In 2006 Dananananaykroyd released two limited edition 7" singles, "Totally Bone" and "Some Dresses" on Moshi Moshi and Jealous Records respectively. A Japan-only CD EP, collecting both singles, was later released on Kanazawa's Klee/Rallye records. Singer Giles Bailey left the group and was replaced by drummer Calum Gunn while John Baillie Jnr joined the band on drums and additional lead vocals.
Dananananaykroyd released their first EP, Sissy Hits, on London-based Holy Roar Records in June 2008. Shortly after, they introduced ex-Russia drummer Paul Carlin as their new (other) drummer after James Hamilton of Errors left the band. Dananananaykroyd signed to Best Before Records shortly thereafter, and recorded their debut full-length album Hey Everyone! in the US with producer Machine.
The band have toured the UK extensively with bands such as Foals and in 2009 completed a European tour with the Kaiser Chiefs. They played at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2009.
In June 2009, the band announced that bass player Laura Hyde had left, and would be replaced on tour by Ryan McGinness.
In August 2009 during a concert in Sydney, Australia, near the beginning of the band's set, singer John Baillie Junior jumped off stage and broke his arm causing the band to cancel the remainder of their Australian tour, as well as appearances at Pukkelpop and Belladrum festivals. Baillie snapped both bones that run from the wrist to the elbow, shearing a large chunk of bone from his elbow. Emergency surgery was needed in Sydney to fix the injury, leaving four metal screws in his arm permanently. His return show (with Calum and John sharing vocals duties) was Reading Festival only 3 weeks later which the band opened, playing to 10,000+ people on the Radio 1/NME stage. Baillie had said that one day he wanted to return to the venue in Sydney and continue the show from the floor where he fell and from the point in the set where it was cut short. The band were able to do this in July 2011, in which they performed at the Annandale Hotel exactly two years to the date after the accident.
The band announced that they were disbanding on 29th September 2011. Some of the former members of Dananananaykroyd went on to form Alarm Bells. Gunn joined Her Parents, while Baillie took on production duties in pop project Bossy Love.
The Greater Than Symbol And The Hash
Dananananaykroyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're rewarded with high-5s and embraces
Seating banks are ripped from the theatres
To build forts and to build defenses
In the streets millions gather
Ignite documents and get warm from the
Ink of the burning alphabet
New characters are found in the rubble
Dip the pen in the new ink
So what you write you erase
The stems and the sharers decay
The notes all fall from the safe
And the thumbs of lines see that you're up
Keep the music repeated and repeated
Breaths in and out, anticipate a clicking sound
And the boots on the ground are removed
So the feet dance through the motions of encoding that sound
Analogue mechanisms whir
As a million pins punch tiny holes in reams of tape
And as it breaks a syntax deforms
New letters across chests emblazoned
You're rewarded with high-5s and embraces
Seating banks are ripped from the theatres
To build forts and to build defenses
The hammer beats the ribbons into a rhythm
The greater than symbol and the hash
Become the dot and the dash
The lyrics of The Greater Than Symbol And The Hash by Dananananaykroyd might appear cryptic at first glance. However, on closer examination, the song seems to comment on society's obsession with branding and symbols, and the power of language as a means of expression and control. The first verse talks about how people wear letters across their chests as a badge of pride and belonging, and how they erect structures to protect themselves using language as a tool. The second verse describes how this identity and language can be destroyed and remade with new symbols and characters emerging from the ruins. The chorus is a call to keep repeating the music, the language, and the symbols, to keep the rhythm going.
The third verse appears to reference the process of encoding and decoding language using analogue technology, and how this process creates patterns and rhythms. The fourth verse brings us back to the power of symbols, with the hammer beating the ribbons into a rhythm, transforming the greater than symbol and the hash into the dot and the dash. This transformation may represent how symbols and language can change meaning over time or be used in new ways.
Overall, The Greater Than Symbol And The Hash is a song that invites multiple interpretations and encourages the listener to reflect on the nature of language and identity in society.
Line by Line Meaning
New letters across chests emblazoned
People proudly wear new symbols on their clothing
You're rewarded with high-5s and embraces
Others recognize and celebrate your support of these symbols
Seating banks are ripped from the theatres
Chairs are repurposed to create barriers
To build forts and to build defenses
These barriers are used to protect the gathered people
In the streets millions gather
A large group of people come together
Ignite documents and get warm from the
They burn papers to keep warm
Ink of the burning alphabet
The ink from the burning papers releases new symbols
One million buildings crumble
Many structures are destroyed
New characters are found in the rubble
However, new symbols are revealed amidst the destruction
Dip the pen in the new ink
Use these new symbols in your writing
So what you write you erase
Write freely, unattached to your previous work
The stems and the sharers decay
Old structures deteriorate and new ones emerge
The notes all fall from the safe
Old ideas are replaced by new ones
And the thumbs of lines see that you're up
Others take notice of your progress
Keep the music repeated and repeated
Repetition is key to achieving a desired outcome
Breaths in and out, anticipate a clicking sound
The people brace themselves for a significant moment
And the boots on the ground are removed
Those in power are overthrown
So the feet dance through the motions of encoding that sound
The people dance and celebrate their new freedom
Analogue mechanisms whir
The process of change is set in motion
As a million pins punch tiny holes in reams of tape
Small actions lead to big change
And as it breaks a syntax deforms
The old structure is dismantled and rewritten
The greater than symbol and the hash
New symbols are born from the old structure's destruction
Become the dot and the dash
These new symbols hold new meaning and significance
Contributed by Bentley B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.