A t… Read Full Bio ↴Bad Books, simply put, is Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra.
A true accident if there ever was one; Bad Books was never an intended nor calculated side project of Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull. Though the two musicians have collaborated and performed together on tour and within the Favorite Gentlemen community of artists for years now, the genesis of Bad Books came from a simple idea to fill space and time off the road by collaborating on a small batch of songs together at the top of the year. With no agenda and no expectations, what was birthed just one week later was Bad Books, a fully realized album encompassing five compositions each from both Devine and Hull, with the members of Manchester Orchestra filling out the sound and the band. The self-titled debut will be released October 19th, 2010 via Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, the record label that was founded and has been run by Manchester Orchestra since 2007.
As songwriters go, Hull and Devine could not be further apart in terms of creative approach. The methodical wordsmith Devine, an English major from Fordham, is known to pine away for great lengths of time just to accurately pin-point one word within a lyric. “I was doing a take of ‘You’re A Mirror I Cannot Avoid’ and stopped myself for fifteen minutes because I was having trouble justifying ending two lines in the same chorus with the word ‘back.’ Just sitting there, staring at the screen, writing different word choices. I asked Andy if he thought it mattered, and he said, ‘Of course it doesn’t.’ Somewhere in that exchange is I think what differentiates us as songwriters. I think Andy trusts his instincts to lead him to the right place in a song, and sometimes I want to outthink my instincts because I’m scared of repeating myself, of resting on my laurels. And I think together, those two approaches meshed really, really well,” Devine said.
Hull echoes that sentiment: “Kevin is very meticulous, where I came in with a few ideas and fleshed them out literally as we were recording. Kevin’s songs were awesome and he was cool enough for me to throw in some ideas to change a part or add a bridge here or there.”
In contrast to previous outputs from Manchester Orchestra and Devine, Bad Books cradles a much more noticeable pop aesthetic and energy than either artist has probably ever showcased before. Nowhere is this more evident than in songs like “You Wouldn’t Have To Ask” and “Holding Down the Laughter”.
Engineered by Robert McDowell (of Manchester Orchestra) with help from drummer Ben Homola, and mixed by Chris Bracco (of Devine’s ‘Goddamn Band’), Bad Books progressed in the most organic and natural way possible. Free from any boundaries or restrictions, Devine and Hull were able to craft a beautiful body of melodies, highlighting arcs of high and low throughout, and utilizing the stark imagery and storytelling for which both of them are known. “There was no governing framework,” Devine says: “No, ‘let’s write these kind of songs and say these kind of things’. We just wrote, arranged and played each song to its end, followed where it led, and I think it brought us both to some pretty unexpected places.”
For Devine, Hull, and the rest of Manchester Orchestra, choosing the direction of the road less travelled resulted in sonic harmonies and woven textures that meshed what these best friends do best. Some accidents were just meant to be.
The Easy Mark & the Old Maid
Bad Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Their wrong and beat up, their eyes black
Others wilt in casinos
Roll dice and piss away speedboats
Some dissolve into bar stools
Scratched off in boxes and playoff pools
I spent myself on a psychic
I lost my way and a friend said she would find it
Man, we were wrong.
I asked for the future,
She only sang me a song.
Some men they go make their own luck
Grow fat from feeding on lame ducks
The easy mark and the old maid
The invalid and the ingrate
Others wait for that high sign
Some holy hoax in the tree-line
Me, I'm counting my canned food
Bunkered down waiting out our slingshot moods
But what if I'm wrong?
What if I'm wrong?
I'll open my doors up
People, come sweep me along.
Eyes are fixed and my palms are spread
Dissonance floats my shipwrecked head
God sleeps in the Gaza strip
And man alone's left alone to live with it
The coin-flip faith of the optimist
It's beginners luck in a sewing kit
What's to do when there is no fix
On the unflinching ambivalence?
But you say that's wrong
Hopeless and wrong
We re-thread your needle,
You say, "God, play along."
The lyrics of Bad Books’ song, The Easy Mark & the Old Maid, paint a picture of despair and uncertainty. The song deals with themes such as luck, hopelessness, and the search for meaning. The first verse describes different ways in which men tend to self-destruct – at the racetrack, the casino, the bar, or in search of psychics. The singer confesses that he himself has lost his way and turned to a psychic for guidance, only to be led astray. The second verse contrasts those who make their own luck, usually at the expense of others, with those who wait passively for a sign that may never come. The singer admits to feeling helpless, bunkered down with canned food and hoping for the best, but wondering if he's wrong.
The chorus asks the existential question of what to do when there is no fix, when life is characterized by unflinching ambivalence. The bridge is particularly poignant, referring to the state of the world and the seeming absence of any higher power that can intervene to make things better. Even the faith of the optimist, or the hope that things will improve, is likened to a beginner's luck in a sewing kit. The final lines, however, offer a glimmer of hope. The singer is reminded that there are people who can help to re-thread his needle, who can offer a different perspective and renew his faith in God.
Line by Line Meaning
Some men collapse at the racetrack
Some men fail miserably at their attempts to get rich quickly, usually by gambling on horse races.
Their wrong and beat up, their eyes black
These men are often involved with shady characters and end up getting beaten up and bruised with black eyes as a result.
Others wilt in casinos
Some men ruin their lives by gambling away everything they have at casinos.
Roll dice and piss away speedboats
They engage in foolish and reckless behavior, spending their winnings on unnecessary and extravagant things such as speedboats.
Some dissolve into bar stools
Some men spend their days drinking alone at bars, their lives reduced to nothing more than sitting on a bar stool.
Scratched off in boxes and playoff pools
They waste their time and money on lottery tickets and sports betting, hoping for an unlikely win that will never come.
I spent myself on a psychic
The singer wasted their money and time on a fraudulent psychic, hoping for some guidance or insight into their future.
I lost my way and a friend said she would find it
The artist was lost and hopeless, and a friend promised to help them find their way in life.
Man, we were wrong.
Unfortunately, this friend was unable to help and both the artist and their friend were wrong.
Man, we were wrong.
The situation was a total failure and they realized they had made a mistake.
I asked for the future,
The singer was seeking answers about what their future may hold, hoping for some direction and guidance.
She only sang me a song.
Instead of providing answers, the psychic simply sang a song that did nothing to help the artist.
Some men they go make their own luck
Some people take control of their own lives and create their own opportunities to succeed in life.
Grow fat from feeding on lame ducks
They are able to take advantage of weak and vulnerable people to their own benefit.
The easy mark and the old maid
These 'lame ducks' are often easy targets, such as naive and gullible individuals or lonely and vulnerable elderly women.
The invalid and the ingrate
Other targets include those who are physically or mentally impaired and those who are ungrateful or difficult to deal with.
Others wait for that high sign
Some people hope for some kind of divine or supernatural guidance or sign that will indicate what their next move should be.
Some holy hoax in the tree-line
They often believe in false prophets or messiah figures who make outrageous promises that never come true.
Me, I'm counting my canned food
The singer is preparing for an apocalypse or some kind of disaster by stockpiling food in cans.
Bunkered down waiting out our slingshot moods
They are hunkered down, waiting for times to be tough, enduring the hardships that arise.
But what if I'm wrong?
The artist is uncertain about their choices and starts to doubt whether they have made the right decision.
What if I'm wrong?
They become increasingly worried and anxious about what the future may hold if they have made the wrong choices.
I'll open my doors up
The singer decides to be more open to change, opportunity and listen to other people's opinions.
People, come sweep me along.
The artist is inviting other people to come into their life and perhaps offer guidance and support on their journey.
Eyes are fixed and my palms are spread
The singer is nervous, perhaps even desperate, for an answer or some kind of help.
Dissonance floats my shipwrecked head
The singer feels lost, hopeless and emotionally drained.
God sleeps in the Gaza strip
The singer suggests that God is distant or inactive and is not present in the lives of people affected by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
And man alone's left alone to live with it
People are left to cope and manage their own problems and difficulties, as there is no divine intervention helping people in times of crisis.
The coin-flip faith of the optimist
People who are optimistic sometimes rely on chance and fortune to work out in their favor.
It's beginners luck in a sewing kit
These positive outcomes are often short-lived and inconsequential, such as the beginner's luck of someone who is sewing for the first time.
What's to do when there is no fix
The singer is bewildered and confused about what to do when there is no solution to solve problems or issues.
On the unflinching ambivalence?
People are indifferent to their problems or issues, not knowing if it is right to act in certain situations or carry on with their own lives and goals.
But you say that's wrong
Someone disagrees with the artist's way of dealing with their problems or issues.
Hopeless and wrong
The artist's current state is one of feeling lost and disconnected from themselves, as they struggle to seek help.
We re-thread your needle,
Someone attempts to help the singer by re-threading their needle, or helping them get on the right track in their journey despite their current struggles.
You say, "God, play along."
They hope that things will turn around in their favor and that divine intervention will help them recover what has been lost or forgotten.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: KEVIN PATRICK DEVINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind