Together, these contradictory characters have combined their strengths to deliver their sophomore album Distraction โ a collection in which their love of pop hooks is filtered cohesively through an eclectic collection of genre elements ranging from psychedelic to punk. โGiantsโ is perhaps the track that best encapsulates everything that makes Bear Hands special, as it flows from a manic verse full of hollered stream-of-consciousness lyrics into an infectious chorus, in which the universal emotion of โIโm loving you moreโ is set to a cascading riff.
Rau and Feldman first met as film students at Connecticutโs Wesleyan University, an institution that has become well known for turning out a steady stream of talented musicians due to its focus on the arts. They became fast friends, bonding over a pot brownie and a shared taste in music. However, as Feldman was already in another band at the time, it would be several months before the two would begin to collaborate musically.
After going through an unpleasant breakup, Dylan discovered that his ex-girlfriend had taken up with one of Tedโs bandmates. When he found out that the band had also been offered a record deal, Dylan decided that they would not ride off into the sunset with both his ex-girlfriend and the guitarist he wanted to join forces with. โI said, โthis isnโt how Iโm going to go down.โ I confronted Ted and said, โAlright, thatโs it โ weโre starting a band!โโ Once Ted had been convinced to abandon his previous band and form a new one with Dylan, it was time to complete the lineup.
Rau quickly identified the ideal rhythm section for his new band: bassist Val Loper and drummer TJ Orscher of Glastonbury, CTโs In Pieces. โTJ was definitely one of the best drummers in the area,โ explains Rau. โI remember Val playing a show at my school, and him spinning around really, really fast and getting his bass stuck in the ground, and then he tripped over it and knocked over a PA speaker. It was super boss.โ
Knowing that heโd need to recruit them as a team, Rau used some mini-Machiavellian tricks to convince each member that the other was already interested. Once theyโd come around to the idea, the first session together displayed an almost telepathic connection. As Feldman remembers: โEveryone was pretty surprised at how easily it came together. We put four songs together in the first two rehearsals. In retrospect, it was our honeymoon period.โ
After Rauโs master plan came together (โYouโve got to poach people from other bands โ you scout them and pick people off like weak antelopeโ), Bear Hands signed to indie label Cantora Records. Bear Handsโ debut album Burning Bush Supper Club was released in 2010, but their progress faltered due to legal complications and daily distractions. This, combined with some inspiration from Jonathan Lethemโs novel Chronic City, led to the band naming their new album Distraction. โItโs about losing touch with reality,โ states Rau. โMany things distract us: doing drugs; drinking; reality television; good food; the Internet.โ
Frustrated by this protracted hiatus, Bear Hands decided to take the initiative and fund the making of Distraction themselves. Working on a tight budget meant that Feldman, already the director of the bandโs videos, would also take the role of producer, with engineering assistance courtesy of their friends Yale Yng-Wong and Jake Aron. To record the drums and the basic tracks, they headed to Feldmanโs parentsโ house, which was transformed into a makeshift studio for a week. โLuckily my parents werenโt there because they probably wouldโve freaked out. It looked awesome to me, but maybe not their style,โ laughs Feldman. Overdubs and vocals were completed at Yng-Wongโs studio, Doctor Wuโs, in Brooklyn.
Numerous songs on the album are based on real life experiences. โAgoraโ addresses Rauโs experiences with agoraphobia. โMixed with a couple of other mental health issues, it was pretty bad,โ he admits. โI still have trouble and I have to force myself to leave the house. Socializing and exercise are the two things that Iโm trying to work on improving. Sometimes I have little interest in either.โ
Another common theme is failing romance. "Thought Wrong" is based upon a time when two of the band members were simultaneously involved in intense break-ups, while "Vile Iowa" reflects Rauโs experiences visiting his ex-girlfriendโs family โ conservative, teetotaller Mormons. โI donโt think they really liked me and I donโt think they trusted me,โ he sighs. โI have a history of dating girls from the Midwest whose families donโt like me. Itโs a habit I need to get over.โ
With character, creativity and pure songmanship in abundance, the global appeal of Distraction should ensure that Rau will have a new chance to broaden his horizons way beyond the Midwest. โWeโve always aimed to write pop songs because thatโs just what we like, but we also like all sorts of different styles,โ affirms Feldman. โThere hasnโt been a huge paradigm shift in genres. I think itโs been an evolution of quality.โ
Bear Hands is a post-punk/experimental/indie rock act hailing from Brooklyn, New York. Forming in 2006, the band consists of Dylan Rau, Ted Feldman, Val Loper and TJ Orscher.
www.bearhandsband.com
Boss
Bear Hands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good with numbers
Good with God
Good with people
You're good with cops
I think I could learn a lot
I'm the bitch and you're the boss [x8]
How to make it
How to know
How to get myself out this hole
From the bottom to the top
I'm the bitch and you're the boss [x8]
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me
If only, If only
Oh child I'll take all you got
All your friends and all their moms
All the lessons that they've been taught
Comin' back for them tomorrow
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me
Like I'm a rare flower, cracks in the concrete
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would never stop eating
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me
If only, if only
O Child you give good advice
I can see your parents raised you right
I can see you as an off this rah
I think I could learn a lot
The song "Boss" by Bear Hands is a catchy and upbeat tune that speaks to the idea of power dynamics in different types of relationships. The chorus repeats the line "I'm the bitch and you're the boss," which hints at the theme of someone feeling subordinate or inferior to another person. The verses highlight a conversation between two individuals, with one asking for advice and guidance from the other.
The first verse mentions how the person being addressed is "good with numbers, good with God, good with people, [and] good with cops." This list represents the traits that the singer desires to learn from the other person. The chorus comes in immediately after, repeating the idea that the singer is "the bitch" and the other person is "the boss." The second verse continues with the request for advice, as the singer asks for guidance on how to improve their current circumstances and move up from "the bottom to the top."
The bridge of the song brings up an interesting contrast between the idea of the singer's secrecy and the other person's ability to teach them how to fish. The chorus returns once again, but with a new twist. Rather than a direct power dynamic, it raises questions about the nature of power itself: "If I had the privilege, how would you treat me?" This question shows that the singer is questioning what they themselves might feel if they were to hold positions of authority. The song ends with the singer affirming their desire to learn from the other person and see them as a potential role model.
Overall, "Boss" by Bear Hands is a song about seeking guidance from someone who has more experience and knowledge than oneself. It touches upon themes of power dynamics, authority, and grooming oneself for success.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh child you give good advice
The singer acknowledges that the addressee is known for offering wise counsel.
Good with numbers
The addressee has a knack for dealing with figures and data.
Good with God
The addressee has positive relationships with the divine, possibly implying virtuous morality.
Good with people
The addressee is skilled at interacting with others in a favorable manner.
You're good with cops
The addressee is adept at managing interactions with law enforcement officials.
I think I could learn a lot
The singer believes that they can benefit from the addressee's wisdom and knowledge.
I'm the bitch and you're the boss [x8]
Repetition of the phrase 'I'm the bitch and you're the boss' suggests that the singer is willing to submit to the addressee's authority and leadership.
Oh child tell me how it goes
The artist implores the addressee to share their knowledge and experience.
How to make it
The artist desires to have insight on how to succeed in some endeavor.
How to know
The artist seeks guidance on how to become more knowledgeable in a particular area.
How to get myself out this hole
The singer is in a difficult situation and is looking for a way to extricate themselves.
From the bottom to the top
The artist wishes to improve their status or condition.
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
The singer has some experience or knowledge that is difficult to comprehend or accept.
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
The singer is eager to learn and would use their newly acquired skills to great effect.
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me
The singer is considering what their relationship with the addressee would be like if they had more power or status.
Like I'm a rare flower, cracks in the concrete
The artist is comparing themselves to something resilient and beautiful that has overcome adversity.
If you taught me how to fish, I would never stop eating
The artist is enthusiastic about the prospect of learning and desires to keep receiving instruction.
Oh child I'll take all you got
The singer is willing to accept all the knowledge and experience that the addressee can offer.
All your friends and all their moms
The singer is being hyperbolic and expressing a desire to learn from everyone in the addressee's network.
All the lessons that they've been taught
The artist is interested in absorbing all kinds of knowledge or wisdom.
Comin' back for them tomorrow
The artist plans to continue seeking knowledge from the addressee and their acquaintances in the future.
I can see your parents raised you right
The artist admires the addressee's character and behavior, attributing them to upbringing.
I can see you as an off this rah
The singer envisions the addressee as a successful, influential person in some context.
If only, if only
The artist may be ruminating on a missed opportunity or wishing for something that is currently unattainable.
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: THOMAS ORSCHER, TED FELDMAN, DYLAN RAU, VAL LOPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NICKXON
Ooh child you give good advice
Good with numbers
Good with god
Good with people
You're good with cops
I think I could learn a lot
I'm the bitch and you're the Boss
Boss (x8)
Ooh child tell me how it goes
How to make it
How to know
How to get myself out this hole
From the bottom to the top
I'm the bitch and you're the Boss
Boss (x8)
If I told you where I been, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I told you where I been, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me?
If only, If only
Ooh child I'll take all you got
All your friends and all their moms
All the lessons that they've been taught
Coming back for them tomorrow
If I told you where I been, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me?
Like I'm a rare flower, cracks in the concrete
If I told you where I been, you'd never believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I'd never stop eating
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me?
If only, if only
Ooh Child you give good advice
I can see your parents raised you right
I can see you rising off this rock
I think I could learn a lot
Kary Lorenzo
Lyric/Letra
Oh child you give good advice
Good with numbers
Good with God
Good with people
You're Good with cops
I think I could learn a lot
I'm the bitch and you're the boss x8
Oh child tell me how it goes
How to make it
How to know
How to get myself out this hole
From the bottom to the top
I'm the bitch and you're the boss x8
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I had the privelage, how would you treat me
If only, If only
Oh child I'll take all you got
All your friends and all their moms
All the lessons that they've been taught
Comin' back for them tomorrow
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I had the privelage, how would you treat me
Like I'm a rare flower, cracks in the concrete
If I told you where I bang, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would never stop eating
If I had the privelage, how would you treat me
If only, If only
O Child you give good advice
I can see your parents raised you right
I can see you as an off this rah
I think I could learn a lot
Stephen Amundson
Can't believe how incredibly underated Bear Hands is. Went to a show with them and Foals and was incredibly disapointed they weren't the headliner
Allen Platt
Stephen Amundson that show was amazing!
Armando
This song will never not SLAP. They really have such a creative sound
Taylor Faline
I've been following Bear Hands and their tracks since about 2015, no regrets thus far. They just keep getting better. Their songs sound more good with each listen.
mick ingles
I'm glad they are playing this more and more on the radio but jeez it really needs just one more 'bitch and i'm the boss'
Kate Moran
love this, you guys are just getting better and better!!
Adam V.
IN LOVE WITH U GUYS AND THIS SONG! Can't wait to see you guys next month!!!!
NICKXON
Ooh child you give good advice
Good with numbers
Good with god
Good with people
You're good with cops
I think I could learn a lot
I'm the bitch and you're the Boss
Boss (x8)
Ooh child tell me how it goes
How to make it
How to know
How to get myself out this hole
From the bottom to the top
I'm the bitch and you're the Boss
Boss (x8)
If I told you where I been, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I told you where I been, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me?
If only, If only
Ooh child I'll take all you got
All your friends and all their moms
All the lessons that they've been taught
Coming back for them tomorrow
If I told you where I been, you wouldn't believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me?
Like I'm a rare flower, cracks in the concrete
If I told you where I been, you'd never believe me
If you taught me how to fish, I'd never stop eating
If I had the privilege, how would you treat me?
If only, if only
Ooh Child you give good advice
I can see your parents raised you right
I can see you rising off this rock
I think I could learn a lot
Jorb
This deserves way more views, your guys' music is awesome!
Aka Miguel Sanchez
Such a tune but what else would you expect from Bear Hands