Grizzly Bear was originally the solo project of Edward Droste (vocals/guitar), who recorded his debut album Horn of Plenty at home. The record was originally meant for his friends, but it eventually circulated and got a proper release in 2004, this time with the help of Christopher Bear (drums/vocals). A re-release with a bonus disc of remixes was issued in 2005.
2005 also saw the addition of the two other band members, Chris Taylor (woodwinds/electronics/engineering/production) and Daniel Rossen (vocals/guitar). Playing as a four piece allowed the complexity of sound that was recorded on Horn of Plenty to be played live. The band toured throughout the year, playing songs off the first album as well as some of the new songs they were collectively writing that would make up Yellow House.
An album of Droste's early demo recordings, Sorry for the Delay, was released in 2006. Later that year they signed to Warp to release Yellow House on September 4th, 2006, to great acclaim.
In 2007, the band released Friend EP, which features outtakes, alternate versions, and covers done by CSS, Band of Horses, and Atlas Sound. In addition, members of the Dirty Projectors and Beirut collaborated with the band on "Alligator" and the EP's hidden track.
The band released their third full length album, Veckatimest, on May 26, 2009. After extensive touring, the band took a six month hiatus and then reconvened to record in Marfa, Texas and Cape Cod and released their fourth full length album, Shields, on September 18, 2012.
And I Was a Boy From School
Grizzly Bear Lyrics
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Helplessly helping all the rules
And there was a boy at school
Hopelessly wrestling all his fools
And there was a girl at school
Blaming all the words she learned from home
Nothing could keep her a child
Long hours don't you know we try
We try but we didn't have long
We try but we don't belong
We try but we didn't have long
We try but we don't belong
Now I met you on the street
Heartlessly breaking rules, we meet
Lives are found and loves are lost
Say goodbye to nothing everything caused
Now I find you on my street
Breaking rules, hopelessly we meet
Lives are found but loves are lost
Say goodbye to everything, nothing caused
We try but we didn't have long
We try but we don't belong
We try but we didn't have long
We try but we don't belong
I got, I got lost
You said this was the way back
I got, I got lost
You said this was the way back
I got, I got lost
You said this was the way back
We try but we didn't have long
We try but we don't belong
We try but we didn't have long
We try but we don't belong
The lyrics to And I Was a Boy From School by Grizzly Bear encapsulates the struggles of conforming to societal norms, although it comes at the cost of losing one's true self. The first two stanzas introduce a boy from school, who is trying to obey all the rules, and a boy who is hopelessly wrestling with his own "fools" or inner demons. It also speaks of a girl blaming all the words and values she learned from home while dealing with the loss of her childhood. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "We try but we don't belong" emphasizing the feeling of not fitting in or being out of place despite one's efforts to conform.
Moving into the second half of the song, it seems as if the singer has grown up and met someone, presumably a lover or partner, on the street who is "heartlessly breaking rules". The line "say goodbye to nothing everything caused" speaks to how the singer is trying to escape the feeling of being trapped in the restrictive societal norms or beliefs which have caused them to lose themselves. These themes of loss, feeling out of place, and the struggle for a sense of identity are the primary message of And I Was a Boy From School.
Line by Line Meaning
And I was a boy from school
As a child, I followed rules and regulations instilled in me by school.
Helplessly helping all the rules
Without much choice, I adhered to all regulations set by the school.
And there was a boy at school
There was another boy in school.
Hopelessly wrestling all his fools
The boy was struggling with the foolishness of his peers.
And there was a girl at school
There was a girl in school too.
Blaming all the words she learned from home
The girl was struggling with the negative influences from her home life.
Nothing could keep her a child
Despite the obstacles in her path, the girl could not remain innocent and childish.
Long hours don't you know we try
Despite the struggles, we worked hard for a long time.
We try but we didn't have long
Despite our efforts, we had limited time.
We try but we don't belong
Regardless of our attempts, we never truly fit in anywhere.
Now I met you on the street
I encountered you randomly out in public.
Heartlessly breaking rules, we meet
We met while breaking rules with disregard for authority.
Lives are found and loves are lost
We discover new experiences and connections while losing others.
Say goodbye to nothing everything caused
Despite not having anything substantial to part with, everything led to our meeting.
Now I find you on my street
I discovered you once again on the same street.
Breaking rules, hopelessly we meet
We crossed paths in our hopeless pursuit of disregarding the rules.
Lives are found but loves are lost
New connections and experiences are discovered, but some things are lost along the way.
Say goodbye to everything, nothing caused
Despite seemingly having everything, nothing specific led to our meeting once again.
I got, I got lost
I became lost in my journey.
You said this was the way back
You offered guidance in my journey home.
We try but we didn't have long
Despite our best efforts, we were limited on time once again.
We try but we don't belong
Despite trying once again, we still didn't fit in anywhere.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alexis Benjamin Taylor, Joseph Goddard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NahuelLeash
It's so so so amazing! Hot Chip and this cover gonna live rent free in my heart forever 💫❤
@charliebernaux2216
Wow. Pulls out the sad side of the song.
@jongtu
Nostalgia for me
@NLookeeMusic
Hidden gem