In the years since the band sprang out of the University of Pennsylvania party scene in the mid-'90s, the Disco Biscuits have brought together the worlds of jam bands and electronic music with its "trance-fusion" sound that mixes the free-form improvisations of jazz with the hypnotic rhythms which provided the soundtrack for rave culture.
In the process, the band has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase. Its 2002 effort, Senor Boombox, was named the "best studio record of 2002" by Relix magazine and one of the "10 best Jam band records of all-time" by Guitar Player. The band closed out 2003 by selling out New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom on New Year's Eve, capping a holiday season run in which more than 12,000 tickets were sold.
But in the midst of such heady success, the quartet hit the wall, with each realizing it was time to take stock and reconsider where their lives were headed. "I think there was The Window in the band where we all sort of woke up and realized that we were no longer college students, that we've been a rock band for a number of years. It just sort of sneaks up on you," says guitarist/vocalist Jon "The Barber" Gutwillig. That's when founding member and drummer Sam Altman realized he wanted to do other things with his life. Bassist Marc Brownstein had already weathered his own crisis, leaving the band temporarily, but he returned to the fold. Gutwillig and keyboardist Aron Magner each faced their own issues as well, but ultimately realized there was nothing that they'd rather be doing than playing music together as the Disco Biscuits.
Altman broke the news to his band mates in late 2003, when the band was mixing its cover of "Give Me Three Steps," its contribution to Under the Influence: A Jam Band Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, but stayed with the band for another 18 months, marking one of the most bittersweet periods in the Disco Biscuits' career.
It was during this phase in which The Wind at Four to Fly was recorded. Although Altman ended up playing more than a dozen more shows with his old college chums before hanging up his drumsticks, at the time he believed he was playing his final shows with the Biscuits and he played as if his life depended on it. "For those shows," Gutwillig says, "his head was in the game. He played at his best."
The title of the double-CD live set is taken from "Morph Dusseldorf," the Biscuits' classic that closes the first disc with 12 minutes-plus of psychedelic weirdness. "It's a colorful lyric from that song that illustrates the kinds of changes that are the theme of the album," Gutwillig says. "Although it's sort of a nonsensical line, we felt it suited the album."
The 11-track set manages to span the band's career, although the bulk of the material has never been officially released. While the Biscuits continue to offer downloads of nearly all their shows on their website, www.discobiscuits.com, The Wind at Four to Fly is something different. "When you get something off of our download site, it's an awesome version of the show, but it's not produced in the same way the album is produced," Gutwillig says. "We know that The Wind at Four to Fly sounds great. We put it in the studio, we've taken all the tracks apart, we've tweaked it out, and it sounds as good a live album as any live album in the world sounds."
Don't, however, think that for a second that The Wind at Four to Fly is the quintessential Disco Biscuits performance or their swan song. "A guy like Peter Frampton can make one seminal live album, because he pretty much plays the same set every night," Gutwillig says. "But our stuff is so different from night to night. We get bored doing the same thing so we always do things with different keys and different rhythms."
The Biscuits continue to evolve with some new blood. Although the band was sad to see Altman go, it's re-energized thanks to the addition of drummer Allen Aucoin, who in true Disco Biscuits fashion landed the gig after a live "drum-off" gig in November 2005 in Atlantic City. By that time, Aucoin had already quit his job selling Harley Davidson motorcycles to devote all his waking hours to honing his skill for the Biscuits.
With the new blood also comes a new home base. The Biscuits have regrouped in their own studio, formerly owned by fellow Philly homeboy DJ Jazzy Jeff, and the band is reaching creative heights it hasn't hit since it shared a house together in the late '90s, practicing up to 10 hours a day and writing new material for their next studio effort.
Aucoin played his first shows as an official member of the band over the 2005 holiday season at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia and the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, where it sold more than 10,000 tickets. According to many on the scene, the Biscuits have never sounded better and the band plans to tour heavily in 2006.
While The Wind at Four to Fly marks the end of the band's chapter with Altman behind the kit, the future of the Disco Biscuits is still being written. Don't miss it.
caterpillar
Disco Biscuits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna see you all the time
Dead lights surround your little innocence
With boxes never fall behind
You wanna teach me your philosophy
But life is always on your mind
You cant wake up from last nights decadence
You wanna talk about our government
But i dont think i have the time
You did you your part on the environment
But it was only in sand that i saw you draw the line
You always like to live extravagant
You always like to wine and dine
So you now come out of your leather back
You poke your head out for a while
Caterpillar sleep in the bathtub
Fairy always wade in the sink
Butterfly arrive in the bedroom
Beauty fly away on a wing
Caterpillar sleep in the bathtub
Fairy always wade in the sink
Butterfly arrive in the bedroom
Beauty fly away on a wing
You cant believe you have to pay your rent
Why dont you find somewhere to buy
I cant believe i take my vitamins
But i dont wanna see your cry
You say you wanna be an actress
Why dont i ever see you try
So now you think youve found the evidence
So tell me whats your bottom line
Caterpillar sleep in the bathtub
Fairy always wade in the sink
Butterfly arrive in the bedroom
Beauty fly away on a wing
Caterpillar sleep in the bathtub
Fairy always wade in the sink
Butterfly arrive in the bedroom
Beauty fly away on a wing
The song "Caterpillar" by Disco Biscuits is a reflective piece on a dysfunctional relationship that the singer has with their partner. At the start of the song, the singer admits to putting their partner on a pedestal and wanting to spend all their time together. However, there are underlying issues that cause friction in the relationship. The partner is surrounded by the "dead lights" of their own innocence and boxed in by their own philosophies. The singer notes that the partner enjoys living extravagantly, always wining and dining, but fails to pay the rent and take responsibility for their life, causing the singer to feel weighed down.
The refrain of the song centers on the metaphor of a caterpillar, fairy, butterfly, and beauty. This metaphor represents the stages in a relationship, from the caterpillar sleeping in the bathtub, to the fairy who wades in the sink, to the butterfly who arrives in the bedroom, and finally to the beauty who flies away on a wing. The metaphor is used to explore the idea that relationships are constantly in flux, going through stages, but ultimately fleeting.
In the second verse, the partner wants to discuss politics and showcase their environmental efforts, yet the singer questions the authenticity of these actions. The partner wants to be an actress but doesn't put in any effort, causing the singer to question their commitment to anything. The song ends with the singer questioning what is the partner's "bottom line", suggesting that the motive for the partner's actions are questionable.
Line by Line Meaning
I always put you on a pedestal
I have always held you in high esteem
I wanna see you all the time
I desire to be with you consistently
Dead lights surround your little innocence
Your innocent and pure nature is overshadowed by the darkness you surround yourself with
With boxes never fall behind
You always keep your life organized and in check
You wanna teach me your philosophy
You have a belief system you want to share with me
But life is always on your mind
You are constantly thinking about life and its meaning
You cant wake up from last nights decadence
You struggle to move on from your past indulgences
But you always had a good time
You have enjoyed your past experiences
You wanna talk about our government
You want to discuss political matters
But i dont think i have the time
I am not interested in discussing politics with you
You did you your part on the environment
You have made an effort in environmental conservation
But it was only in sand that i saw you draw the line
Your efforts in conservation were limited and lacked significant impact
You always like to live extravagant
You have a taste for luxury and grandeur
You always like to wine and dine
You enjoy fine dining and drink
So you now come out of your leather back
You come out from your shell to experience life
You poke your head out for a while
You are always seeking new experiences
Caterpillar sleep in the bathtub
Caterpillar transforms in a cocoon-like state in the bathtub
Fairy always wade in the sink
Fairy finds comfort and peace in the sink
Butterfly arrive in the bedroom
Butterfly emerges from its cocoon in the bedroom
Beauty fly away on a wing
Butterfly takes flight to display its beauty
You cant believe you have to pay your rent
You are frustrated with financial responsibilities
Why dont you find somewhere to buy
You contemplate owning your own property
I cant believe i take my vitamins
I am surprised by my own healthy habits
But i dont wanna see your cry
I do not want to see you upset
You say you wanna be an actress
You aspire to be an actress
Why dont i ever see you try
I have not witnessed you actively pursuing this dream
So now you think youve found the evidence
You believe you have found proof to support your aspirations
So tell me whats your bottom line
Further explain your conclusions and expectations
Contributed by Arianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ragewompwomp
Fuck yes. I want to see YOU all the time!
@michaelbittel7064
The frisco triscuits .
@keithnercesian6595
manta ray'd
@mitch8758
Jesus fuck... this shit slaps. dick down to bum on this won yall. fur-real can't compete with this hams sause
@cwesley2005
Barber
@ghostdein1
yikes. singing is pretty bad.
@JamesBlitz00
glad i wasn't alone on that
@chrismanion7416
Then done listen to it I don’t comment hateful comments on the shitty music u like
@thirdphase8567
Check out TRACTORBEAM then
@aldenb5878
Lol @Chris Manion are you really taking his comment that personally?