Originally part of short-lived Chicago group I Rowboat, Johnson and two of his fellow Rowboat members, guitarist Dan Strack and drummer Brian Belval, created Fruit Bats as a side-project. When I Rowboat split up, Fruit Bats became Johnson's main focus. Spurred on by Califone/Perishable Records honchos Tim Rutili and Ben Massarella, the group recorded their first album, Echolocation, released in 2001.
After tours with Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Modest Mouse and The Shins, Fruit Bats signed with Sub Pop in late summer 2002, recording their second album, 2003's Mouthfuls, which included new bandmate Gillian Lisee.
After relocating to Seattle, the group released their third album, Spelled in Bones, in 2005. Afterward, Eric D. Johnson played with The Shins and Vetiver. In 2008, the Fruit Bats began working together again, with revised membership of Johnson, Christopher Sherman, Ron Lewis, Graeme Gibson, and Sam Wagster. In 2009, they released The Ruminant Band and in 2011 came Tripper.
In November 2013, Eric D. Johnson announced he would be dissolving Fruit Bats. That month they played what was to be their farewell show at a sold out Aladdin Theatre in Portland, OR. The following year Johnson released an album under the name EDJ.
Reforming in 2015, Fruit Bats released their sixth official full-length LP, Absolute Loser, in 2016 via newly formed Los Angeles-based label Easy Sound.
Fruit Bats signed to North Carolina-based independent label Merge Records in 2018. Also in 2018, Johnson formed the folk group Bonny Light Horseman with Josh Kaufman and Anais Mitchell.
In 2019 Fruit Bats’ Merge debut "Gold Past Life" was released.
Fruit Bats’ 2020 album The Pet Parade was produced by Johnson's Bonny Light Horseman bandmate Josh Kaufman.
In 2021, Fruit Bats released a full-album cover of Smashing Pumpkins' 1993 record Siamese Dream.
The Fruit Bats’ double-disc, 20-year career retrospective "Sometimes A Cloud Is Just a Cloud: Slow Growers, Sleeper Hits and Lost Songs" was released in 2022.
Lazy Eye
Fruit Bats Lyrics
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And you're the centipede who broke the camel's back
You didn't think I'd get hurt
Love burns a circle in the snow
You're frog eggs in the sky
That rain on the GWB
And the palisades
Love burns a circle in the snow
Hey, you there with the lazy eye
Turn , turn it to me
Let me hear you say it one more time
You, you there with the lazy eye
The lyrics to Fruit Bats' "Lazy Eye" are filled with whimsical and poetic metaphors that seem to be describing the indescribable feeling of falling in love. The opening lines "you are a diamond in the dirt" and "you're the centipede who broke the camel's back" suggest that the subject is perhaps someone who was unexpectedly discovered and had a significant impact on the singer's life. The next line "you didn't think I'd get hurt" implies some sort of risk or vulnerability that the singer is willing to take on for this love.
The second verse continues the whimsy, with "you're frog eggs in the sky, that rain on the GWB and the palisades." This image calls to mind the fragility and ephemeral nature of love, while also highlighting the beauty and wonder it can create. The line "love turns tripe into gold" further emphasizes the transformative power of love.
The chorus, repeating "love burns a circle in the snow" gives the impression that love can leave a lasting impact that can never be erased. Finally, the repeated plea to "you there with the lazy eye" seems to be a request to the subject to open up and reveal their true feelings once more.
Line by Line Meaning
You are a diamond in the dirt
You are precious and valuable even though you are surrounded by difficult circumstances
And you're the centipede who broke the camel's back
You are the final straw that caused a complicated situation to fall apart
You didn't think I'd get hurt
You didn't consider how your actions would impact me emotionally or physically
Love burns a circle in the snow
The intense feeling of love leaves a lasting impression on those who experience it
You're frog eggs in the sky
You are something unexpected and rare, like frog eggs falling from the sky
That rain on the GWB
Your sudden appearance or influence has a major impact on a significant location or situation
And the palisades
Your actions or presence changes the landscape or environment around you
Love turns tripe into gold
Love has the ability to transform something that is considered to be of little value into something precious
Love burns a circle in the snow
The intense feeling of love leaves a lasting impression on those who experience it
Hey, you there with the lazy eye
A direct address to someone who is not fully paying attention or seems distant
Turn , turn it to me
Give me your full attention and focus on our interaction
Let me hear you say it one more time
Confirm or repeat what has been said to ensure mutual understanding and connection
You, you there with the lazy eye
A repeated direct address to someone who is not fully paying attention or seems distant
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ERIC D. JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind