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.

What Can't Be Erased
Grandaddy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If you could have seen my face
Reflected off
A lone dinner plate

Trying to erase
What can't be erased?

If you would have rung my phone

I would have said
I hate being alone

Trying to erase
What can't be erased?

If you would drive by now
We could sit
And laugh about how

Tried to erase

What can't be erased?
What can't be erased?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Grandaddy's song "What Can't Be Erased" convey a sense of regret and longing for a time that has passed. The singer imagines a reflection of himself on a dinner plate, suggesting a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. He then expresses a desire for human connection, stating that he hates being alone. Despite this, he acknowledges that there are some things that cannot be erased, no matter how much one may try. The repeated refrain of "What can't be erased?" serves as a reminder of this bitter truth.

The lyrics of the song are enhanced by the haunting melody and sparse instrumentation, which create a sense of melancholy and nostalgia. The use of the second-person point of view also adds to the emotional impact of the song, as the listener is invited to empathize with the singer's feelings of isolation and regret.

Line by Line Meaning

If you could have seen my face
If only you could have witnessed the expression on my face.

Reflected off
Displayed through the reflection on

A lone dinner plate
A solitary dining dish

Trying to erase
Attempting to remove or eliminate

What can't be erased?
That which cannot be removed or eliminated

If you would have rung my phone
If only you had called me on the phone

I would have said
I would have spoken

I hate being alone
I strongly dislike being by myself

If you would drive by now
If you were to come here at this moment

We could sit
We could take a seat

And laugh about how
And find humor in the fact that

Tried to erase
Attempted to remove or eliminate

What can't be erased?
That which is unable to be eliminated or removed

What can't be erased?
That which cannot be taken away or eliminated

Contributed by Claire R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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01First Movement/Message Fade3:48

02Our Dying Brains4:43

03What Can't Be Erased4:21

PT4M21S

Grandaddy

04Wives Of Farmers4:01

05Street Bunny2:02

06XD-Data-II4:57

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Comments from YouTube:

Lee Taylor

9y↑15

Started with "Sophtware Slump", then bought "Sumday" (when it was released), LOVED their last - "Whatever happened to..." . Then I decided I HAD to hear everything they'd done, so I went as far back as the mid-90s ep "A pretty mess by this one band", & realised that I was in love with Jason's singing (vox-bromance, ha-ha!) - heartfelt, plaintive & SO emotive. "Rear view mirror", "Wonder why in LA", "Cinderland"...& his solo stuff is excellent as well - heck, with his songs & voice he WAS Grandaddy - and that is in no way to demean the other guys - they were part of my fave ever band - I can't imagine who else would replace Grandaddy...

garrod tucker

sparklehorse

Lee Taylor

8y↑9

+FlyingThruCanyons I believe the word for your experience is (an) "epiphany" :) we are SO blessed to "get" this music.

FlyingThruCanyons

9y↑9

@Lee Taylor I remember being 16 and waking up really early before school for no particular reason. I listened to Beautiful Ground for the first time at 6am and at that moment became a Grandaddy/Lytle fan for life.