Mat Brooke and Jenn Champion formed Carissa's Wierd out of Seattle in 1995, and released three albums before their 2003 breakup. Their plaintive, melancholy, beautiful music won over many who were exposed to it. The band's lineup changed throughout the band's existence. Mainstays in the band included violinist Sarah Standard, drummer (and later bassist) Ben Bridwell, drummer Sera Cahoone, drummer Creighton Barrett, and keyboard/accordian player Jeff Hellis. Their final album, Songs About Leaving, was a modest success in the Northwest, topping many critics charts and leaving fans hungry for more. Sadly, the band decided to go their separate ways in September of 2003. Jenn is now performing under the name S and Brooke and Bridwell went on to create Band of Horses. Brooke has since moved on to become part of Grand Archives and Sera Cahoone has launched her solo career. As of April 2007, both Grand Archives and Sera Cahoone have been signed to Sub Pop Records. In March 2010, Hardly Art announced that it would release a compilation of Carissa's Wierd material, with songs picked by Brooke and Champion, followed by reissues of the group's first three full-length records. The band played a reunion show on July 9, 2010 to support the compilation.
On August 2, 2011, Hardly Art announced pre-orders for a new 7", called 'Tucson,' and would include two new songs, the band's first recordings in over seven years featuring the original lineup. The 7" would include the songs 'Tucson' and 'Meredith & Iris,' and on August 4, 2011, Meredith & Iris was put up for stream on soundcloud. It was also announced that the band would be playing another reunion show in Seattle on September 24, 2011.
Fluorescent Lights
Carissa's Wierd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
we all hate ourselves
how many more now? Drive myself insane before i've driven everyone away
if i could walk for a moment of this (bar?) til i hit the floor
if i could walk from one end of this town
to the other
goes away
the only reason people try to talk to each other
that is smarter than the other one said
everyone's fucking crazy
people never listen to what you have to say
cos their so damn scared
that you'll be smarter than them some day
everyone's fucking crazy
but i hate these flourescent lights
if i could walk for a moment every spore and cell
i'd hit the floor
if i could walk from one end of this town
to the other
i wouldn't go anywhere at all
i could talk to you and you could talk to me
i would say anything at all
i could talk to you and you could look at me
i would say anything at all
the only reason people try to talk to each other
is cos they gotta say something
that is smarter than the other one said
everyone's fucking crazy
people never listen to what you have to say
cos their so damn scared
that you'll be smarter than them some day
everyone's fucking crazy
but i just hate these flourescent lights
The song Fluorescent Lights by Carissa’s Wierd is a melancholic ballad about the struggles of modern existence and the loneliness and internal suffering that it can bring. The first verse is a statement of self-loathing, indicating that the singer is unhappy with themselves and that this is a common feeling. The second verse speaks to the isolation that people feel and the fear that they have that someone else will be smarter than them. The singer seems to be saying that people don’t really listen to each other because they are so consumed with their own fears and doubts.
The chorus is a repetition of “everyone’s fucking crazy” and the final line is “but I hate these fluorescent lights.” The lights could be seen as a metaphor for the artificiality and superficiality of modern existence, and the disconnect that people feel from each other and themselves. The song ends on a note of resignation and sadness, with the implication that there is no escape from this cycle of pain and isolation.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess i'll make it clear now
Let me state something plainly
we all hate ourselves
We all have a deep sense of self-loathing
how many more now? Drive myself insane before i've driven everyone away
How many more people can I push away before I lose my mind?
if i could walk for a moment of this (bar?) til i hit the floor
If I could just take a break from this miserable situation for a minute
if i could walk from one end of this town
to the other
goes away
If I could just escape this place, maybe my problems would disappear
the only reason people try to talk to each other
is cos they gotta say something
that is smarter than the other one said
People only communicate in order to one-up each other intellectually
everyone's fucking crazy
people never listen to what you have to say
cos their so damn scared
that you'll be smarter than them some day
Everyone is insane and unwilling to listen because they fear being outsmarted
but i hate these flourescent lights
But in this moment, my biggest gripe is with the overhead lighting
if i could walk for a moment every spore and cell
i'd hit the floor
If I could just take a moment to focus on myself, I would collapse
i wouldn't go anywhere at all
i could talk to you and you could talk to me
i would say anything at all
i could talk to you and you could look at me
i would say anything at all
If given a chance to have a genuine conversation, I wouldn't need to go anywhere or say anything specific - just the act of connecting with another person would be enough
Contributed by Muhammad F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.