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.

04. The Group Who Couldn't Say
Grandaddy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Doo doo doo

The tale I'm gonna tell
Is about the group who couldn't say
Together they discovered with each other the perfections of an
outdoor day

They had won some kinda prize

For selling way more stuff than the other guys
They were the shrewdest unit-movers
So their bosses got 'em tours of the countryside

Doo doo doo

Holly saw a certain bird
But she couldn't work up any words
She kinda lost her shoes and lost her mind
And smashed her phone upon a fallen pine

Darryl couldn't talk at all
He wondered how the trees had grown to be so tall
He calculated all the height and width and density
For insurance purposes

And at the desktop there's crying sounds
For all the projects due
And no one else is around
And the sprinklers that come on at 3am
Sound like crowds of people asking
"Are you happy what you're doing?"

Ah ah ah

And at the desktop there's crying sounds
For all the projects due
And no one else is around
And the sprinklers that come on at 3am
Sound like crowds of people asking
"Are you happy what you're doing?"

Becky wondered why
She'd never noticed dragonflies
Her drag and click had never yielded
Anything as perfect as a dragonfly

And then the supervisor stood
Right in the creek and it felt really good
And that's about the time he finally realised the importance of this day
And that's about the time he realised

That he was with the group who couldn't say
Hey hey

And they felt so good it hurt forget the words
They were the group who couldn't say

Overall Meaning

The Grandaddy's song "The Group Who Couldn't Say" tells the story of a group of people who are not comfortable with their communication skills. They discover the beauty of being outdoors while taking a tour organized by their bosses as a reward for selling more than the other units. While exploring the countryside, they encounter different experiences that leave an impact on them.

Holly is fascinated by a bird but is unable to express herself. She loses her mind and smashes her phone, probably due to frustration. Darryl is amazed by the height and density of trees, and instead of being awed, he calculates their height and density for insurance purposes. Becky never noticed the beauty of dragonflies before, and the supervisor realizes the importance of the day while enjoying the creek with his colleagues.

The song uses simple and catchy beats and melody to tell the story of people disconnected from their surroundings due to poor communication skills, lack of observation, and exposure to nature. While they struggle to express themselves, they find a shared appreciation for the beauty of different environments and learn to enjoy the present moment. The song ends with the chorus, "They felt so good it hurt, forget the words; They were the group who couldn't say."

Line by Line Meaning

The tale I'm gonna tell
I am going to tell a story.

Is about the group who couldn't say
This story is about a group of people who struggle to communicate.

Together they discovered with each other the perfections of an outdoor day
Despite their communication issues, they found enjoyment and perfection in spending time outdoors together.

They had won some kinda prize
The group had achieved success and recognition through their work.

For selling way more stuff than the other guys
They were successful because they sold more than their competitors.

They were the shrewdest unit-movers
The group possessed a certain level of cleverness in their sales and work approach.

So their bosses got 'em tours of the countryside
As a reward, their employers provided them with tours of the countryside.

Holly saw a certain bird
One of the group members, Holly, saw a bird.

But she couldn't work up any words
Holly was unable to express her excitement about seeing the bird with words.

She kinda lost her shoes and lost her mind
Holly was so excited that she became a bit disoriented.

And smashed her phone upon a fallen pine
Holly accidentally broke her phone while trying to enjoy the moment of seeing the bird.

Darryl couldn't talk at all
Another group member, Darryl, was unable to communicate at all.

He wondered how the trees had grown to be so tall
Darryl marveled at the height of the trees.

He calculated all the height and width and density
Darryl took careful measurements and calculated various factors to determine the size and characteristics of the trees.

For insurance purposes
Darryl's calculations were specifically for insurance purposes, likely for determining property value and risk assessment.

And at the desktop there's crying sounds
Back at work, there were sounds of crying.

For all the projects due
The crying was likely due to the stress and pressure of completing work projects.

And no one else is around
The person crying was alone in the office.

And the sprinklers that come on at 3am
The sprinklers in the office building turned on at a certain time.

Sound like crowds of people asking
The sound of the sprinklers resembled the sound of people asking something.

"Are you happy what you're doing?"
The sprinklers sounded like a question about job satisfaction.

Becky wondered why
Another group member, Becky, had thoughts about something.

She'd never noticed dragonflies
Becky had not previously noticed the beauty of dragonflies.

Her drag and click had never yielded
Becky's previous attempts at taking pictures had not produced anything as beautiful as a dragonfly.

Anything as perfect as a dragonfly
The dragonfly was a perfect moment for Becky to experience and appreciate.

And then the supervisor stood
The group's supervisor took action.

Right in the creek and it felt really good
The supervisor got in the water and felt good about it.

And that's about the time he finally realised the importance of this day
The supervisor recognized the significance of the day and the experiences the group was having.

And that's about the time he realised
It was at that moment that the supervisor had an awakening.

That he was with the group who couldn't say
The supervisor was with a group who struggled with communication.

Hey hey
An expression of excitement or enthusiasm.

And they felt so good it hurt forget the words
The group had such intense feelings of joy and happiness that it was overwhelming and hard to express.

They were the group who couldn't say
The group's collective communication issues were a defining characteristic.

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: JASON LYTLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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