The band formed iteratively around Sweeney between '92-'94. They released Gone Glimmering in '95 followed by Ride The Fader in '96, both on Matador.
Sweeney, a longtime friend of Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, has also played in Corgan's side-project, Zwan, and more recently in a duo with Will Oldham on their Superwolf album.
Pitchfork recently reviewed the new Chavez compilation which also contains some nice observations about their sound and its context.
After a lengthy hiatus between 1999 and 2006 they have recently begun playing extensively around the New York area.
Memorize This Face
Chavez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look up through the grates
Memorize this face
Better days will haunt you
They will say he wants to own you
Find the other ways
To slip the light through
Let your model home surround you
Find the other ways
To push the air through
Break the seal
My touch won't feel
Time wounds all heals
If I saw the light
I'd be the last to know
The song "Memorize This Face," by Chavez, reflects on the idea of being trapped, both physically and mentally. The first few lines, "Hung out on the gates, look up through the grates, memorize this face," convey a sense of being stuck, unable to escape a particular situation, presumably behind closed doors or bars. The repetition of "better days will haunt you" throughout the song emphasizes this idea of feeling trapped, as if the singer is being haunted by the knowledge that things could be better, but still unable to escape their current reality.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of ownership and control. "They will say he wants to own you" alludes to the idea of someone exerting power over another, and the challenge of finding ways to slip away from that control. The line "let your model home surround you" seems to suggest that perhaps the singer is trying to create a sense of security or stability for themselves within the confines of their situation, finding solace in their environment.
The final lines of the song, "if I saw the light, I'd be the last to know," leave the listener with the sense that even if the singer were to find a way out, they may not even be able to recognize it. The song, overall, conveys a sense of frustration, entrapment, and desperate longing for an escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Hung out on the gates
Spending time waiting and observing from a distance
Look up through the grates
Analyzing and trying to understand the situation
Memorize this face
Remember the image of the person and the situation they're in
Better days will haunt you
Good memories will always be with you
They will say he wants to own you
People may try to control or manipulate you
Find the other ways
Look for alternative solutions or paths
To slip the light through
To find a way to achieve goals or success
Let your model home surround you
Take comfort in the things you've built or accomplished
To push the air through
To keep moving forward and make things happen
Break the seal
Remove the obstacle or barrier in your way
My touch won't feel
My presence won't make a difference
Time wounds all heals
The passage of time can help heal emotional wounds
If I saw the light
If I had a moment of clarity
I'd be the last to know
I might be blind to my own shortcomings or mistakes
Contributed by Ruby N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.