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.

I'm On Standby
Grandaddy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm rolling down a well worn road
I'm wondering if I'll ever know
If I'll be better than I was before
When I surface through the service door

Bye
I'm on standby
Out of order or sort of unaligned

Powered down for redesign
Bye bye
I'm on standby
According to the work order you signed
I'll be down for some time
I'll be down for some time

I got good at saying "I gotta go"
Number one at saying "I don't know"
But from the stories I've heard
You humans require more words

Bye
I'm on standby
Out of order or sort of unaligned
Powered down for redesign
Bye bye
I'm on standby
According to the work order you signed

I'll be down for some time
I'll be down for some time

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Grandaddy's "I'm On Standby" give a sense of uncertainty and a search for meaning. The singer of the song finds themselves on a familiar road, but wonders if they will ever truly know their purpose in life. They hope to improve themselves, but acknowledge that it may take time and effort, symbolized by surfacing through a service door.

The song then takes a more technological turn, with the singer comparing themselves to a machine that has been powered down for redesign. They are on standby, waiting for someone to fix them and make them better. This can be interpreted as a commentary on our increasingly technology-dependent society, where we sometimes feel like we need to be fixed or improved in order to function properly.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm rolling down a well worn road
I am traveling on a road that has been traveled by many before me

I'm wondering if I'll ever know
I am unsure if I will ever find the answer I am seeking

If I'll be better than I was before
I am questioning if I will improve from my past experiences

When I surface through the service door
I am expecting to exit a designated area once I complete what I need to do

Bye
Informal way of saying farewell or departing

I'm on standby
I am temporarily inactive or not functioning

Out of order or sort of unaligned
I am not properly assembled or positioned

Powered down for redesign
I have been turned off to undergo improvements

According to the work order you signed
As per your request, I will not be operating for a certain period

I'll be down for some time
I will be out of order for an indeterminate amount of time

I got good at saying "I gotta go"
I have become skilled at expressing that I need to leave or depart