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.
Slipping Through the Sensors
Fruit Bats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tripping over rails and fences
Slipping on through the sensors
Made in the mists of the abyss.
Slipping on through the sensors
Tripping over rails and fences
Slipping on through the sensors
Slipping on through the sensors
Tripping over rails and fences
Slipping on through the sensors
Made in the mists of the abyss.
Slipping on through the sensors
Tripping over rails and fences
Slipping on through the sensors
Made in the mists of the abyss.
Slipping on through the sensors
Tripping over rails and fences
Slipping on through the sensors
Superheroes fighting crime with love and broken fists.
At a surface level, Fruit Bats’s “Slipping Through the Sensors” appears to be a catchy, upbeat tune filled with nonsensical lyrics. However, a closer look at the song sheds light on the anxieties and fears that the modern world breeds within us. The singer describes himself as “slipping on through the sensors” and “tripping over rails and fences”, suggesting a constant sense of unease and insecurity in the face of technology and urbanization. He is made “in the mists of the abyss”, implying that he is lost and confused in the ever-changing, unpredictable world around him.
The repeated phrase “superheroes fighting crime with love and broken fists” seems to be a form of ironic commentary on the superhero mythos. While superheroes in comic books and movies may appear invincible and capable of saving the world with ease, the real heroes in the world are the everyday individuals who persist in the face of extreme adversity. Moreover, the idea of using “love and broken fists” to fight crime implies a sense of desperation and lack of alternatives in the face of overwhelming challenges.
Overall, “Slipping Through the Sensors” is a song that captures the anxieties and fears of modern life, while also suggesting that hope and resilience are still possible in this turbulent world.
Line by Line Meaning
Slipping on through the sensors
Moving unnoticed past security checkpoints
Tripping over rails and fences
Encountering obstacles while trying to get past security measures
Slipping on through the sensors
Continuing to avoid detection and slip past security
Made in the mists of the abyss.
Originating from a mysterious and unknown place
Superheroes fighting crime with love and broken fists.
Metaphorically referencing a group of unconventional heroes fighting against injustice with imperfect and emotional methods
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ERIC D. JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind