Grandaddy are an American indie pop band formed in Modesto, California in 1… Read Full Bio ↴Grandaddy are an American indie pop band formed in Modesto, California in 1992 by singer/guitarist/keyboardist Jason Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch; although a noisy, lo-fi approach characterized early recordings like 1994's Complex Party Come Along Theories, with the 1995 additions of guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden the group's sound expanded exponentially over the course of subsequent efforts including the unreleased Don't Sock the Tryer and the 1996 EP A Pretty Mess by This One Band. Originally issued on indie label Will Records, 1997's acclaimed full-length Under the Western Freeway proved Grandaddy's creative breakthrough, and the following year the album was reissued on major-label V2, with "Summer Here Kids" earning Single of the Week honors in the pages of the NME. The Broken Down Comforter Collection, a compilation of singles tracks, preceded the 1999 Signal to Snow Ratio EP, which heralded a movement toward the vintage electronic textures further in evidence on 2000's superb The Sophtware Slump. In 2002, the group released another odds-n-sods collection, Concrete Dunes, which paved the way for a busy 2003: that spring, Grandaddy released the Floating Debris EP and their fourth full-length, Sumday, and spent the rest of the year touring, making appearances at festivals such as Glastonbury. In 2005, they resurfaced with the Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla EP and a full-length album (Just Like the Fambly Cat) followed in 2006. It was to be their last, though Jason Lytle continues to tour, playing Grandaddy songs as well as his own solo works.

Additional Info:

Under the name Arm of Roger, Grandaddy recorded a joke album entitled The Ham and its Lily in 2002.

A.M. 180, which was released as a single, is featured prominently in the British film 28 Days Later.

On the 27th January 2006, Jason Lytle confirmed that the band would split following the release of their final album, Just Like The Fambly Cat.

Jason Lytle has since toured the US as a solo artist, playing Grandaddy songs from the last album and others. He is said to plan a solo career of new material.

On March 2, 2012, Grandaddy announced their reunion with news of a headline slot at the End of the Road Festival in Dorset, England on 2 September. Further dates are expected.

"Yeah" Is What We Had
Grandaddy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah is what we had
No, we never knew
Good, good is what we understood
Yeah is what we had
No, we never knew
Good, good is what we understood

Now I walk alone through howling winds

Fast food bags wrapped round my shins
Remembering (remembering)
Wondering

In this life
Will I ever see you again
In this life
Will I ever see you again

Yeah is what we had
No, we never knew
Good, good is what we understood
Yeah is what we had
No, we never knew
Good, good is what we understood

Data files and dinner dates someday
Telling me that I, I best be on my way
Remembering (remembering)
Wondering

In this life
Will I ever see you again

In this life
Will I ever see you again...

Overall Meaning

The song "Yeah" by Grandaddy touches on themes of nostalgia, longing, and regret. The repeated phrase "Yeah is what we had, no, we never knew" suggests that the singer is reflecting on a past relationship or experience that they didn't fully appreciate at the time. They only realized the value of what they had after it was gone, as expressed in the line "good, good is what we understood."

The second verse paints a picture of the singer's current reality, in which they are "walking alone through howling winds" with "fast food bags wrapped round my shins." Despite the stark contrast with the past, the singer finds themselves reminiscing and wondering if they will ever see their past love or experience again. The final verse introduces the idea of data files and dinner dates, suggesting that the singer has moved on to a different stage of life but still carries the weight of the past.

Overall, the song speaks to the universal experience of looking back on the past with both fondness and regret, and wondering what could have been different.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah is what we had
We had a positive relationship.

No, we never knew
However, we didn't fully appreciate it.

Good, good is what we understood
We recognized that it was a good thing.

Now I walk alone through howling winds
Now I am alone and struggling.

Fast food bags wrapped round my shins
My situation is not glamorous.

Remembering (remembering)
I am thinking back on our past.

Wondering
And wondering.

In this life
Throughout my life,

Will I ever see you again
Will I have the chance to see you once more?

Data files and dinner dates someday
Even though I have responsibilities in my life

Telling me that I, I best be on my way
I know that I have to continue moving forward.