1. Cub was an in… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists under the Cub alias:
1. Cub was an indie pop band which formed in 1992 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The band originally consisted of Lisa Marr (vocals, bass), Robynn Iwata (guitar) and Valeria Fellini (drums). Fellini was replaced by Lisa G. (drums, vocals) in 1994. Neko Case played drums on the band's first recordings, but left soon afterwards.
The band released four albums, "Betti-Cola" (1993), "Come Out, Come Out" (1994), "Box of Hair" (1996) and "Box of Hair" (1997). Notably, "Betti-Cola"'s album cover was designed by Dan DeCarlo, longtime artist for Archie Comics. Their song "Nicolas Bragg" was in homage to their fellow Vancouver-ian and guitarist for Destroyer.
The band's song "New York City" was covered by They Might Be Giants on TMBG's 1996 album "Factory Showroom". After the band split in 1997, Iwata formed I Am Spoonbender, and Marr and Lisa G. formed Buck. Case formed Maow after she left the band, and later joined The New Pornographers and began a successful solo career.
Lisa Marr's former web site at lisamarr.org is no longer hers, and the URL now belongs to an Australian real estate agent. Cub's original drummer Valeria Fellini passed away Sept. 26, 2023, after suffering from Parkinson's.
2. CUB also refers to an alias of techno producer, Karl O'Connor (better known as Regis).
New York City
CUB Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I was glad to hear from you ‘cause I was all alone.
You said, “It's snowing, it's snowing. Oh God, I hate this weather!”
But, you know, I'd walk through blizzard just to get us back together.
We met in the springtime
It was in the Bowery
When it was time to go,
We kissed on the subway
In the middle of the night.
I held your hand and you held mine.
It was the best night of my life.
'Cause everyone's your friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty.
The streets are paved with diamonds
And there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is
You and me.
Statue of Liberty,
Staten Island ferry,
Alphabet City,
Breakfast at Tiffany's,
Central Park,
Brooklyn Bridge,
The Empire State where King Kong lives,
Coney Island and
Times Square,
Rockefeller Center:
Wish I was there!
You wrote me a letter just the other day.
You said, “Springtime is coming soon so why don't you come to stay?”
I packed my stuff;
I'm on the bus.
I can't believe it's true!
I'm three days from New York City and
I'm three days from you.
Now everyone's my friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when
You're young and pretty.
The streets are paved with diamonds and
There's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is
You and me.
You and me.
The lyrics to CUB's "New York City" describe a long-distance romance between two lovers who met in the springtime at a rock and roll show in the Bowery. The singer of the song receives a phone call from their significant other, who is complaining about the snowy weather, but the singer would still walk through a blizzard just to be back together with them. The song is an ode to the beauty of New York City, with lyrics mentioning many of the city's famous landmarks, from the Statue of Liberty, the Staten Island Ferry, and Alphabet City, to Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, and Coney Island.
The song captures the youthful optimism that can envelop one when exploring a new city or when just starting out in a relationship. The idea that "everyone's your friend in New York City" and "everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty" is a romanticized version of the city, but it's a sentiment that many can relate to. Even though the song describes a romance that was sparked in the spring, the singer is still looking forward to reuniting with their lover in New York, believing that the best thing about the city isn't its sights, but the person they love.
Line by Line Meaning
You called me last night on the telephone
You reached out to me via phone last night
And I was glad to hear from you ‘cause I was all alone.
I was happy you called as I was feeling lonely
You said, “It’s snowing, it’s snowing. Oh God, I hate this weather!”
You mentioned how unhappy you were with snowy weather
But, you know, I’d walk through blizzard just to get us back together.
Despite the bad weather, I would still endure it to reunite with you
We met in the springtime
We first encountered each other in spring
At a rock and roll show.
We first encountered each other at a concert
It was in the Bowery
The concert was in Bowery area
When it was time to go,
After the concert ended
We kissed on the subway
We kissed while on the subway
In the middle of the night.
It was late at night
I held your hand and you held mine.
We held hands
It was the best night of my life.
That night was the most memorable one for me
‘Cause everyone’s your friend in New York City
In NYC, people tend to be friendly
And everything looks beautiful when you’re young and pretty.
Youth and beauty make everything appear stunning
The streets are paved with diamonds
The streets of NYC seem shiny due to various lights and buildings
And there’s just so much to see
There are numerous things to explore and experience in NYC
But the best thing about New York City is You and me.
You and me being together make NYC the best place
Statue of Liberty,
The well-known Statue of Liberty
Staten Island ferry,
The ferry that goes to Staten Island
Alphabet City,
The NYC neighborhood called Alphabet City
Breakfast at Tiffany’s,
A famous jewelry store and breakfast place
Central Park,
The famous NYC park
Brooklyn Bridge,
The famous bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan
The Empire State where King Kong lives,
The well-known Empire State Building that was featured in 'King Kong'
Coney Island and Times Square,
The popular attraction areas of Coney Island and Times Square
Rockefeller Center: Wish I was there!
Rockefeller Center is a desired place to visit
You wrote me a letter just the other day.
You sent me a written message recently
You said, “Springtime is coming soon so why don’t you come to stay?”
You invited me to come stay during the upcoming springtime
I packed my stuff;
I gathered my belongings
I’m on the bus.
I am currently traveling by bus
I can’t believe it’s true!
I am in disbelief that I will finally be in NYC
I’m three days from New York City and I’m three days from you.
I am three days away from both NYC and you
Now everyone’s my friend in New York City
Currently, I feel that everyone in NYC is friendly to me
And everything looks beautiful when you’re young and pretty.
NYC's beauty is enhanced when one is young and good-looking
The streets are paved with diamonds and there’s just so much to see
NYC continues to amaze with its numerous attractions
But the best thing about New York City is You and me.
NYC is great due to us being together
You and me.
The singer repeats that the singularly important thing about NYC is the togetherness of the two of them.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: Marc Bolan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
feedkillchain
Really great song! I love how there's no pretense or posturing - it's not hip, the musicianship is amateurish, but... IT'S INCREDIBLE. The lyrics are so good, and the performance is so exuberant. This song makes me feel It's a little bittersweet in spots, it's insanely cheery throughout. It's also really great to see a group of women who are neither conforming to what female artists are "supposed to be," nor trying to imitate men. Music could use more REAL femininity. That is, humanity.
Hovering Sombrero
I still can't believe that I've been in love with They Might be Giants since I was a little kid, and I only learned "New York City" was a cover last year.
BionicDance
Waaaaayyyy back in the day, I saw cub open for TMBG in Seattle; that's how I learned, cuz they said so.
Miriam Jakob-Nagy
I loved Cub as a teen. These girls are amazing :)
emily cathcart
I just listened to this song for the first time in almost 30 years. I think I love it more now than I did back then!
Nick
This popped up in my discovery playlist today and I much prefer it to the TMBG version (I love TMBG but not knowing it was a cover, it always seemed off for their songwriting). This reminds me of the Sealab 2021 theme. <3
Jade Reese
Neko did in fact play drums on one tour circa 95. These girls are awesome people to hang out with and have loads of fun!
Mister Apple
This song always puts me in a good mood.
NetsJetsMets133
love TMBG and their cover, been meaning to check out the original for awhile, and i gotta say this is good too
Kelly O'Donnell
I can't believe I never heard of this song until now. It's so fun!