David Bazan (born January 22, 1976) is an indie rock singer/songwriter from… Read Full Bio ↴David Bazan (born January 22, 1976) is an indie rock singer/songwriter from Edmonds, Washington. Bazan (pronounced "buh-zahn") is the lead singer and creative force behind the band Pedro the Lion and was the lead singer of Headphones, a band he formed out of his interest in synthesizers. He then released an album under his name, David Bazan.

Bazan began his musical career by playing drums in the band The Guilty (later named Coolidge) with fellow songwriter Damien Jurado in 1995. Bazan had attended Shorewood High School with Jurado. In 2002, he played drums and sang backup vocals for Seldom; in 2004, he played with Starflyer 59. Bazan has made various studio appearances with Seattle-based bands; for instance, he played drums in 1998 on Unwed Sailor's Firecracker EP, and contributed to the Rosie Thomas album These Friends of Mine.

Bazan was part of The Undertow Orchestra with Mark Eitzel (American Music Club), Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), Vic Chesnutt, and Scott Danbom (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel). They toured the USA and Europe in 2006.Bazan is a personal friend of comedian Horatio Sanz, and performed at Sanz's 2006 Christmas show, The Ho-Ho-Horatio Christmas Special, at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. In 2007 he did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session.

Bazan recorded his first solo project, the EP Fewer Moving Parts, in between touring as a member of The Undertow Orchestra. The EP was released on 13 June 2006. Bazan recently finished a nationwide solo tour featuring Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and Johnathan Rice and also contributed a cover of the song "Let Down" to Stereogum's "OK X" project, a tribute to the Radiohead album OK Computer. A full length debut album with his new band "David Bazan's Black Cloud" is in the works for early 2009; it will be released by Barsuk Records.

On September 5, during an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Bazan mentioned his next album will be played entirely by him and he will recruit friends to play live when he tours. The album, 'Curse Your Branches,' will be released in the spring and may include, "Please, Baby, Please," a song he debuted during the interview. During his solo tour in September, Bazan has been playing seven new songs that will appear on his new album: "Please, Baby, Please", "Weeds in the Wheat", "Curse Your Branches", "American Flags", "Broken Arm", "The Stitches" and "Harmless Sparks."

A hidden page on Bazan's website was found by fans detailing an upcoming DVD release. The DVD is said to be interviews, intimate live performances filmed in his home studio, on his front porch, and while driving around in his Ford Bronco, Shot during two weekends in June and July in Seattle, WA.

On October 28th, 2008 Bazan released the album version of "American Flags" on his Facebook and Myspace pages in celebration of the 2008 election. It was made available for purchase on iTunes and other online vendors on November 4th, along with the version of "Please, Baby, Please" recorded for the DVD.

In 2017 Bazan reformed his band Pedro the Lion.

How I Remember
David Bazan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The worlds have now learned of the worst yet to come
On the brink of an end, a boy learns to run.
How you love, or could you, mr. Man-of-the-Year?
Walking tall with nothing to fear.

Don't pass up this chance,
Go tear down the walls.
No Gods will be watching,

No one cares enough at all.
These words need now an ending,
As they did at the start.
But I'll keep on pretending I won't go.

Don't cry no more, boy.
You've got the other side of your life, so enjoy.
I'll move out the front door, and take out your trash
But I'll no longer be haunting here, I'm not coming back.

The world must know my story...

So long, Amory.
Please drive me home one last time.

Overall Meaning

The song "How I Remember" by David Bazan offers a jaundiced view of the world. In the first two lines, the lyrics refer to a catastrophic event that seems to be looming in the future, perhaps an environmental or political crisis of some sort. Then the lyrics shift their focus to a boy who is learning to run, implying that people are desperately trying to flee from this impending disaster. Meanwhile, the song casts a critical eye on those who are supposed to be in charge: the "Mr. Man-of-the-Year" types who are walking tall and pretending they have nothing to fear, even as the world seems to be falling apart around them. The song's narrator urges us to take action and tear down the walls that are keeping us from addressing the problems we face, while simultaneously acknowledging that there may be no gods watching over us and no one who cares enough to help.

Throughout the song, there is a sense of disillusionment and despair, reflected in lines like "No one cares enough at all" and "But I'll keep on pretending I won't go." Even as the singer encourages us to take action, there is a sense that it may be too late or that it won't make a difference. The song's final lines are particularly haunting: "The world must know my story... So long, Amory. Please drive me home one last time." There is a sense of finality here, as if the singer is saying goodbye to the world and the people in it, perhaps because he feels that he has nowhere else to go.

Line by Line Meaning

The worlds have now learned of the worst yet to come
The impending doom is now known to everyone.

On the brink of an end, a boy learns to run.
With the apocalypse looming, a young boy learns how to escape.

How you love, or could you, mr. Man-of-the-Year?
Mr. Man-of-the-Year, do you even know how to love or care for others?

Walking tall with nothing to fear.
Despite your success, you feel no sense of contentment or purpose.

Don't pass up this chance,
Take advantage of this opportunity,

Go tear down the walls.
Break down the barriers that hold you back.

No Gods will be watching,
No divine being is watching over you,

No one cares enough at all.
No one really cares about you.

These words need now an ending,
These words require a conclusion,

As they did at the start.
Just as they did when they began.

But I'll keep on pretending I won't go.
I'll continue to pretend that I won't leave.