Bishop Allen is an American indie rock band which formed in Brooklyn, New Y… Read Full Bio ↴Bishop Allen is an American indie rock band which formed in Brooklyn, New York, United States in 2003. The band's core members are Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, who are supported both on stage and in the studio by a rotating cast of musicial collaborators. Currently the band consists of Justin Rice (vocals, guitar), Christian Rudder (guitar), Darbie Nowatka-Rice (keyboards, violin), Keith Poulson (bass) and Michael Tapper (drums). Tapper is a former member of the indie rock band We Are Scientists.

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.

Tiger Tiger
Bishop Allen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Today, you are unlucky
and that's the way to be
You know, at best,
it's just a test of your tenacity
Answer with a mumble
That's good enough for me
for I am a mumbler too

So imitate the action of the tiger
or imitate the action of the snail

The greatest of the slouchers
whispered in my ear,
"Keep it in your notebooks,
and keep your notebooks near"
"Write that down," he said
"Borrow my pen if you need
for you are a sloucher too"

So imitate the action of the tiger
or imitate the action of the snail
Snap your teeth and smile a little wider
or leave behind a lovely silver trail

So imitate the action of the tiger
or imitate the action of the snail

Snap your teeth and smile a little wider
or leave behind a lovely silver trail

Overall Meaning

In Bishop Allen's song "Tiger Tiger," the lyrics speak to the listener's sense of tenacity and personal struggles. The opening lines express that sometimes life can feel unfair or unlucky, and that we must remain resolute in the face of adversity. The singer encourages the audience to continue on, even if only with a simple response or gesture. The phrase "imitate the action of the tiger or snail" may speak to the idea of perseverance through slowly moving forward, as snails do, or through a more aggressive approach like a tiger's stride.

The second verse continues this theme of persistence, with the lyrics "The greatest of slouchers whispered in my ear," suggesting that even those who appear lazy or unmotivated can have valuable advice to offer. The singer then advises the listener to write valuable insights down, making note-taking a physical manifestation of personal growth. The final lines of the song reiterate the title's message, as the singer again calls upon listeners to imitate the tiger or the snail as a symbol of perseverance.

Line by Line Meaning

Today, you are unlucky
You might feel unlucky on this day.

and that's the way to be
That's how things are going to be for you today.

You know, at best,
Even if it's the best case scenario,

it's just a test of your tenacity
it's only a test to see how you handle difficult situations.

Answer with a mumble
If you don't know how to respond, just mumble.

That's good enough for me
I'm not looking for an elaborated response.

for I am a mumbler too
I don't want to talk much either.

The greatest of the slouchers
Someone known for being very lazy.

whispered in my ear,
Said something to me quietly.

"Keep it in your notebooks,
Write this down in your notebooks.

and keep your notebooks near"
And always keep your notebooks close.