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.
You Wouldn’t Have To Ask
Bad Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They break your brain like a branch
And push you out here asking after for something
you should know I don't have
If I had it you wouldn't have to ask
If I had it you wouldn't have to ask
and you ask is it really that bad
If it wasn't you wouldn't have to ask
If it wasn't you wouldn't have to ask
How could you know if you didn't?
What's left to say when your tongue's turned to ash?
Well I tell you you're finally forgiven
So you wouldn't have to ask
Shoot what's left, slip inside your sinner smile
Another man in a mask
If you faced it you wouldn't need a mask
If you meant it you wouldn't need a mask
If I could fix you you wouldn't have to ask
If I could help you you wouldn't have to ask
In Bad Books's song You Wouldn't Have to Ask, the lyrics discuss the struggles and hardships of life, which come in waves like "crooked days bundled up in bunches". These tough times can break a person's spirit and leave them feeling lost and in search of something they don't even know they need. The singer acknowledges that he doesn't have all the answers, but if he did, the person in question wouldn't have to ask. This sentiment speaks to the longing for guidance and direction when things feel uncertain and overwhelming.
As the song progresses, the lyrics address the act of self-reflection and the tendency to question oneself. The line "Later on when you bargain with your mirror and you ask is it really that bad" suggests that in times of struggle, people are often forced to confront themselves and their own faults. The repetition of the phrase "If it wasn't you wouldn't have to ask" is a reminder that when we question ourselves, it is often because we already know the answer deep down.
The final verse of the song touches on the idea of hiding behind a mask or a facade. The line "Shoot what's left, slip inside your sinner smile, another man in a mask" paints a picture of a person who is hiding their true self behind a false image. The singer suggests that if this person faced their issues and tried to change, they wouldn't need to hide behind a mask. The final lines of the song, "If I could fix you you wouldn't have to ask, if I could help you, you wouldn't have to ask" provide a sense of hope and compassion, acknowledging that we all have struggles and could benefit from a helping hand.
Line by Line Meaning
Crooked days come bundled up in bunches
Difficult times often come all at once and can be overwhelming.
They break your brain like a branch
These difficult times can be mentally exhausting.
And push you out here asking after for something
As a result, it might make you feel like you need to ask for something that you know is not available.
you should know I don't have
The person being asked does not have what is being requested.
If I had it you wouldn't have to ask
The person being asked wishes they had what was being requested, so the other wouldn't need to ask.
Later on when you bargain with your mirror
The song changes topics to a reflective state where the person is talking to themselves in front of a mirror.
and you ask is it really that bad
They are questioning their own choices and actions, wondering how things got so difficult.
If it wasn't, you wouldn't have to ask
If the situation wasn't really that bad, they wouldn't be questioning it in the first place.
How could you know if you didn't?
The person is questioning how we can really know something if we haven't experienced it ourselves.
What's left to say when your tongue's turned to ash?
Our inability to express ourselves can lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair.
Well, I tell you you're finally forgiven
The person is offering forgiveness to themselves for their mistakes and shortcomings.
So you wouldn't have to ask
They are telling themselves that they no longer need to ask for forgiveness.
Shoot what's left, slip inside your sinner smile
The person is essentially telling themselves to accept their past actions and move on.
Another man in a mask
The mask represents our tendency to hide our true selves from others.
If you faced it you wouldn't need a mask
If we truly accepted our past mistakes and faced them head on, we wouldn't feel the need to hide behind a mask.
If you meant it you wouldn't need a mask
If we were sincere and honest with ourselves and others, we wouldn't feel the need to hide behind a mask.
If I could fix you, you wouldn't have to ask
The person wishes they could fix the problems of the person being asked, so they wouldn't have to ask for help.
If I could help you, you wouldn't have to ask
The person wishes they could offer help to the person being asked, so they wouldn't have to ask for it.
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: KEVIN PATRICK DEVINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Johnny Anaya
Two original and different voices doing such harmonies makes an incledible contrast and it sounds GREAT!
eliseocls
If this song was an hour long it still wouldn't be long enough. Andy is excellence
Mark Sheppard
True, but this is Kevin's song.
Brian Ayers
My only wish is that this song was longer, I love everything about it.
Inner Ear Productions
One of my favorites! Keep up the wonderful work! Feeling inspired to make music myself! ⭐
Riddled Rhythms
This was exactly what I was searching for! Thanks so much! Time to make some music myself. ❣️❣️
Zalomé Ztudios
What an excellent way to start the day! Fantastic video! Time to use all this inspiration to make some tunes.
Matthew Meadows
bad books is so freaking amazing!
Bettina Ujfalusi
wow, i just found them on spotify. thanks god! they're amazing!!!
DarthXasthur
The ear to ear smile i wore for that entire video performance was rejuvenating as well as therapeutic. With the inception of Bad Books, its seemingly pointless to mix in other music of any kind. Ive sworn off other entirely and am now on a strict vegan diet of Andy and Kevin. 2 of the 5 greatest songwriters of our time are in this. They should tour with two toughs, another amazing all-star band. Really though its a rather elementary concept. Andy Hull plus Kevin Devine equals? Nuff Said...