On January 31st 2012, he released the first single, 'Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings', for his debut album under the Father John Misty moniker, "Fear Fun". The Phil Ek mixed and Jonathan Wilson produced LP was released on May 1st 2012 through Sub Pop (U.S.) and Bella Union (U.K.)
To date, Father John Misty has released 5 studio albums: Fear Fun (2012), I Love You, Honeybear (2015), Pure Comedy (2017), God's Favorite Customer (2018) and Chloë and the Next 20th Century (2022).
The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.
Father John Misty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who can walk over a man
I mean like a god damn marching band
She says, like literally
Music is the air she breathes
And the malaprops make me want to fucking scream
I wonder if she even knows what that word means
Well, it's literally not that
Of the few main things I hate about her
One's her petty, vogue ideas
Someone's been told too many times
They're beyond their years
By every half-wit of distinction she keeps around
And now every insufferable convo
Features her patiently explaining the cosmos
Of which she's in the middle
Oh my God, I swear this never happens
Lately, I can't stop the wheels from spinning
I feel so unconvincing
And I fumble with your buttons
She blames her excess on my influence
But gladly Hoovers all my drugs
I found her naked with her best friend in the tub
We sang "Silent Night" in three parts which was fun
'Til she said that she sounds just like Sarah Vaughan
I hate that soulful affectation white girls put on
Why don't you move to the Delta?
I obliged later on
When you begged me to choke ya
The lyrics to Father John Misty's song, "The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt.," convey a sense of frustration with a particular type of woman characterized by an aura of superiority and pretentiousness. The singer describes this woman's love of music as intense, but ultimately annoying; she is insufferable in her conversations, often explaining the cosmos as if she were the center of it all. The singer refers to her malaprops, suggesting that she may not even know the meanings of the words she uses.
Furthermore, the singer is disgusted by the woman’s implications that she is beyond her years and the “half-wit of distinction” she fraternizes with. The song continues with the singer describing sexual encounters with the woman who he characterizes as self-indulgent, taking his drugs and frequently taking drugs. The peak of the song comes when the singer finds her naked with her best friend and they sing “Silent Night” while in the bathtub. The woman declares that she has a soulful voice, which sparks the singer’s annoyance, mentioning the “affectation white girls put on.” The song concludes with the singer stating that he obliged her need to be choked at some point.
In all, "The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt." is a criticism of a narcissistic and self-centered woman who flaunts her supposed intelligence and sophistication to mask her own shortcomings. The singer's sarcastic remarks and belittling tone towards her demonstrate his own distaste for such attitudes.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I just love the kind of woman Who can walk over a man
I adore women who have the power to control men effortlessly.
I mean like a god damn marching band
Their power over men is as awe-inspiring as a parade of musicians and their instruments.
She says, like literally Music is the air she breathes
She claims that music is an integral part of her life and existence.
And the malaprops make me want to fucking scream
Her frequent misuse of words and phrases makes me irate.
I wonder if she even knows what that word means
I doubt whether she comprehends the meaning of the words she uses.
Well, it's literally not that
In reality, it is not exactly what she thinks.
Of the few main things I hate about her One's her petty, vogue ideas
Among the few things I despise about her, one is her trivial, fashionable notions.
Someone's been told too many times They're beyond their years By every half-wit of distinction she keeps around
She is surrounded by mediocre people who continually flatter her for her intelligence and maturity while she is not as wise as she pretends to be.
And now every insufferable convo Features her patiently explaining the cosmos Of which she's in the middle
In every unbearable conversation, she condescendingly lectures about the universe as if she is at the center of it.
Oh my God, I swear this never happens Lately, I can't stop the wheels from spinning I feel so unconvincing And I fumble with your buttons
I am not always this way, but nowadays, I cannot keep my thoughts in order, and my actions are not convincing, as evidenced by me fumbling with your buttons.
She blames her excess on my influence But gladly Hoovers all my drugs
She claims that I am responsible for her vices, but she eagerly uses all my drugs.
I found her naked with her best friend in the tub We sang "Silent Night" in three parts which was fun
I discovered her in the bathtub with her friend, where we sang 'Silent Night' together in three-part harmony, which was enjoyable.
'Til she said that she sounds just like Sarah Vaughan I hate that soulful affectation white girls put on Why don't you move to the Delta? I obliged later on When you begged me to choke ya
But then, she compared her singing voice to Sarah Vaughan, which I despise, and I proposed she moves to the Delta to experience true soul music. She later asked me to choke her, which I acquiesced to.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Joshua Michael Tillman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Taylor Ross
[Verse 1]
Oh, I just love the kind of woman who can walk over a man
And I mean like a god damn marching band
She says, "Like literally, music is the air she breathes"
And the malaprops make me want to fucking scream
I wonder if she even knows what that word means
Well, it's "literally" not that
[Verse 2]
Of the few main things I hate about her
One's her petty, vogue ideas
Someone's been told too many times they're beyond their years
By every half-wit of distinction she keeps around
And now every insufferable convo
Features her patiently explaining the cosmos
Of which she's in the middle
[Bridge]
Oh my God, I swear this never happens
Lately, I can't stop the wheels from spinnin'
I feel so unconvincin'
When I fumble with your buttons
[Verse 3]
She blames her excess on my influence
But gladly hoovers all my drugs
I found her naked with her best friend in the tub
We sang "Silent Night" in three parts which was fun
Till she said that she sounds "just like" Sarah Vaughan
I hate that soulful affectation white girls put on
Why don't you move to the Delta?
I obliged later on when you begged me to choke ya
Jazmin Grant
Oh, I just love the kind of woman who can walk over a man
I mean like a god damn marching band
She says, like literally, music is the air she breathes
And the malaprops make me want to fucking scream
I wonder if she even knows what that word means
Well, it's literally not that
Of the few main things I hate about her, one's her petty, vogue ideas
Someone's been told too many times they're beyond their years
By every half-wit of distinction she keeps around
And now every insufferable convo
Features her patiently explaining the cosmos
Of which she's in the middle
Oh my God, I swear this never happens
Lately, I can't stop the wheels from spinning
I feel so unconvincing
When I fumble with your buttons
She blames her excess on my influence but gladly Hoovers all my drugs
I found her naked with the best friend in the tub
We sang "Silent Night" in three parts which was fun
Til she said that she sounds just like Sarah Vaughan
I hate that soulful affectation white girls put on
Why don't you move to the Delta?
I obliged later on when you begged me to choke ya
Ch4nd13r B1ng
Not even Father John Misty is immune to the charms of Father John Misty.
GUY MULLINS
BRILLIANT ...
jasonshannonful
Don’t know if I’ve ever read a more perfect sentence, cheers friend.. 🍻
Ch4nd13r B1ng
@jasonshannonful Cheers to you as well!
Ch4nd13r B1ng
@Elijah Mathews Henry Hello
TheWatsonGreen
The layers in the opening verse are amazing, the misuse of malaprop in describing the girl he perceives as trite and pretentious is trite and pretentious in its own right. This is what makes FMJ great; within every song where he lashes out at society and other people, he also questions himself and his own perceptions and understanding of what is 'right'.
happymeltedcity
I think what he's saying is she thinks she can sing and when she does it's always incorrectly and it drives him nuts. Then he says "I swear this never happens" There is only one instance when a man says that. He basically is just over her bullshit.
David Adams
He used Malaprop because she said, "Literally, music is the air I breathe." He really should have used solecism instead.
I don't find any pretense in intelligent, witty lyrics, especially when the insults are so razor sharp.
Cole Greenman
It is pretentious to make fun of someone for not knowing the definition of a word and then use it improperly yourself (which is exactly what he points out that he is doing).
otirrub
Father John Misty or full metal jacket?