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.
La Duchess Anne
Grizzly Bear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Causing the flash to jam
The leopard print, at La Duchess Anne
The fat ten-year old, we had
Serve us dinner, at the café downstairs
The TV was on, we got lots of cold glares
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo
Even the sex couldn't make up for all the rest
And when we opted to fuck, over watching
Filtered smut on the TV set
I realized I've had it so good
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo
And after all the mess I've made this far
I broke the latch inside your favorite, favorite car
And now you have to crawl across the passenger's seat
(just to get out)
Don't you realize, how good you've had it?
How good I've had it?
How good you've had it?
The song La Duchess Anne by Grizzly Bear has a haunting tune that complements the eerie lyrics about a war breaking out and the singer accidentally breaking their camera while taking photos, causing the flash to jam. The singer then goes on to describe their experience at La Duchess Anne, where they have dinner served by a fat ten-year-old at the cafe downstairs. The TV is on, and they receive cold glares from the other patrons.
The second verse talks about the singer's relationship with their partner. Even though they are having sex, it cannot make up for everything else that is happening. Instead of watching filtered smut on the TV, the singer realizes how good they have had it. However, the chaos and mess that the singer created get to them. They broke the latch in their partner's favorite car, causing them to crawl across the passenger's seat to get out. The singer pleads with their partner to realize how good they have had it.
The lyrics are quite cryptic, and depending on the interpretation, they could be about nostalgia for a simpler time before a catastrophic event. The leopard print mentioned in the first verse could symbolize the chaos that ensued. The singer's reflection on their relationship and the mess they have created could represent the aftermath of the war. Ultimately, the song seems to be about realizing the value of what we have before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
The war broke out, and I dropped my camera
A war started and I accidentally dropped my camera
Causing the flash to jam
This caused the flash on my camera to stop working properly
The leopard print, at La Duchess Anne
While at the La Duchess Anne, I noticed someone wearing leopard-print clothing
The fat ten-year old, we had
We were served dinner by a 10-year-old who was overweight
Serve us dinner, at the café downstairs
We had dinner served to us at the café on the lower floor
The TV was on, we got lots of cold glares
While watching TV, we received unfriendly looks from others nearby
Even the sex couldn't make up for all the rest
Even having sex did not make up for all of the negative experiences we had
And when we opted to f***, over watching
Instead of watching filtered smut on TV, we decided to have sex
Filtered smut on the TV set
There was censored pornography being shown on the television
I realized I've had it so good
I came to the realization that my life has been pretty easy up until now
And after all the mess I've made this far
Despite all of the trouble I've caused up to this point
I broke the latch inside your favorite, favorite car
I broke the latch on your most cherished car
And now you have to crawl across the passenger's seat
Now you have to awkwardly climb over the car seat to exit the car
(just to get out)
(simply to leave the car)
Don't you realize, how good you've had it?
Have you ever acknowledged how fortunate you've been?
How good I've had it?
Have I appreciated how fortunate I have been in life?
How good you've had it?
Have you realized how lucky you have been in life?
Contributed by Mia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.