Crywank started in 2009 with Jay Clayton attempting to do some folk-punk influenced acoustic music with no previous experience playing guitar. The first album "James is going to die soon" was inspired by a painful break up. Jay stated that "I wrote these songs out of frustration and sadness and they ended up making me feel a lot better, I hope they have a similar effect on you".
In 2012 Crywank released their second album 'Narcissist On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown'. Described as "a collection of paranoid songs mostly about me trying to understand my own sadness along with the concept of sadness as a whole. It was fueled by self help books and pot."
In late 2012 Dan Watson joined Crywank on percussion, and in early 2013 they released tour demos for their third album 'Tomorrow Is Nearly Yesterday And Everyday Is Stupid' which was released in October 2013.
In 2016 Jay and Dan began couch surfing to afford to be able to tour as much as possible. Over the next four years they performed over 500 shows in over 30 countries and released four albums.
Crywank announced their breakup following a world tour in 2019, alongside the album βfist me til your hand comes out my mouthββ a huge departure in sound and the first release to include songwriting from Dan and explained the tense relationship between Jay and Dan that had developed over the years on the road.
Their breakup tour was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic and the North American and European dates had to be rescheduled numerous times. During this time Jay was in a house fire, which led to the release of a solo Crywank album βJust Popping In To Say Hiβ that was written and recorded over three days.
Between 2022-2023 Crywank managed to continue their final tour and performed 100 shows in the USA and over 50 shows in the UK and Ireland, often with bass player Jules Noel (AKA Guard Petal). In 2024 it was announced that Crywank will no longer be breaking up and Jules would be joining the band.
The name Crywank comes from reclaiming a cruel nickname given to Jay during a period of depression. Jay has since said that if they knew how popular the band would have become they probably wouldβve chosen a different name.
Crywank Are Posers
Crywank Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Corpse, all my ideas stay unwritten
I can try harder, I can be better, I can do more, but I know I won't
And I know apathy, and I know acceptance, and a lack of motivation is what they want
I can have beliefs and I can wear them on my sleeve
But I will do nothing about them, just stay in an' look at screens
Oh, this life spent basking in the blue light
I can speak of change, but in the end, I feel ashamed
Because although I can explain, I do not act on what I say
A waste of time is hearing what is on my mind
Mind, active, trapped inside a stationary body
Down, down, down and out, I feel a constant sense of waiting
Pious reflections on things I have only just come to understand
Riotious hypocrisy bubbling from the lips of a lazy young man
The opening lines of "Crywank Are Posers," by the Manchester folk-punk band Crywank, describe a struggle familiar to many - the difficulty of staying motivated when there seems to be so little hope of progress. The singer finds themself bored and distracted, seemingly unable to translate their ideas into any tangible action. The motif of the corpse brings to mind the feeling of intellectual stagnation - a sense that one's ideas are dead on arrival, unlikely to be birthed into the world.
Despite recognizing their own potential to improve, the singer seems resigned to their own failings. They know that they could try harder and do more, but they feel trapped by their own apathy and lack of motivation. They acknowledge that this is what society wants for them - to be complacent and part of the machine. The second verse moves into a critique of performative activism - the idea that it's easy to hold beliefs and proclaim them loudly, but much harder to actually take action towards meaningful change. The singer seems to recognize that they are part of this problem, speaking at length about the issues they care about, but doing little to affect any real change.
The final two lines of the song suggest a sense of self-awareness, but also a self-critique. The singer refers to themselves as a "lazy young man," acknowledging the irony and hypocrisy of their own words. The song seems to be an exploration of the difficulties of being politically engaged and staying energized in a world that seems set against meaningful progress.
Line by Line Meaning
Bored, distract myself with what is given
I am uninterested in my current state, but I choose to mask it by indulging in whatever is available to me.
Corpse, all my ideas stay unwritten
My thoughts and ideas are stagnant and lifeless, I fail to put them into action and express them.
I can try harder, I can be better, I can do more, but I know I won't
Despite my ability to improve, I lack the motivation and drive to follow through with these actions.
And I know apathy, and I know acceptance, and a lack of motivation is what they want
I am aware of my indifference and complacency and I recognize that those around me expect nothing more from me.
I can have beliefs and I can wear them on my sleeve
I am capable of having strong convictions and displaying them publicly.
But I will do nothing about them, just stay in an' look at screens
However, I do not act on these beliefs and instead, waste time passively consuming media on electronic devices.
Oh, this life spent basking in the blue light
My life is wasted sitting in front of screens emitting blue light rather than experiencing the world around me.
I can speak of change, but in the end, I feel ashamed
I am capable of discussing change and its importance, but ultimately, I feel embarrassed because I am not actively contributing to making it happen.
Because although I can explain, I do not act on what I say
My words lack substance and truth because I fail to follow through and execute my ideas.
A waste of time is hearing what is on my mind
It is futile to listen to my thoughts as they are unproductive and do not produce any meaningful impact.
Mind, active, trapped inside a stationary body
My mind is active and full of ideas, but my unchanging state and lack of progress keep me from realizing them.
Down, down, down and out, I feel a constant sense of waiting
I am demotivated and feel helpless, constantly waiting for something to happen rather than taking action.
Pious reflections on things I have only just come to understand
I portray a holier-than-thou attitude and make self-righteous comments despite my limited knowledge and understanding.
Riotous hypocrisy bubbling from the lips of a lazy young man
My behavior is contradictory, as I call for change while simultaneously failing to take any action, exhibiting my hypocrisy and laziness.
Contributed by Caden I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.