The band emerged to little fanfare in March 2007 with two tracks posted to their MySpace page. Following an initial show with Brooke's fellow former Carissa's Wierd bandmate Sera Cahoone however, the band had their track "Sleepdriving" added to Pitchfork Media's Forkcast playlist, which provided the band with substantial Internet exposure. Pitchfork then published a more in-depth feature on the band, discussing all four demo tracks from their MySpace page.
Soon after, the band were hand-picked to support Modest Mouse on seven west-coast tour dates, and it was also announced that Sub Pop had signed the band for a full-length album.
The band released a 4 song EP May 2007 and their full length self-titled debut was released on Sub Pop February 19, 2008.
Lazy Bones
Grand Archives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you close your
Don't you close your eyes
Drenched and armed
Dried and calm
Don't recognise you walking in the light
Don't recognise you walking in the light
If all you do
Leaves with you
Don't you tell no
Don't you tell no lies
Don't you tell no
Don't you tell no lies
Don't you tell no
Don't you tell no lies
The lyrics of Grand Archives's song "Lazy Bones" may seem somewhat cryptic at a first glance but upon close examination, the message becomes clearer. The song appears to be about a sense of detachment and apathy that keeps a person from engaging fully with the world around them. The opening line "Lazybones, when you roam, don't you close your eyes" urges the lazybones to stay awake and aware because there may be important things to see and learn in the world.
The following lines "drenched and armed, dried and calm, don't recognize you walking in the light" suggest that perhaps this sense of detachment prevents the person from being fully present in their surroundings, leading to a sense of disconnection and inner turmoil. The chorus lyrics of "If all you do leaves with you, don't you tell no lies" can be interpreted as a warning not to deceive oneself about the root cause of this detachment, but rather to face it head-on.
Overall, "Lazy Bones" by Grand Archives is a poetic and introspective song that encourages the listener to pay attention to their own experiences and emotions in order to engage more meaningfully with the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Lazybones, when you roam
Addressing someone as lazybones who tends to wander around aimlessly
Don't you close your
Advising against shutting oneself off
Don't you close your eyes
Implying to remain observant
Drenched and armed
Personification of the rain as a cause of both vulnerability and weaponization
Dried and calm
Contrasting the previous line with one of unchanging and peaceful surroundings
Don't recognise you walking in the light
Not being able to discern someone in their true form because of their association with darkness
If all you do
Hypothetically questioning someone's actions
Leaves with you
The consequences of one's own actions
Don't you tell no
Urging against dishonesty
Don't you tell no lies
Expressing the negative implications of speaking untruthfully
Don't you tell no
Repeating the prior statement
Don't you tell no lies
Emphasizing the importance of honesty
Don't you tell no
Reiterating the previous statements
Don't you tell no lies
Affirming the significance of speaking truthfully
Contributed by Maya K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.