Band members:
Tim Kasher – lead vocals, guitars, organ
Matt Maginn – bass, backing vocals
Clint Schnase – drums, percussion
Ted Stevens – guitars, backing vocals
Patrick Newbery – miscellaneous instruments
1997 - Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes
1998 - The Storms of Early Summer
2000 - Domestica
2003 - The Ugly Organ
2006 - Happy Hollow
2009 - Mama, I'm Swollen
2012 - I Am Gemini
2018 - Vitriola
2019 - Get Fixed
Some Red-Handed Sleight of Hand
Cursive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Songs perverse and songs of lament
A couple hymns of confession
And songs that recognize our sick obsessions
Sing along, I'm on the ugly organ, again
Sing along, I'm on the ugly organ, so let's begin
Everything I hide ends up in lyrics
So read on, accuse me when you're done
If it sounds like I did you wrong
Our father, who art in heaven
Save me from this wreck I'm about to drown in
Didn't I learn anything
Counting out my sins on rosary beads?
The reverend plays on the ugly organ
He spews out his sweet and salty sermon
On the audience
So why do I think I'm any different?
I've been making money off my indifference
We all pass the hat around
This is my body, this is the blood I found
On my hands after I wrote this album
Play it off as stigmata for crossover fans
Some red-handed sleight of hand
Cursive's song "Some Red Handed Slight of Hand" is a commentary on the deceptive nature of art and religion. The lyrics convey the idea that performers, like priests, often use their talents to prey on people's emotions and make a profit. The opening lines set the tone for the song, with the band introducing themselves as purveyors of "perverse" and "sick" songs.
The stanza “It's no use to keep a secret/ Everything I hide ends up in lyrics/ So read on, accuse me when you're done/ If it sounds like I did you wrong” conveys the theme of artistic honesty. The songwriter suggests that there is no point in attempting to hide personal struggles, as they will inevitably become fodder for future work. The lines “Our father, who art in heaven/ Save me from this wreck I'm about to drown in/ Didn't I learn anything/ Counting out my sins on rosary beads?” convey a deep sense of guilt and a search for absolution. The song's final lines suggest that the artist recognizes the irony in the situation, as they profit off of their own moral failings while presenting it to their fans as stigmata.
Line by Line Meaning
And now we proudly present
We are excited to share with you
Songs perverse and songs of lament
Our music includes both vulgar and sorrowful songs
A couple hymns of confession
We have a few songs about admitting our wrongdoings
And songs that recognize our sick obsessions
We also have songs that acknowledge our unhealthy fixations
Sing along, I'm on the ugly organ, again
Join me in singing while I play the unpleasant-sounding instrument
Sing along, I'm on the ugly organ, so let's begin
Let's start singing while I play the unappealing organ
It's no use to keep a secret
There's no point in hiding anything
Everything I hide ends up in lyrics
Any secrets I keep will eventually become song lyrics
So read on, accuse me when you're done
Feel free to blame me after you've listened to my music
If it sounds like I did you wrong
If my lyrics seem to have harmed you in any way
Our father, who art in heaven
A reference to a Christian prayer
Save me from this wreck I'm about to drown in
Please help me with my impending disaster
Didn't I learn anything
Haven't I gained any knowledge
Counting out my sins on rosary beads?
Asking if reciting prayer beads will absolve me of my sins
The reverend plays on the ugly organ
The religious leader is playing the unpleasant organ
He spews out his sweet and salty sermon
He's delivering a contrived speech with both positive and negative aspects
On the audience
Directed towards those listening
So why do I think I'm any different?
I'm questioning why I consider myself unique
I've been making money off my indifference
I've profited from my apathy
We all pass the hat around
We all ask for money
This is my body, this is the blood I found
Referencing communion in Christianity, but with a questionable or sarcastic tone
On my hands after I wrote this album
I feel guilty or responsible for the content of this album
Play it off as stigmata for crossover fans
Trying to justify the questionable content as something that will appeal to a broader audience
Some red-handed sleight of hand
A clever deception or trick that has been caught in the act
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Clint Frederick Schnase, Gretta Mindy Cohn, Matthew Ryan Maginn, Ted James Stevens, Tim Kasher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arobert3340
He actually blew out a lung during a concert. Then finished that concert. AND one the next night before saying his chest felt a bit weak. Was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with a punctured lung. THAT'S HOW HARD HE IS.
@arob88
I have a great amount of respect for the cellist in this song. whoever wrote it, wonderfull job!
@a_bowlofsoup
Damn. I had just graduated from high school a couple of months prior to this being uploaded. Great memories
@UsedFanx3
been one of my favorite bands for years!! a band you can always rely on and go back to when you havent listened to them in a while
@cubiche88
This song and Harold Weathervein are my favorite songs on T he Ugly Organ. Then again, that whole album is pure magic.
@Idoloslocales
The beats of the best
@PyramidHACK
The awesomeness at 0:54 is over 9000!!!!!! D:
@smilesfree
First Cursive song I ever heard.
@gskunk1
one of the most underrated bands ever
@jtotheroc
Love the last verse of this song
"Play it off as stigmata for crossover fans
Some red handed slight of hand"