Formed in 2007 by University of Salford and school friends Jonathan Higgs (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jeremy Pritchard (bass, vocals), Michael Spearman (drums) and original guitarist Alex Niven, they released their debut single Suffragette Suffragette in 2008, followed by Photoshop Handsome and MY KZ, UR BF, all accompanied by their own self-made videos. In 2009 Niven left and was replaced by ex-Operahouse guitarist Alex Robertshaw.
The band went on to be nominated for the BBC Sound of 2010, and subsequently released their Mercury Prize nominated debut album Man Alive on August 30th, 2010 on Geffen UK. This was accompanied by re-released singles MY KZ, UR BF and Photoshop Handsome as well as Schoolin' and Final Form.
After a year of touring including two successful orchestral concerts at which the entirety of Man Alive was played, the band are back in 2012 with new single Cough Cough, receiving extensive airplay and debuting at #37 in the charts. The second single Kemosabe will be released in the new year, followed by the second album Arc, to be released on RCA Victor on January 14th, 2013.
The Stuart Price produced Distant Past was released in February 2015, as an advance of their third album 'Get To Heaven' (15th June 2015).
Photoshop Handsome
Everything Everything Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You could respawn anywhere
I am one with the furniture, more inanimate than amateur
Like a television set! Gangrene knuckle announced so audibly!
I will boost my
Attention span, soon my clock will have a minute hand
You've become a smithereen!
(I'm watching that!)
Heaven it's symmetrical oh
Airbrush!
What have you done with my father?
Why does he look like a carving?
How do I live in the present?
I make my
Own density?
And Ah-Ah-Ah!
Who did your Photoshop handsome?
You ready for
Reincarnation?
Gotta come back as something organic,
Or come back as
Something else!
Just come back as something else!
More dollar!
Less scholar!
Less time!
My teeth dazzle like an igloo wall,
I inhabit, I
Inhibit y'all!
Can you operate alone?
Chest pumped elegantly elephantine,
Southern hemisphere by Calvin Klein
Watch your dorsal fin collapse! I know
Nothing about my history!
I put a rain forest in an Oxo cube! Struck by
Lightning if I take the tube!
Thank your chromosomes for that
I have skin
Like a waxen peel,
And a face that I can never feel but
Airbrush!
What
Have you done with my landscape?
Flooding the fields with this clone
Shape?
Where is the country you died for?
And what is the century?
And
Ah-Ah-Ah!
Who did your Photoshop handsome?
You ready for
Reincarnation?
Gotta come back as something less frantic
You gotta banish
That army of panic
Gotta come back as something organic,
Come back as
Something organic, or come back as something else!
I will gain an extra
Life,
I will gain an extra
Airbrush!
What have you done with my father?
Why does he look like a carving?
How do I live in the present?
I make my
Own density?
And Ah-Ah-Ah!
Who did your Photoshop handsome?
You ready for
Reincarnation?
Gotta come back as something organic,
Or come back as
Something else!
The song "Photoshop Handsome" by Everything Everything is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the digital age we live in, where everything and everyone can be manipulated and altered to fit a particular aesthetic or standard. The song talks about the desire to gain an extra life or boost attention span through video games, while also mentioning the inanimate quality of being like a television set. The line "Who did your Photoshop handsome?" speaks to the idea of people being able to edit and alter their appearance through technology, while also questioning the idea of what it means to be truly present in the world.
The lyrics also touch on themes of identity, history, and the natural world. The line "Can you operate alone?" suggests a sense of isolation or disconnection from others, while "Thank your chromosomes for that" acknowledges the role that genetics play in shaping who we are. The song also includes references to a rainforest in an Oxo cube and a Southern hemisphere by Calvin Klein, which could be interpreted as commentary on the exploitation of natural resources and cultural appropriation.
Overall, "Photoshop Handsome" is a clever and thought-provoking song that speaks to the complexities of modern life and the ways in which technology and consumer culture shape our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
I will gain an extra life, when I get the high score.
By achieving success, I can find new opportunities for growth and self-improvement.
You could respawn anywhere
Life is unpredictable and full of surprises, and one never knows where they might end up next.
I am one with the furniture, more inanimate than amateur
I feel disconnected and removed from the world around me, as if I am not really living my life.
Like a television set! Gangrene knuckle announced so audibly!
My body and mind feel like they are slowly breaking down, as if I am aging before my time.
I will boost my attention span, soon my clock will have a minute hand
I need to focus more on the present moment and work on improving my ability to concentrate.
You've become a smithereen!
You have completely fallen apart, and it seems like there is no way to pick up the pieces.
(I'm watching that!)
I am aware of what is happening around me, even if I sometimes feel like I am not really here.
Foxhound frolic on the abattoir floor, up in heaven it's symmetrical oh
In the world, there is chaos and violence, but there is also order and beauty in the cosmos.
Airbrush!
I want to change myself and make myself better through any means necessary, even if it means retouching or concealing my flaws.
What have you done with my father?
I feel like something important has been taken away from me, and I am struggling to understand what it is.
Why does he look like a carving?
The person I once knew has been replaced by someone else, and I do not recognize them anymore.
How do I live in the present?
I am struggling to stay grounded and live in the moment, instead of getting lost in my own thoughts or emotions.
I make my own density?
I have the power to shape my own destiny and take control of my life, even in the face of adversity.
And Ah-Ah-Ah!
I am feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, unable to express myself effectively.
Who did your Photoshop handsome?
I am questioning the authenticity of someone's appearance or identity, wondering if they are hiding something.
You ready for reincarnation?
Are you ready to start fresh and reinvent yourself, to leave behind the past and face what comes next?
Gotta come back as something organic,
I need to find a way to connect with nature and the world around me, to find meaning in the simpler things in life.
Or come back as something else!
I am willing to change and grow, to become something new and different from who I once was.
More dollar! Less scholar! Less time!
We are living in a society that values money and material wealth above all else, even at the cost of intellectual growth or personal relationships.
My teeth dazzle like an igloo wall,
I am proud of my appearance, and I want to share it with the world.
I inhabit, I inhibit y'all!
I am here, I am present, but at the same time, I am holding myself back and keeping others at a distance.
Can you operate alone?
Can you survive on your own, or do you need the help and support of others to get through life?
Chest pumped elegantly elephantine, southern hemisphere by Calvin Klein
I am proud of my body, and I want to show it off in the best way possible, like a model in a high-end fashion ad.
Watch your dorsal fin collapse! I know nothing about my history!
I am afraid of losing my sense of identity and history, of becoming something unrecognizable or foreign to myself.
I put a rain forest in an Oxo cube! Struck by lightning if I take the tube!
I am capable of doing great things and making an impact on the world, but I am also afraid of the risks and consequences that come with taking action.
Thank your chromosomes for that
Your physical traits and attributes are determined by your genetic makeup, and you have little control over them.
I have skin like a waxen peel, and a face that I can never feel but
I am disconnected from my own body and emotions, and it feels like I am living in someone else's skin.
What have you done with my landscape?
The world around me has changed, and I do not recognize it anymore.
Flooding the fields with this clone shape?
We are losing our sense of individuality and uniqueness, becoming more and more alike in our appearance and behavior.
Where is the country you died for?
The ideals and values that once defined us as a nation or culture are disappearing, and it feels like we have lost our way.
And Ah-Ah-Ah!
I am feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, unable to express myself effectively.
Who did your Photoshop handsome?
I am questioning the authenticity of someone's appearance or identity, wondering if they are hiding something.
You ready for reincarnation?
Are you ready to start fresh and reinvent yourself, to leave behind the past and face what comes next?
Gotta come back as something less frantic,
I need to find a way to slow down and simplify my life, to reduce the chaos and stress that surrounds me.
You gotta banish that army of panic
I need to learn how to manage my anxiety and fear, to confront my problems head-on and not let them control me.
Gotta come back as something organic,
I need to find a way to connect with nature and the world around me, to find meaning in the simpler things in life.
Come back as something organic, or come back as something else!
I am willing to change and grow, to become something new and different from who I once was.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER KAINES ROBERTSHAW, JEREMY JOSEPH PRITCHARD, JONATHAN JOSEPH HIGGS, MICHAEL DAVID SPEARMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Masayo Nekoya
I translated because unfortunately, the translated Japanese lyric sheet on the CD contains a number of translation errors.
They didn’t translated Gangrene knuckle,
They translated symmetrical as bilaterally symmetrical,
I inhabit, I inhibit y'all as I inhabit, I inhabit y'all,
density as destiny,
Oxo cube as tube,
waxen peel as tender skin,
flooding as flooding caused by rain,
reincarnation as metempsychosis.
When I read the sheet, I actually couldn’t quite understand what Jon was trying to explain in the song, but you were so intense in the music video and the song, so I wanted to know it, so I studied English by myself. Now I’m a song translator. Please tell me when you need a Japanese translator. You’re welcome!
Harry Haze
Everything Everything is by far one of the most creative bands of this generation.
mrbejam
Mr Bungle.
Christian L
@mrbejam this generation...
fennrick
This band is so underrated man. This is literally my favorite song
Fozzle
10 years later and less than a million views. Still underrated.
GlitchedManatee
Aged so, so well. Wow. Everything Everything deserves more of a community
v2ike6udik
supressed content. warnings.
MrAblocLira
6 Years ago i was in school, now im currently studing motion graphcis and animation only for this video, and this band <3
Felilir
Welp this turned out all right, now im a Graphic Designer working with animation and illustration, and you guest it, only for this video :')
Mr Vaporize
I'm thinking about going to college for the same thing after recently my friemd showed me this video