The band takes its name from Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the two lived together after college and has released three albums, "Charm School" (2003), "The Broken String" (2007) and "Grrr..." (2009).
Charm School (2003)
Charm School was Bishop Allen's first record. Recorded in fits and starts over two years, it grew song-by-song as Rice and Rudder wrote and played in their spare time. They recorded all the instruments on the album's 13 songs themselves, using drum loops to hide the fact that neither is a drummer, and almost everything on the record was recorded one track at a time in an ordinary bedroom. Backing vocals by Bonnie Schiff-Glenn and Kate Dollenmayer and supplementary drums by Coll Anderson, all added in the album's final stages, completed the songs.
The EP Project (2006)
In 2006, Bishop Allen recorded and released an EP every month of the year. Each record was titled for the month of its release (January, February, and so on), and, with the exception of August, which was a 14-song live disc, each contained four new studio songs.
The Broken String (2007)
In November 2006, Bishop Allen signed to Dead Oceans, a new sister label to Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, for a modest advance. They began recording a new record that January, at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, Oklahoma, and delivered it two months later. This is Bishop Allen's first true studio recording and was released by Dead Oceans on July 24, 2007.
Grrr.... (2009)
Released in March 2009, this doesn't stray from Bishop Allen's specific brand of lovely indie pop.
05 Middle Management
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm over by the water cooler
Listen to the chatter
While I'm working to get fired but it doesn't seem to matter
When the week is nearly through
But I find something to do
Cause the end is coming soon
Yeah the end is coming
Alright!
Alright!
Well alright!
Alright!
Put the days together and they start to do some damage
If the mean is in the middle then I know that I will manage
When the week is nearly through
I will find something to do
Cause the end is coming soon
Yeah the end is coming
The telephone is ringing right off the hook
Must be one of those days where I got the shakes that just can't shook
Pick up the phone and say we're alright
Alright!
Alright!
Alrighty
[Repeat: x4]
And I don't wanna have to think about it
(Why should you think about it)
The telephone is ringing right off the hook must be one of those days where I got the shakes
That just can't shook
Alright! [Repeat: x6]
Alrighty
Well alright!
The song "05 Middle Management" by Bishop Allen is a commentary on the monotony of working in an office job. The singer is observing the conversations around the water cooler while working towards getting fired, but is ultimately unfazed because the end of the week is approaching. The repetition of "alright" throughout the song could be interpreted as a way for the singer to convince themselves that everything is going to be okay, even in the face of a job they dislike.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of managing through the frustrations of a job by finding something to do, even if it's not necessarily what you're supposed to be doing. The theme of surviving week to week, day by day, resonates with many people who feel trapped in jobs that don't fulfill them. The line "Put the days together and they start to do some damage" implies that the repetitive nature of the job is taking a toll on the individual, but they continue to find ways to manage.
Overall, "05 Middle Management" is a critique of the daily grind and the ways in which people survive, even if it means doing something they don't love. The upbeat and catchy chord progression of the song creates an interesting juxtaposition with the lyrics, illustrating that even though the song is about a job that's exhausting and unfulfilling, the singer is still finding ways to stay positive.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright!
The singer is feeling confident and enthusiastic.
I'm over by the water cooler
The singer is physically located by the water cooler.
Listen to the chatter
The singer is paying attention to the conversations of others around them.
While I'm working to get fired but it doesn't seem to matter
The artist is intentionally performing poorly at their job, but it doesn't seem to have any consequences.
When the week is nearly through
The artist is referring to the end of the workweek.
But I find something to do
The singer will occupy themselves with a task.
Cause the end is coming soon
The end of the workweek is approaching.
Put the days together and they start to do some damage
The accumulation of days at work can be exhausting or damaging to mental health.
If the mean is in the middle then I know that I will manage
The artist feels that if they maintain a steady performance at work, they will be able to handle it.
The telephone is ringing right off the hook
The phone is ringing constantly or excessively.
Must be one of those days where I got the shakes that just can't shook
The singer is feeling anxious or overwhelmed by work-related stress.
Pick up the phone and say we're alright
The artist is assuring the person on the phone that everything is okay.
And I don't wanna have to think about it (Why should you think about it)
The singer doesn't want to dwell on work-related stress or worry about it unnecessarily.
Well alright!
The singer reiterates their previous feeling of confidence and enthusiasm.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Rudder, Justin Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind