Despite having their commercial peak seemingly behind them, Bodyjar remain a major attraction on the all-ages circuit in Australia, and continue to tour and play festivals. Selections from their discography have also been repackaged and released for the American and Japanese markets, where they have consolidated live followings.
Band members are also part of other side projects – Daughters of the Rich and Burn the City.
Despite an announcement on the official Bodyjar website, as of the 10th of January 2008, a new album "looks to be shaping up for late in the year". However, the band announced on September 4, 2009 they would be calling it quits after a farewell tour.
Bodyjar reunited in March 2012 to perform No Touch Red in its entirety at Melbourne's Corner Hotel, together with former tour mates One Dollar Short and Antiskeptic. Regarding the show, bassist Relf remarked, "When a good friend of Bodyjar’s says they want to start a label and release one of your old albums on vinyl, you don’t have to think too long or too hard about the response. No Touch Red kicked some arse back in the day and still holds its head up high all these years later, so I say let there be vinyl and a show to boot."
As of February 2013, Bodyjar has performed as a support act for various touring bands in Australia, such as The Descendents. Read explained in an October 2013 interview that, following the Descendants tour, the band had "a little bit of money in the bank" and decided to write and record for a new album: "we just thought let's write some songs and if they are good enough we can record them and if they're not then we can spend the money on beer I guess. But they turned out really well."[4]
Satisfied with their new songs, the band announced the release of a new record, Role Model, which is the first collection of new material in eight years. The first single, "Fairytales", premiered on 12 September 2013.
Read also explained that Tom Larkin of New Zealand band Shihad produced the album at his own studios in Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia, and that the band referenced the sound production of the bands Refused, Foo Fighters and Starmarket for the recording process. Joey Cape from the U.S. band Lagwagon and Ahren Stringer from the Australian band The Amity Affliction contributed vocals to the album.
Bodyjar enlisted Australian independent music label UNFD to release Role Model on 18 October 2013, and bundle packages that included a skateboard deck, a t-shirt and a stubby holder were released. Baines hired Dutch design company ATTAK to create the artwork for the album.
Glossy Books
Bodyjar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make her change the way she thinks
Page one is all she wants to be
It wasn't a phase to her
It wasn't a part of growing up
Don't compare yourself
To some 13 year old who needs help
The girl inside
You tried to hide
Is all you needed to be
It's only looks
You can't compare yourself
To all those glossy books
I know you know what's right
You need to see
The reason why you can't pretend
You'll never be satisfied
You'll never be quite the way you want
Don't try to hide it
Of course you're so pretty now
As you did everything they said to do
You can be happy now
You're beautiful and beautifully dead
And time unfolds the reason
They don't come
And life reveals the season
They don't come
Time unfolds the reason
[Chorus]
Time heals sometimes
Time heals sometimes
Then you know what's right
In Bodyjar's "Glossy Books," the singer addresses a girl who continually compares herself to the images in glossy fashion magazines, striving to achieve a particular look that she believes will bring happiness and satisfaction. The lyrics express concern for the girl's mental state, stating that there is nothing the singer can say to make her change her way of thinking. The girl's fixation on achieving an artificial ideal is contrasted with the idea that she should embrace her true self, free from the influence of outside opinions. The chorus emphasizes this theme of self-acceptance, with the lines, "The girl inside you tried to hide is all you needed to be / It's only looks, you can't compare yourself to all those glossy books."
The second verse encourages the girl to embrace her true identity and recognize that she doesn't need to conform to the expectations of the media or other people. The lyrics suggest that while the girl may have achieved her desired appearance, it hasn't fulfilled her as she thought it would, and she is ultimately dissatisfied. The song concludes by declaring that time can bring healing and clarity, allowing the girl to see what is truly important.
Overall, "Glossy Books" is a poignant commentary on the destructive impact of media messages that promote a narrow and unattainable standard of beauty. The lyrics urge listeners to reject these messages and instead embrace their unique selves, recognizing that true happiness and fulfillment come from within.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nothing that I could say
I am unable to influence her train of thought with any words of mine
To make her change the way she thinks
Her thought process won't change even after hearing me out
Page one is all she wants to be
She only aims to match up to the standards of beauty propagated by mainstream media
It wasn't a phase to her
She is genuinely invested towards following the ever-changing standards of beauty
It wasn't a part of growing up
Beauty standards have been ingrained into her from a young age and not just a part of growing up
Don't compare yourself
Avoid comparing yourself with others
To some 13 year old who needs help
Most 13-year-olds are going through changes and need guidance, hence comparing yourself is not ideal
[Chorus:] The girl inside, You tried to hide, Is all you needed to be, It's only looks, You can't compare yourself, To all those glossy books
Being true to oneself is essential rather than just living up to the standards of glossy books
I know you know what's right
You have a general sense of what is right for you
You need to see, The reason why you can't pretend
You must understand why pretending to live up to certain beauty standards is not feasible
You'll never be satisfied, You'll never be quite the way you want
By trying to match up to an unattainable beauty standard, satisfaction might not be achieved
Don't try to hide it
Avoid masking your true self
Of course you're so pretty now, As you did everything they said to do
Meeting the standards of beauty propagators is the new normal which will lead to being seen as beautiful by society
You can be happy now, You're beautiful and beautifully dead
Achieving specific beauty standards may make you happy, but might spread a societal norm that could prove harmful in the long run
And time unfolds the reason, They don't come
Over a period, some specific beauty standards no longer hold relevance in society
And life reveals the season, They don't come
Certain beauty trends may not resurface in life and remain in the past
Time unfolds the reason
As time passes, beauty standards fade, lose relevance and eventually disappear
[Chorus] Time heals sometimes, Time heals sometimes, Then you know what's right
With time, understanding and accepting your true self is expected
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAMERON BAINES, GRANT RELF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind