Caribou is Canadian Dan Snaith (b. 1978), who formerly recorded under the m… Read Full Bio ↴Caribou is Canadian Dan Snaith (b. 1978), who formerly recorded under the moniker Manitoba. Known for altering his sound with each subsequent release, he incorporates electronic psychedelia, krautrock rhythms, and breakbeat drums and creates a swirling, lush, musical panorama. Snaith also creates more club-oriented dance music under the name Daphni.

Snaith grew up in Dundas, Ontario, Canada, which gave its name to a song from his debut album Start Breaking My Heart. He studied at the University of Toronto as an undergrad, but was based in the UK for several years until he completed his Ph.D. in mathematics at the Imperial College, London in 2005.

Snaith previously recorded under the stage name "Manitoba", but changed it under threat of a lawsuit by Handsome "Dick" Manitoba, frontman for The Dictators, a punk-rocker with an appetite for litigation. Uninterested in the legal stoush, Snaith is quoted saying that he chose the new moniker "Caribou" while on an LSD trip with friends in the Canadian wilderness. He then climbed a tree and didn't come down until he finished his first album under the new moniker, which was four months later.

He has recorded five full lengths: Start Breaking My Heart, a jazzy, "folktronica" IDM album, Up in Flames, the critically acclaimed shoegazer with analog synths and sometimes live, sometimes sampled drums, The Milk of Human Kindness, his krautrock-inspired album that bleeds 70's prog and 70's drugscapes, the psychedelic pop record, Andorra which landed him the prestigious 2008 Polaris Music Prize on September 29th, 2008 and Swim a disco / dance inspired album created from the idea of making dance music that sounds like being under water. A few years prior to the recording of the album, Snaith's wife gave him swimming lessons as a Christmas present, prompting him to take it up as a new hobby. This partially led to the eventual ideology behind Swim.

His eclectic live performances are renowned, in part for their use of simultaneous drummers and synchronised visuals. The live band currently consists of Dan Snaith (guitar, keyboards, vocals, drums, flutophone), Ryan Smith (guitar, keyboards), Brad Weber (drums) and John Schmersal (bass, vocals).

A Final Warning
Caribou Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Boy, I ain't scared of you
No no, see I got your number
Tell me who you stuck and gave your number to

Ooh, your trippin' now
(See you trippin')
Girl quit fussin' now
Naw, you can't go jumpin' to conclusions

It's ringin' but that doesn't mean I've been foolin' does it?

Not right now I'm busy
Call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa
Your telephone's awful busy
They callin' in the morning
That was your final warning
Don't call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa

Who keeps buggin' you
Or who's been lovin' you
Tell me "Are you, are you that somebody?"
Or is it you've been lovin' on somebody else

Woo, what the hell you talkin' 'bout?
And could you put that finger down
I'm always going to be the same ol' G
Are you leaving or stayin' with me? Tell me

Not right now I'm busy
Call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa
Your telephone's awful busy
They callin' in the morning
That was your final warning
Don't call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa

Someone keeps buggin' you, tell me

Not right now I'm busy
Call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa
Your telephone's awful busy
They callin' in the morning
That was your final warning
Don't call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa

Not right now I'm busy
Call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa
Your telephone's awful busy
They callin' in the morning
That was your final warning
Don't call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa

Not right now I'm busy
Call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa
Your telephone's awful busy
They callin' in the morning
That was your final warning
Don't call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa

Boy, I ain't scared of you
No no, see I got your number

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Caribou's song "A Final Warning" speak to the theme of trust and communication within a relationship. The singer is being accused of cheating or being unfaithful in some way by their partner, but they deny it and ask for proof or evidence. The partner is upset and frustrated, but the singer maintains their innocence and tells them to call back in the morning. The repetition of the phrase "not right now I'm busy, call me in the morning" suggests that the singer is tired of the accusations and needs some space to think.

The song also touches on the idea of jealousy and possessiveness in relationships. The line "who keeps buggin' you or who's been lovin' you" suggests that the partner may be feeling threatened by outside forces, such as other potential love interests or even friends and family members. The singer tries to reassure them that they are committed to the relationship and that they will always be the same person.

Overall, the song explores the challenges and complexities of maintaining trust and communication in a relationship, particularly in the face of suspicion and doubt.

Line by Line Meaning

Boy, I ain't scared of you
I am not afraid of you

No no, see I got your number
I know who you are

Tell me who you stuck and gave your number to
Inform me who you gave your phone number to

Ooh, your trippin' now
You are overreacting now

(See you trippin')
I can see that you are overreacting

Girl quit fussin' now
Stop fussing now

Naw, you can't go jumpin' to conclusions
No, you cannot make assumptions without evidence

It's ringin' but that doesn't mean I've been foolin' does it?
I am receiving a call, but that doesn't imply I have cheated, right?

Not right now I'm busy
I am busy at the moment

Call me in the morning, whoa-whoa-oa-oa
Please contact me in the morning instead

Your telephone's awful busy
Your phone has been ringing a lot