Six years ain’t a hell of a lot of time, but Futurebirds have filled ‘em with a whole lot of living. Laying down their shoe-gazing country, harmonious psychedelia, and barnstorming, ragged rock both on record and in person, the Athens-based band presents a delicate balance on Hotel Parties, its third full-length record that explores the toils, joys, and struggles exposed by six years doing any one thing so intensely.
Arriving a full two years after the band’s 2013 breakthrough, Baba Yaga, Hotel Parties presents a series of dualities. Loving something and letting it go. Pining for success and trying to staying true to yourself. The beckoning call of road and the comforts of home. As a result, says singer-guitarist Carter King, the LP represents Futurebirds’ “most concise effort to date all around, like some sort of accidental concept record.”
Over the course of these three LPs, two EPs, and one live record, people have come and gone, yet Futurebirds seem to stay. Some things came out as they liked and some pills have been bitter. But sometimes, six years just ain’t enough time to tell.
twentyseven
Futurebirds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to be steering something
I want to be hearing something
in my car
I want to be losing something
I want to be confusing something
I want to be using something
Yeah in my heart
but I just waint until the van
pulls up to take me away
to that toilet bowl of sin
I'm turning twenty-seven soon
I never thought I'd still be shooting for the man on the moon
my eyes will never look so blue
without you, I'd be through
Yeah I'd be through
I could always ruin somethingthing
if you'd ever give my phone a ring
at least I still think I can sing
alright
so obsessed with what I seek
that you're losing out on the weeks
guess I'm still figuring out
who I like
Ohh, who I like
I've been losing a friend a week
trying to make a martyr out of me
Yeah and I'm turning twenty-seven soon
I never thought I'd still be shooting for the man on the moon
my eyes will never look so blue
without you, I'd be through
I'd be through
I'd be through
I'd be through...
The lyrics to Futurebirds’s song “Twentyseven” are introspective and reflective, conveying the discontent and struggle of a person who is about to turn 27 and is not where they expected themselves to be in life. The singer of the song is looking for a sense of purpose and direction, seeking to fear, steer, and hear something in their car and to lose, confuse, and use something in their heart. The verses echo the feeling of being lost and stuck, waiting for something to happen or change, represented by the van that will take the singer away “to that toilet bowl of sin”.
The chorus emphasizes the looming milestone of turning 27 and how it highlights the singer’s unfulfilled aspirations. The repetition of “I never thought I’d still be shooting for the man on the moon” represents the unreachable or unrealistic goal that the singer hoped to accomplish by this age. The line “my eyes will never look so blue without you, I’d be through” conveys the singer’s dependence on someone else, possibly a romantic partner, for emotional support and validation. The bridge further emphasizes the singer’s insecurity and need for validation, as they express their desire to ruin something if only someone would call them, and their obsession with seeking something without really knowing what or who they like. The final lines of the song, “I’ve been losing a friend a week trying to make a martyr out of me,” reinforce the theme of isolation and self-destructive tendencies that can arise when we don’t feel we are living up to our potential.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to be fearing something
I desire something that would scare me to instigate action
I want to be steering something
I want to have control over something meaningful in my life
I want to be hearing something in my car
I want to listen to something that strikes a chord within me while driving my car
I want to be losing something
I want to experience the feeling of losing something important to feel alive
I want to be confusing something
I want to encounter something that challenges my understanding of life
I want to be using something in my heart
I want to utilize my emotional energy for something productive
but I just wait until the van pulls up to take me away to that toilet bowl of sin
I delay action until an opportunity presents itself, even if it's not the ideal scenario
I'm turning twenty-seven soon
I am about to reach a significant milestone age
I never thought I'd still be shooting for the man on the moon
I am surprised that I am still pursuing a seemingly impossible dream
my eyes will never look so blue without you, I'd be through
I feel hopeless and lost without the presence of a significant other in my life
I could always ruin something if you'd ever give my phone a ring
I fear that I would mess up a good thing if a certain person were to contact me
at least I still think I can sing alright
Despite my other shortcomings, I take solace in my ability to sing well
so obsessed with what I seek that you're losing out on the weeks
I am so fixated on my goals that I am neglecting to appreciate the present moment
guess I'm still figuring out who I like
I am uncertain about my romantic preferences
I've been losing a friend a week trying to make a martyr out of me
I am sacrificing my friendships for a higher cause but not receiving recognition for it
I'd be through
I would be completely lost or defeated
Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lovefromtom8222
that song is so beautiful you guys should be way more popular!
@user-rp9tz9hh3n
I think they have chosen not to be. There that special🎉🎉❤
@ialmightydark4644
I really wanna know the meaning behind this song. This video was awesome overall!!!!
@akroma00
One of the best albums of 2015.
@jeanie779
im turning 27 in an hour and listening to this song 🥺❤
@danday6149
Great tune. Cannot wait to see Futurebirds at The Varsity in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at The Varsity on Sat. August 27th. I featured them on my podcast here:http://eagle981.com/dan-days-podcast-august-16th-2016/
@directoroperations5990
I love the vizulite ready for it to open again
@anniemartinez7127
saw this dude on house hunters!
@annsollia1893
i'd be trough? What does it mean?
@happymeltedcity
That's some hairy groupies.