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.
Oklahoma
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a can of paint and old paintbrushes,
Like a ribbon wrapped around an old latch key,
Wicknor-Whatnot that's what you call me.
I was sleeping on your patio,
Listening to your brand new radio,
When you startled me awake,
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
Way out west,
Stake that claim,
And forget everybody else's name,
I cant say,
Knew you well,
Lets pretend so we can begin again.
You've got eyes like Oklahoma
Learned to swim in Lake Texoma
Chances are you plan to leave too soon
Oklahoma that's what Ill call you!
When you're left with nowhere else to go,
Try and get me on my telephone,
And you'll find I threw it in a lake,
You're a man - You insist I insist on a piece of cake
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
The lyrics of Bishop Allen's song "Oklahoma" are filled with imagery and metaphorical references that seem to be personal and unique yet relatable at the same time. The song opens with the lines "I was found out in the rushes, Like a can of paint and old paintbrushes, Like a ribbon wrapped around an old latch key, Wicknor-Whatnot that's what you call me." Here, the singer describes himself as an obsolete item or a forgotten memory that is found in the wilderness, which can feel lonely and abandoned. The next verse talks about how the singer experiences a moment of intimacy with someone he is fond of when he says, "I was sleeping on your patio, Listening to your brand new radio, When you startled me awake, I'm a man - I insist you insist on a piece of cake." The use of the phrase "insist on a piece of cake" implies the desire for affection and the need to be acknowledged in a romantic sense.
Later in the song, the chorus says, "You've got eyes like Oklahoma, Learned to swim in Lake Texoma, Chances are you plan to leave too soon, Oklahoma that's what I'll call you!" which suggests that the singer is addressing someone he loves or has an affection for, but he also knows that their time together will be brief, like the state that he named them after. The song seems to convey a sense of hopelessness that comes from expecting abandonment, but it also hints at the possibility of reconnecting with the same person.
Overall, "Oklahoma" by Bishop Allen is a hauntingly beautiful song with lyrics that delve deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of love, loss, and the fear of abandonment.
Line by Line Meaning
I was found out in the rushes,
I was discovered hiding in the dense vegetation
Like a can of paint and old paintbrushes,
I was in a state of disuse like materials from an abandoned painting project
Like a ribbon wrapped around an old latch key,
I was forgotten and useless like a decorative ribbon wrapped around an old key
Wicknor-Whatnot that's what you call me.
I am given no value or purpose, just a nonsense nickname
I was sleeping on your patio,
I was resting outside of your house
Listening to your brand new radio,
I was hearing the sounds of your new music player
When you startled me awake,
You interrupted my sleep abruptly
I'm a man - I insist you insist on a piece of cake
I am determined to be offered and accept food as a sign of our friendship
Way out west,
In the American West
Stake that claim,
Declare ownership of property
And forget everybody else's name,
Ignore other people's identities and problems
I cant say,
I am unsure
Knew you well,
I had a strong connection with you in the past
Lets pretend so we can begin again.
We should forget what happened and make a fresh start
You've got eyes like Oklahoma
Your eyes resemble the Oklahoma landscape
Learned to swim in Lake Texoma
You have experience in the vast Texoma lake
Chances are you plan to leave too soon
It is probable that you intend to depart soon
Oklahoma that's what Ill call you!
I will refer to you as Oklahoma
When you're left with nowhere else to go,
When you have no other options
Try and get me on my telephone,
Attempt to reach me by phone
And you'll find I threw it in a lake,
You will discover that I discarded my phone in a body of water
You're a man - You insist I insist on a piece of cake
You are convinced to request cake as a symbol of our friendship
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
Refrain lyrics without a specific meaning.
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
Refrain lyrics without a specific meaning.
Uh oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh, Uh ooh-ah oh
Refrain lyrics without a specific meaning.
Contributed by Mia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.