Gomez completed an inaugural U.S. tour opening for Eagle-Eye Cherry in October 1998, while the press still offered praise (Spin magazine called Bring It On "a damn beautiful album," giving it an eight out of ten rating). Liquid Skin followed one year later and went platinum in England, and the rarities/B-sides compilation Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline appeared in 2000. A third studio album, In Our Gun, was released in spring 2002. Another hiatus saw Ian Ball relocating to Los Angeles while still working with the band at its new studio in Portslade, England. The dozens of tracks recorded during this time were whittled down and fashioned into Split the Difference, released in May of 2004. By that time, Hut, the group's original label, had gone under, leaving Gomez signed to Virgin (Hut's distributor). Despite all the critical acclaim, the band's album sales never seemed to match Virgin's expectations, and the two sides parted ways later that year.
In 2005, Gomez signed with ATO Records and released Out West, the group's first live album. How We Operate arrived in May 2006, and the band rounded out the year by assembling a retrospective collection of singles, rarities, and unreleased tracks entitled Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004. Gomez's members were spread across two continents by this point, leading to a three-year gap between How We Operate and the band's sixth studio release, A New Tide, parts of which were recorded individually by the various bandmates and then merged online. Ben Ottewell took some time after its release to launch a solo career, with 2011's Shapes & Shadows marking his first major release outside of the band. Months later, the band released another studio album, Whatever's on Your Mind, with Phantom Planet's Sam Farrar sharing production duties with the bandmates themselves.
Biography by Greg Prato
Detroit Swing 66
Gomez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come in and get yourself something to drink
And tell me something I don't know about you
I'll tell you something 'bout me
Does it feel right
Like penetrating insight
It's tricky to decide
I think I'm coming round, I'm seeing through the smoke
I think I'm coming round, I'm feeling signs of hope
Some water, some whiskey, some cigarettes or dope
I think I'm coming round, can you help me up to cope?
(Ooh, yeah yeah)
(Ooh, yeah yeah)
(Ooh, yeah yeah)
(Ooh, yeah yeah)
We're trapped in
Undergoing modernist sins
The probe cannot be driven through the kneecap
The kneecap will prevail here
So keep trying, prevent yourself from crying
You're shaking hyperventilated mish-mash
Made entirely out of bones
I think I'm coming round, I'm seeing through the smoke
I think I'm coming round, I'm feeling signs of hope
Some water, some whiskey, some cigarettes or dope
I think I'm coming round, can you help me up to cope?
I've been thinking one thing but doing something else in a daze, yeah
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
I've been thinking one thing but doing something else in a daze, yeah
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
The peace pipe
Is flying round the bat's head
The hippies will be camping out tonight (Kum bye ah, my lord)
Singing Hari Kari (Adikhari)
And right now it's cooking up a storm now
It's intravenous terror en masse
Your spaceship has arrived (please get in)
I've been thinking one thing but doing something else in a daze, yeah
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
I've been thinking one thing but doing something else in a daze, yeah
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
I've been thinking one thing but doing something else in a daze, yeah
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
The song "Detroit Swing 66" by Gomez is an experimental rock song about trying to make sense of the world while feeling lost and disoriented. The lyrics begin with a call for the listener to come in and get a drink and open up about themselves while the singer reflects on their own insecurities. The line "Does it feel right like penetrating insight or blinded by the cuckoo with the hiccups, it's tricky to decide" suggests that the search for self-awareness can be confusing and difficult.
The song goes on to describe feeling trapped in a modern world of contradictions and hyperventilation, but also feeling signs of hope and a desire for coping mechanisms such as "water, whiskey, cigarettes or dope." The repeated verses about thinking one thing but doing something else in a daze reflect the struggle to stay grounded and focused in an overwhelming world. The song ends with strange images of a peace pipe, hippies camping out, and a spaceship arriving.
Overall, "Detroit Swing 66" is a psychedelic and introspective exploration of the confusion and hopelessness of modern life, with a hint of humor and surreality. The sonic experimentation with distorted guitars and electronic sounds adds to the sense of disorientation and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello
Greeting to someone entering the room
Come in and get yourself something to drink
Offering a drink to the person entering the room
And tell me something I don't know about you
Asking the person to share something new or interesting about themselves
I'll tell you something 'bout me
Offering to share something about oneself in return
Does it feel right
Questioning if something feels correct or appropriate
Like penetrating insight
Feeling like something is an illuminating realization
Or blinded by the cuckoo with the hiccups
Comparing confusion to a bird with hiccups
It's tricky to decide
Stating that a decision is difficult to make
I think I'm coming round, I'm seeing through the smoke
Realizing that clarity is coming through the confusion
I think I'm coming round, I'm feeling signs of hope
Finding some optimism despite the confusion and difficulty
Some water, some whiskey, some cigarettes or dope
Listing vices that may help cope with the confusion and difficulty
I think I'm coming round, can you help me up to cope?
Asking for assistance and support to get through the difficult situation
(Ooh, yeah yeah)
Musical interlude
We're trapped in
Feeling stuck or confined
Undergoing modernist sins
Experiencing the negative consequences of modernity
The probe cannot be driven through the kneecap
Metaphorically implying that progress cannot be forced
The kneecap will prevail here
Acknowledging that resistance to change will win in this particular situation
So keep trying, prevent yourself from crying
Encouraging perseverance and emotional regulation
You're shaking hyperventilated mish-mash
Describing a state of physical and emotional distress
Made entirely out of bones
Emphasizing the fragility and vulnerability of the person in distress
I've been thinking one thing but doing something else in a daze, yeah
Admitting to confusion and disorientation
I'm trying to keep from getting uptight
Expressing a desire to remain calm and composed
The peace pipe
Suggesting a Native American cultural reference related to calming and sharing
Is flying round the bat's head
Continuing the cultural reference while highlighting absurdity
The hippies will be camping out tonight (Kum bye ah, my lord)
Alluding to a positive and communal shared experience
Singing Hari Kari (Adikhari)
Continuing cultural references and perhaps suggesting a connection to spirituality
And right now it's cooking up a storm now
Implying increased intensity and activity
It's intravenous terror en masse
An extreme and overwhelming situation
Your spaceship has arrived (please get in)
Metaphorically offering a way out or escape from the negative situation
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BEN OTTEWELL, IAN THOMAS BALL, OLIVER JAMES PEACOCK, PAUL BLACKBURN, THOMAS WILLIAM GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind