They added the 1979 suffix to the name following a legal dispute with New York City dance-punk label Death From Above (known as DFA Records since the September 11, 2001 attacks). "Death from above" was written on a helicopter in the movie Apocalypse Now, which was copyrighted in 1979. However, Grainger says this is simply a coincidence; 1979 was chosen as it was, amongst other reasons, "the year I was born."
Death from Above 1979 had planned on recording the follow up to its debut full-length You're A Woman, I'm A Machine. There were plans to release it in three versions: the traditional bass/drums lineup, a full-band lineup with musicians assembled by Grainger, and a remix album. The albums featuring a full band and remixes were supposedly to be released on the band's official website.
In 2005 the video for "Romantic Rights" won a VideoFACT award at the MuchMusic Video Music Awards.
On August 4, 2006, the band announced they had decided to split "almost a year ago" due to the strained relationship between the two - claiming they only talked during interviews and just before shows - not to mention the fact that they had achieved all their aims after the record went gold in their native Canada.
Keeler was slated to play bass on the Queens Of The Stone Age album Era Vulgaris, but later revealed on the Death From Above 1979 message board that he could not due to scheduling conflicts. Keeler is now one half of MSTRKRFT, his new project with producer Al-P.
Sebastien Grainger is now in his own side project band Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains
In 2011 it was announced that the band were reuniting to perform at Coachella, then the band announced that they were planning to reunite on an ongoing basis.
Virgins
Death from Above 1979 Lyrics
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Sleepin' on their parents lawn
Bad kids sent to summer school
Skip to skate in the empty pool
No one seems to listen
The pool is no exception
Don't ever change
Please won't you stay with me
I'm beggin' tonight
I'll hold back your hair
If you're not feelin' alright
There's nothin' left for us here
This town has spit us out dear
I track my feet up and down these halls
I write my name on the bathroom walls
There's nothin' sacred to me
I lost it in the back seat
Where have all the virgins gone
Sleepin' on their parents lawn
Bad kids sent to summer school
Skip to skate in the empty pool
No one seems to listen
The pool is no exception
Don't ever change
Bad is good enough
I believe there's room for friends
And all the beds
And all their friends
Are what they said
Opposites attract sometimes
And others frown
That love is blind
And I don't mind
Yeah
Yeah
Where have all the virgins gone
Sleepin' on their parents lawn
Don't ever change
Bad is good enough
Where have all the virgins gone
Sleepin' on their parents lawn
Bad kids sent to summer school
Skip to skate in the empty pool
No one seems to listen
The pool is no exception
Don't ever change
Bad is good enough
The lyrics of "Virgins" by Death from Above 1979 are about teenage angst and rebellion. It touches on aspects of youthful rebellion such as skipping school, sneaking into empty pools to skate, and writing on bathroom walls. There is a nostalgia for when the singer was young and naive to the harshness of the world, when they were still virgins. The singer seems to feel like they have lost something since then and the world has spit them out.
The lyrics also touch on themes of loneliness and isolation. The singer is begging for someone to stay with them, even if they're not feeling alright. They seem to be lost and aimless, tracking their feet up and down hallways with nothing to do but write their name on bathroom walls. There is a sense of desperation in the repeated refrain of "don't ever change, bad is good enough," as if the singer is trying to convince themselves that their current state is sufficient.
In summary, "Virgins" by Death from Above 1979 is a song about the frustration and disillusionment of teenage rebellion and the loneliness that often accompanies it.
Line by Line Meaning
Where have all the virgins gone
As I look around, I realize that no one seems to be innocent anymore.
Sleepin' on their parents lawn
Those who still maintain some purity are probably still living under the shade of their parents' authority.
Bad kids sent to summer school
For those who have rebelled and strayed from the norm, they're punished by being forced to attend summer school.
Skip to skate in the empty pool
But for those bad kids, there is still some enjoyment to be found in emptying out a pool and skating in it anyway.
No one seems to listen
No one really pays attention or cares anymore.
The pool is no exception
Even the pool can't escape the apathy and neglect of society.
Don't ever change
The status quo is good enough or maybe even preferable to change.
Please won't you stay with me
I'm asking desperately for someone to keep me company tonight.
I'm beggin' tonight
I'm on my knees pleading with you to stay with me.
I'll hold back your hair
I'll take care of you, even in your vulnerable state.
If you're not feelin' alright
I'll be there to help you even when you're not feeling your best.
There's nothin' left for us here
This town has nothing left to offer us, no more opportunities and nothing for us to hold on to.
I track my feet up and down these halls
I am lost, wandering around these hallways with no direction or purpose.
I write my name on the bathroom walls
I am so desperate for something to call my own that I will even resort to graffiti to establish a piece of myself in this place.
There's nothin' sacred to me
Nothing is holy or special or meaningful anymore, everything is just mundane and unimportant.
I lost it in the back seat
I've given up or lost myself in the back seat of a car, some meaningless or casual encounter.
I believe there's room for friends
Despite all of the darkness, I still believe that there's a place in the world for friendship and human connection.
And all the beds
All of the shared spaces, all of the opportunities to bond with others.
And all their friends
All of the people in each others' lives.
Are what they said
Are exactly what they seem, they're genuine and authentic.
Opposites attract sometimes
People who are different or have different opinions can still find common ground and connect.
And others frown
But some people disapprove of that kind of connection or just don't understand it.
That love is blind
That love doesn't see differences or care about them, it just wants to connect.
And I don't mind
I'm okay with that kind of love or connection.
Where have all the virgins gone
As I look around, I realize that no one seems to be innocent anymore.
Don't ever change
The status quo is good enough or maybe even preferable to change.
Bad is good enough
Even people who don't conform or live up to certain expectations are still valuable and important in their own way.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sebastien Grainger, Jesse Keeler, Dave Sardy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind