Their music initially featured many influences from 60s psychedelia, played with a rough lo-fi abandon. They self-released several EPs and albums between 2007 and 2011, including "30 track space opera" Jurassic Exxplosion Philippic, most of which are by now scarcely available. In 2011, they met producer/songwriter Richard Swift after handing him one of their EPs, and Swift would go on to work with them for some subsequent albums. After being signed to Jagjaguwar Records, Take the Kids Off Broadway, was released as their debut album on July 24, 2012. On January 22, 2013, they released their second album, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic. This album was produced by Richard Swift and recorded at his National Freedom studios.
For each album Foxygen 'chooses' a different era in music history to focus themselves on. We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic is based on the sixties, ...And Star Power was seventies and their newest release Hang is based on the forties.
Album discographyJurrassic Exxplosion Phillipic (2007)Take the Kids Off Broadway (2011)We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic (2013)...And Star Power (2014)Hang (2017)Seeing Other People (2019)
On Lankershim
Foxygen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know some people hope they won't come true
On Lankershim, Lankershim
I can't start to live here anymore
And I can see from mango trees a memory
Of locked upon the pause of death of you
Well it just gets bigger till you can't seem to figure out
I walk away, yeah
I walk away, I walk away
I walk away, I walk away
When someone loves you but you just can't figure it out
Just walk away, just walk away, just walk away
Oh, you walked away
You walked away
Well, we all spent time trying to make it
But you spent your money getting high
Well I know can make it back 'cause I'm only 25
And my friend, she's only 20
And she's an actress so far
She said, you know, she said she can get me parts
The lyrics of Foxygen's song On Lankershim captures the feeling of disappointment and disillusionment. The singer's lifetime dreams seem to have ended, and despite some people hoping they won't come true, it's still a hard pill to swallow. The mention of Lankershim is interesting because it's a street in North Hollywood, California, known for its strip malls and seedy motels. The singer finds it difficult to start living in this environment and is overwhelmed with memories of a lost love, symbolized by the mango trees.
The second verse suggests that the singer is trying to move on but is finding it difficult. The situation just keeps getting bigger, and although they walk away, they still can't seem to figure it out. The chorus advises walking away when someone loves you, but you can't figure it out. The singer seems to be talking to themselves or giving someone else advice on how to cope with the situation.
The last verse introduces another character, a friend who is an actress. The singer feels like they can bounce back because they're only 25. The reference to the friend being 20 and an actress is interesting because it could be a commentary on the entertainment industry and the struggles of pursuing a career in Hollywood. The lyrics capture the disillusionment felt when dreams seem to be slipping away and the difficulty of accepting that reality.
Line by Line Meaning
And it all but seems my lifetime dreams have ended
It feels like my hopes and aspirations have come to a halt.
And I know some people hope they won't come true
There are individuals who don't want to see my dreams fulfilled.
On Lankershim, Lankershim
The specific location being referred to is Lankershim.
I can't start to live here anymore
It's become impossible for me to thrive in this place.
And I can see from mango trees a memory
I'm reminded of something when I look at the mango trees.
Of locked upon the pause of death of you
It's associated with the feeling of being frozen in time when thinking of someone who has passed.
Well it just gets bigger till you can't seem to figure out
The problem becomes more complex as time goes by.
I walk away but I still can't seem to figure it out
Even though I've left, I still can't seem to solve the issue.
I walk away, yeah
I've made the decision to leave.
I walk away, I walk away
I'm reinforcing the fact that I'm leaving.
When someone loves you but you just can't figure it out
It's difficult to comprehend someone's affections towards you.
Just walk away, just walk away, just walk away
Sometimes, it's best to simply remove oneself from the situation.
Oh, you walked away
Referring to someone who has already left.
Well, we all spent time trying to make it
Everyone has put in effort towards success.
But you spent your money getting high
Someone has wasted their money on drugs.
Well I know can make it back 'cause I'm only 25
I still have a long way to go, and I can recover from any setbacks.
And my friend, she's only 20
My friend is still quite young and has time to pursue her goals.
And she's an actress so far
She's an aspiring actress at the moment.
She said, you know, she said she can get me parts
My friend has offered to aid me with my own acting aspirations.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Sam France, Jonathan Rado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Neil Le Crocodile
nd it all but seems my lifetime dreams have ended
And I know some people hope they won't come true
On Lankershim, Lankershim
I can't start to live here anymore
And I can see from mango trees a memory
Of locked upon the pause of death of you
Well it just gets bigger till you can't seem to figure out
I walk away but I still can't seem to figure it out
I walk away, yeah
I walk away, I walk away
I walk away, I walk away
When someone loves you but you just can't figure it out
Just walk away, just walk away, just walk away
Oh, you walked away
You walked away
Well, we all spent time trying to make it
But you spent your money getting high
Well I know can make it back 'cause I'm only 25
And my friend, she's only 20
And she's an actress so far
She said, you know, she said she can get me parts
Harv Frost
the effort gone into this to make it look like no effort was put into this is what foxygen is all about
M L
I don't know, these are pretty high quality shots. It looks professional.
Political Sloth
This is probably because there is no effort put into this !
( The video, not the music)
Powell Pressburger
Ha! Ha!
Harv Frost
OH u are so right, the way it has no plot and its unpolished aesthetic is similar to Godard's cinematography and editing style. Love new wave u just made me gasp
Papa Weasel
The style of this vid is very similar to a French New Wave film
Alex Reyes
Great track, would love to buy one of those "foxygen" shirts Sam is wearing
Justin Simmons
@P K sam france
WAJPTmusic
DAMN! All 3 songs you've released from this album are stellar. Super stoked for the album to drop in a few days!
Shyam Lakhani
So glad to see these lot are back and making great music again! I liked parts of ...And Star Power, but I think most of us would agree that Sam really seemed to be losing control at points :( looks like he's on the mend though. Sounds already like this album is going to be quite a personal and reflective one which is awesome - the France/Rado partnership lives on! Love you guys x