With the additions of cellist Nathan Blaz and drummer Brian Ostreicher, Geographer spent the next year cutting their teeth in the Bay Area, winning over crowds with the heart-pounding epics that make up their debut record, ‘Innocent Ghosts’.
After being selected one of three ‘Undiscovered Bands You Need To Hear Now’ by SPIN Magazine and garnering considerable word-of-mouth praise from their energetic live shows, the band signed to San Francisco-based label Tricycle Records, releasing a 7” single for the song ‘Kites’ in October 2009.
‘Animal Shapes’ follows up ‘Kites’, building on the synth-driven aesthetic of the single, while flirting with darker, more esoteric underpinnings. The record merges Geographer’s aptitude for crafting beautiful, haunting melodies with textural sounds and poly-rhythmic energy, marking an evolution of their distinct style.
With the overwhelming response to the release of ‘Kites’ and ‘Animal Shapes’, punctuated by a dynamic and engaging live set, the band has already begun to make an indelible mark on the ears of music fans worldwide.
Verona
Geographer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the right words sound so wrong
You say that I'm changing
I guess I will before too long
Will you give me a way out or a past to live down?
Even when it couldn't be worse, it is now
I watch while the wild doorway circles round and round
Is it just a sound
Something keeps a river from sinking to the ground
Was I ever any different?
It's the simplest of words
The simplest of words
White lies in the night
If I could be yours and you could be mine
As long as it rhymes
It's all that I'll ever need out here
White lies in the night
If I could be yours and you could be mine
We keep what we hide
You told such simple lies
Now that we are free, Verona, won't you keep me out?
Drive me to the city where every building shouts
I wanna hear some people
I wanna keep the windows down
I never would believe you
You should know why by now, whoa
And it's the simplest things we want, whoa
But we can never see no, whoa
And it's the simplest things we want, whoa
And it's the simplest of words, the simplest of words
White lies in the night
If I could be yours and you could be mine
As long as it rhymes
It's all that I'll ever need out here
White lies in the night if I could be yours and you could be mine
We keep what we hide
You told such simple lies
The lyrics to Geographer's song "Verona" touch on themes of dishonesty, change, and the search for simplicity. The opening lines, "You call me all the right words / But the right words sound so wrong," explore the idea that even though someone may say all the right things, their words can still feel insincere or dishonest. This feeling is amplified by the line "You say that I'm changing / I guess I will before too long," suggesting that the singer is aware of their own lack of authenticity and is resigned to the fact that change is inevitable.
The chorus, "White lies in the night / If I could be yours and you could be mine / As long as it rhymes / It's all that I'll ever need out here," hints at a desire for simplicity and an acceptance of small lies or untruths in exchange for a sense of belonging or connection. The repetition of the line "And it's the simplest things we want" reinforces this idea.
Later in the song, the lyrics shift to a desire for escape: "Now that we are free, Verona, won't you keep me out? / Drive me to the city where every building shouts." This desire to be free from one's current situation and explore new places and experiences is a common theme in music and literature.
Overall, the lyrics to "Verona" explore complex themes of honesty, change, and the search for simplicity while also weaving in a desire for escape and new experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
You call me all the right words
You say the things that sound good to my ears
But the right words sound so wrong
Despite how they sound, these words do not feel right
You say that I'm changing
You have noticed transformation in me
I guess I will before too long
I will eventually change further
Will you give me a way out or a past to live down?
Would you offer me a solution or help me improve my past?
Even when it couldn't be worse, it is now
Things have taken a turn for the worse
I watch while the wild doorway circles round and round
I observe the chaos that surrounds me
And every single whisper, no life that we should know by now
Each rumor or secret should be common knowledge by now
Is it just a sound
Is it only meaningless noise?
Something keeps a river from sinking to the ground
There must be a force keeping the river buoyant
Was I ever any different?
I wonder if I have always been this way
It's the simplest of words
The easiest phrases resonate the most
White lies in the night
In the darkness, deception is easy
If I could be yours and you could be mine
If we could be together
As long as it rhymes
If our relationship sounds good on the surface
It's all that I'll ever need out here
This is all I will ever want
We keep what we hide
We hold onto the secrets we keep
You told such simple lies
You have deceived me with basic untruths
Now that we are free, Verona, won't you keep me out?
Now that we are unencumbered, will you keep me away?
Drive me to the city where every building shouts
Take me to the city with loud architecture
I wanna hear some people
I want to be around others
I wanna keep the windows down
I want to feel the wind against my face
I never would believe you
I would not have believed you
You should know why by now, whoa
You should be aware of the reason
And it's the simplest things we want, whoa
The most uncomplicated desires are what we crave
But we can never see no, whoa
But for some reason we can never attain them
And it's the simplest things we want, whoa
Once again, we yearn for the simplest things
And it's the simplest of words, the simplest of words
The most basic words hold the most weight
Contributed by Caden O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.