followed up with When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold in April 2008. The record featured plenty of live instrumentation and guest background vocal spots from Tom Waits and TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe; it was also their highest-charting album, hitting number five on the Billboard 200. The "double EP" To All My Friends: Blood Makes the Blade Holy appeared in 2010, with the full-length album The Family Sign following in 2011.
In 2014, the group released the album Southsiders, which featured the single "Bitter" and became another Top Ten-charting hit. The following year, Atmosphere celebrated the ten-year anniversary of You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having by reissuing the album as a four-LP set (including instrumental versions of all the album's songs), in addition to The Fun EP, a picture-disc vinyl issue of an EP of You Can't Imagine outtakes that was originally released as a promo CD in 2006. In 2016, they returned with Fishing Blues, an album that featured the single "Ringo" along with guest appearances from MF Doom, Kool Keith, and Aesop Rock. While the set peaked just outside the Top 20 on the Billboard 200, it became their second album to top the U.S. indie chart. Mi Vida Local, an urgent reflection on middle age, appeared in 2018, followed a year later by the full-length Whenever. The Day Before Halloween arrived on that exact date in 2020, with Atmosphere unexpectedly switching to sci-fi/horror-informed themes over spooky, synth-heavy backdrops. Nearly a year later, Ant and Slug swerved back to their signature sound with Word?, which included guests such as Evidence, Aesop Rock, Sa-Roc, and MF Doom.
Biography by Dan LeRoy
There are other artists with the same name:
2) A Polish rock group, established in 1993 in Leszno, Poland, with Marcin Rozynek as a vocalist. In 1994 the group appeared at Mokotowska Jesień Muzyczna, where they were runners-up just behind Myslovitz. Two years later they won competition Marlboro Rock In. In 1997, Atmosphere released their self-titled debut album, Atmosphere, and in 1999 released Europa Naftowa. Atmosphere was awarded the Album debut of the year 1997 by magazine Tylko Rock and was nominated for the award Fryderyk in 1998 in the category Debut of the Year. In 1998, Atmosphere appeared at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole with song Niewielki Skrawek Ziemi. Disbanded after Marcin Rozynek departure for a solo career. However, Atmosphere regrouped recently with a new line-up and is recording a new album.
3) An obscure one hit wonder Italo-disco group of the early 80’s. The group was produced by Franco & Venise Scopinich, and their one single “Swede’s Scandal” was realased on Superradio Reccords (label owned by Franco & Venise Scopinich).
4) A thrash metal band of the same name from Vietnam who have released two demo's.
The Bird
Atmosphere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Disgusting critter, it must
We should have known better then to trust
This disease infested ball of lust and carnage
Piece of garbage with wings and she has the guts to sing
Get the bird, catch her shoot her, I don't care
Get the bird, bring her down to the ground from out the air
Gotta tear her apart, let me at her first
What's she thinking? does she really believe
That she's above the creatures that work the dirt and the streets
See her up in the tree, looking down at you and me
Like she's chosen over those who walk around on two feet
The bird, the melodys she play
The music she make, rubbing our faces in the feces of the daybreak
Trying to remind us, its time to awake
Antaganizing and instigating my hate
The chirps, I turn them into screams
My feathered friends end will justity the means
Disturbed, I'll grab her by her beak
And swing her in circles until she's too dizzy to speak
Well I'll shake her from her branch, tear apart her nest
Break her skinny legs and fry her eggs up for breakfast
(she's a snake that can fly) she's just food for the fleas
She thinks she's better then me just because she's free?
I'll shake her from her branch, tear apart her nest
Break her skinny legs and fry her eggs up for breakfast
(she's a snake that can fly) she's just food for the fleas
She thinks she's better then me just because she's free?
My beautiful bird has gone away [x12]
The lyrics to Atmosphere's song "Bird Sings Why the Caged I Know" are a commentary on the human condition and our tendencies towards jealousy and resentment towards those who we perceive to be "above" us. The singer in the song is metaphorically representing the human race as a bird, and is narrating the thoughts of a person who wants to destroy the bird because of its perceived superiority. The singer is angry and bitter towards the bird because of its ability to fly and sing, which the singer sees as an unjustified advantage over humans. The lyrics express a desire to bring the bird down to the level of the rest of humanity, and to exact revenge for our perceived inferiority.
The bird in the song can be interpreted as a symbol of freedom or of anything that we envy because of its perceived superiority. The song suggests that our jealousy and resentment towards things that we cannot have or be is a destructive force that can lead us to harm those things, even if they are innocent. By wanting to destroy the bird, the singer is essentially illustrating the human tendency towards violence and destruction when we feel threatened or inferior.
Overall, "Bird Sings Why the Caged I Know" is a powerful commentary on the human condition and the destructive effects of jealousy and resentment. The lyrics invite us to examine our own feelings and behaviors towards those who we perceive to be "above" us and to try to reject violence and destruction as a response to those feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the bird, it must have been the bird
Blaming the bird for something that went wrong
Disgusting critter, it must
Using derogatory language to describe the bird
We should have known better then to trust
Regretting the decision to trust the bird
This disease infested ball of lust and carnage
Portraying the bird as a carrier of disease and destruction
Piece of garbage with wings and she has the guts to sing
Angry that the bird has the audacity to sing despite being a 'garbage' creature
Get the bird, catch her shoot her, I don't care
Willing to go to any extremes to get rid of the bird
Get the bird, bring her down to the ground from out the air
Wanting to see the bird brought down to the same level as humans
Gotta tear her apart, let me at her first
Wanting to physically harm the bird
Sink her to the level of the rest of us that inherit the earth
Believing that humans are superior to other creatures and wanting to make the bird realize that
What's she thinking? does she really believe
Questioning the bird's thoughts and beliefs
That she's above the creatures that work the dirt and the streets
Mocking the bird for thinking it's better than the creatures on the ground
See her up in the tree, looking down at you and me
Feeling inferior to the bird because it's up in the tree
Like she's chosen over those who walk around on two feet
Feeling resentful that the bird seems to be chosen over humans
The bird, the melodys she play
Acknowledging the bird's beautiful singing
The music she make, rubbing our faces in the feces of the daybreak
Feeling angry that the bird's singing is like a reminder of the hardships of life
Trying to remind us, its time to awake
Thinking that the bird's singing is meant to awaken humans from their slumber
Antaganizing and instigating my hate
Feeling like the bird's singing is purposely trying to provoke hatred
The chirps, I turn them into screams
Planning to harm the bird and turn its singing into screams of pain
My feathered friends end will justity the means
Believing that any means of getting rid of the bird is justified
Disturbed, I'll grab her by her beak
Feeling disturbed and wanting to physically harm the bird's beak
And swing her in circles until she's too dizzy to speak
Planning to cause physical harm until the bird becomes unable to sing or even speak
Well I'll shake her from her branch, tear apart her nest
Desiring to completely destroy the bird's habitat
Break her skinny legs and fry her eggs up for breakfast
Planning to harm the bird's offspring and eat them for breakfast
(she's a snake that can fly) she's just food for the fleas
Belittling the bird and calling it a snake that can fly, referring to it as a food source for parasites
She thinks she's better then me just because she's free?
Feeling resentful of the bird's freedom and believing that it thinks it's better than humans because of it
My beautiful bird has gone away [x12]
Reflecting on the loss of the bird, possibly after the aforementioned actions were taken
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Invectrum
Slug gave me this album for free. Me and my friends hung outside his show cause we were underage in winter. He was so cool ....he also freestyled with us,....it's one of my best memories of being a teenager. Nelson BC, Canada ....2003 or so.
Invectrum
I still to this day have not seen him perform live. This song takes me back.
Chris Alan
I saw them in 2008 in Houston, TX at Warehouse Live and they opened up with this song! It fired up the whole crowd!!
Invectrum
@Chris Alan That's dope! I have seen Atmosphere twice since I commented. I got to meet slug outside of a club when I was 16, Me and all my friends were underage so we couldn't get in and we waited in the snow until he came out to his van. He freestyled wit us and gave us all signed CDs. It was great.
KT97ea6
I've seen them live 5 times now. And I will continue to go every opportunity I have.
koza420
One of my favourite songs off the album..gives me chills
KJ KNG
Straight poetry 🔥🔥🔥
sadie schwab
First Atmosphere song I ever heard in 2003 still jamming in 2018
Ryan Moore
Punk-o-Rama?
Puerto 01
It’s really incredible when u sit back n reflect on how much beautiful substantial music they have made over the course of time.. I feel blessed to be be apart of the same blip in time as them