Grinspoon changed their sound to more mainstream rock by their 2002 album, New Detention, gaining fans and peaking at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Charts; similarly 2007's Alibis & Other Lies also reached No. 2. Their 2004 album, Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills, which peaked at No. 4, won the 2005 'Best Rock Album Award' at the ARIA Music Awards.
The band was signed to Universal Records in United States by late 1998, they were promoted by the songs "Champion", which featured in Gran Turismo 3; "Post Enebriated Anxiety", which was on the international version of Guide to Better Living; "Chemical Heart", via the internet; and a cover of the Prong song "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", from Grinspoon's Pushing Buttons EP, which was included on ECW: Extreme Music.
On 4 December 2013, they announced that they were going on an indefinite hiatus to pursue individual projects.
Repeat
Grinspoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sold connections for the buy in major
Lobby fucking with the bird board terf board
Need a licence to observe
And i swear they'd never lie
Just shows how much that
She goes, she goes, she goes
She goes, she goes
Ugly race day and a rain face loser
Printing money on parole beats loser
Your hands stuck in your pocket
Digress, confess you offered
But you burnt the house down
Just like the movies
She goes, she goes, she goes round and round
She goes, she goes, yeah
Pretty past you forgot my story
Lost a kitten on the road to glory
I know i could have been there
But i wasn't so it doesn't matter
Patch me another line
We'll laugh about it
He knows, he knows, he knows nothing now
He knows, he knows, he knows nothing now
Seagulls, seagulls, seagulls fly around
She knows, she goes, yeah
The lyrics to Grinspoon's Repeat paint a vivid picture of the destructive nature of addiction and the dangers of losing oneself in the pursuit of pleasure. The song seems to be about a woman who is caught up in a cycle of drug use and bad decisions, and the singer's attempt to make sense of it all.
The first verse introduces us to the woman in question, who is described as both pretty and a stranger. She seems to be involved in selling drugs to support her habit, and the references to "connections" and "buy-ins" suggest that she is operating within a larger criminal network. The lines "Lobby fucking with the bird board terf board/Need a licence to observe" suggest that there is a great deal of bureaucracy and red tape involved in the drug trade, and that even those who are involved in it are subject to scrutiny and control. Despite this, the woman is portrayed as being naive and trusting - "And I swear they'd never lie/Just shows how much that" - which creates a sense of unease as the listener begins to perceive the dangers that lie ahead.
The chorus of the song is sparse and repetitive, with the woman's actions being reduced to a circular motion - "She goes, she goes, she goes/Round round round round/She goes, she goes." This creates a sense of helplessness and inevitability, as if the woman is trapped in this cycle and cannot escape.
The second verse introduces a male character, who is described as being a "rain face loser" and a "printing money on parole beats loser." This suggests that he is either involved in some kind of criminal activity or that he is simply struggling to get by in life. He seems to be romantically involved with the woman, as he refers to her as "pretty past" and laments that he "could have been there" for her. However, he ultimately seems resigned to their situation, jokingly asking for another line of cocaine so they can "laugh about it."
Overall, the lyrics to Repeat are a haunting and poignant exploration of the dark side of addiction and the toll it takes on those caught in its grip.
Line by Line Meaning
She looked so pretty, pity, perfect stranger
The person being referred to is a beautiful but unfamiliar face.
Sold connections for the buy in major
Having sold their valuable connections to someone powerful to gain entrance into higher society.
Lobby fucking with the bird board turf board
A hotel or other establishment is preventing birdwatchers from using certain areas to observe birds.
Need a license to observe
Requiring a permit or license to observe wildlife or other natural phenomena.
And I swear they'd never lie, just shows how much that
Their unwavering loyalty to someone they trust is misguided as they are being deceived.
She goes, she goes, she goes round round round round
She continues to move in circles and repeat the same actions.
Ugly race day and a rain face loser
A disappointing and losing experience on a race day that is further dampened by bad weather.
Printing money on parole beats loser
Making more money through illegally printing it than through legitimate means or having recently been released from prison, suggesting a lack of options.
Your hands stuck in your pocket, digress, confess you offered
Under pressure to admit wrongdoing, confessing to an offer of help but being unable to provide it due to financial constraints.
But you burnt the house down just like the movies
Having done something so catastrophic that only happens in movies, such as setting a house on fire.
Pretty past you forgot my story, lost a kitten on the road to glory
The person feels that their experiences and achievements have been overlooked and forgotten despite their positive attributes, having lost something small yet significant along the way.
I know I could have been there, but I wasn't so it doesn't matter, patch me another line, we'll laugh about it
Acknowledging a missed opportunity while simultaneously dismissing its importance and seeking comfort in numbing the feeling with drugs.
He knows, he knows, he knows nothing now, seagulls, seagulls, seagulls fly around, she knows, she goes, yeah
The person is aware of their lack of knowledge and understanding, with seagulls acting as a symbol of their confusion and uncertainty, while the other person in question continues to repeat the same patterns.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PHIL JAMIESON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mrjjrumsby
One of their most underrated songs.
@G1bsy
even after all these years that bass riff gives me chills
@-Scotty
2022 nothings changed mate, bass riff still outta this world
@aaronrussell-smith4140
I saw them play so many times back when I was 18 onwards I'm now 43. Today's music is shit, seen them play at the playroom, big day out, livid, etc. Bring them back
@kanemunro1481
Rip Mark langlands live ya brah
@Beautiful-Sickening-Rolex
finally the full video! that rock out bit in the middle is greatness
@claudiakadow8463
Who else loves this so much, it’s on REPEAT?
@nickmaybes
Great dynamics- awesome with the rad bass tone and clean wah in the verses all groovy - then hard riffs and big grunge choruses so epic aus 1990s
@justinwesterman4389
Sounds equally sick accustic this is when they were on top of there game
@WacKEDmaN
seagulls, seagulls, fly a-round!... classic!
geeze Phil, you guys havent aged well! :P