Hannah Hooper met Christian Zucconi late one evening on the lower east side of Manhattan. They had both been living in New York for years and had never crossed paths before. But from that night forward the two could hardly be pulled apart. Soon after their connection, Hooper was invited to an art residency in Greece on the island of Crete and Hooper insists "without any hesitation" she invited Zucconi to join her on this journey. "Seriously, we had only known one another for a few days but are both so inspired and alive when we are together that going to Greece seemed like a magical and natural thing to do," recalls Zucconi.
On Crete, in a small remote mountain village, Hooper and Zucconi met the members of their future band "GROUPLOVE" a year before it was officially formed. Sean Gadd, a natural songwriter and guitar player, born and bred in London instantly bonded with the two eccentric New Yorkers. Their relationship became apparent through the music they were making day in and day out. Andrew Wessen, a pro surfer and musician from Los Angeles and his childhood friend Ryan Rabin, an accomplished drummer and producer, were also at the residency and quickly joined in with the musical trio. These five musicians make up the members of what we now know as GROUPLOVE .
Like all good things, the summer and the residency came to an end and the five friends scattered back to their homes all over the globe. With Sean in London, Christian and Hannah in Brooklyn and Ryan and Andrew in Los Angeles GROUPLOVE was faced with the challenge of what to do now. "We all understood how rare it is for five strangers to feel as close as family and create passionate music together. We couldn't just return to Brooklyn and let the music we all made fade into a memory of that summer we had in Greece," explains Zucconi. Everyone pulled their funds together and Sean, Christian and Hannah made their way to Ryan Rabin's studio in LA to record their album. "We seriously had the best time of our lives doing that record," says Gadd. And the result is an incredibly special album where soaring harmonies coupled with sweeping anthems lead you through their powerful journey. Like the members of GROUPLOVE, their music is diverse in influence and style but bonded together by an undeniably creative kinship.
Their experience back together and recording together was so potent that Hooper and Zucconi packed up their lives in Brooklyn and Gadd packed up his life in London and they all moved to LA to live and play their music.
"We never could have dreamt this up," says Zucconi, "but at the same time we're not at all surprised - GROUPLOVE is meant to be. Our story a testament to fate, and our music is something we are ready to share."
Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten
Grouplove Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You took my clothes off with your hands
I gotta say you look real pretty
All the way from new york city
And the sunlight in your eyes
Pins and needles
No surprise
Can you believe were really here
And its all handled
You close your eyes and count to ten
Don't swallow any seaweed
Or if you do your starting again oh
You diggin' on your tan
Talking bout how you wanna live we call it metamorphosis
Yeah this is metamorphosis
And the sunlight in your eyes
Pins and needles no surprise
And the moon sets in your hands
Can you believe were really here
Close your eyes and count and count to ten
Don't swallow any seaweed or if you do it'll start it again
Can you believe were really here
Close your eyes and count and count to ten
Don't swallow any seaweed or if you do it'll start it again
Ba dadadad ohh badadadad dadadad daaa badadadada ohh
The lyrics to Grouplove's "Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten" describe a tropical beach scene where the singer and their partner are enjoying each other's company. The physical intimacy between the two is evident as the partner undresses the singer with their hands. The singer also compliments their partner's beauty, highlighting that they are from New York City. The line "pins and needles" refers to the feeling of excitement or anticipation, which the singer experiences due to the sunlight in their partner's eyes. The moon's setting in their partner's hands is a symbol of their affectionate touch. The singer expresses disbelief that they are really there, living in the moment.
The chorus suggests that the situation is under control, as the partner is instructed to close their eyes and count to ten. The sense of calm is disrupted with the warning not to swallow seaweed, which is known to cause vomiting. The second verse introduces the idea of metamorphosis, or transformation. The partner is portrayed as enjoying the process of changing and talking about living differently. The emphasis placed on metamorphosis suggests that this experience is transformative and life-changing for both parties involved.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah we got down in the sand
We had a good time on the beach
You took my clothes off with your hands
You undressed me using your hands
I gotta say you look real pretty
I must say that you look very beautiful
All the way from new york city
You came all the way from New York City
And the sunlight in your eyes
Your eyes are reflecting the brightness of the sun
Pins and needles
A tingling sensation
No surprise
This sensation is not unexpected
And the moon sets in your hands
The moon seems to be resting in your hands
Can you believe were really here
Are you able to comprehend that we are actually here right now?
And its all handled
Everything is under control
You close your eyes and count to ten
Take a moment to relax and count up to ten
Don't swallow any seaweed
Be cautious not to accidentally ingest any seaweed
Or if you do your starting again oh
If you do, you'll have to start counting from the beginning again
You diggin' on your tan
You're enjoying getting a tan
Talking bout how you wanna live we call it metamorphosis
We're discussing your desire to change and we refer to it as a metamorphosis
Yeah this is metamorphosis
This change you want is indeed a metamorphosis
Ba dadadad ohh badadadad dadadad daaa badadadada ohh
(No meaning, just a musical interlude)
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andrew Wesson, Christian Tyler Zucconi, Hannah Hooper, Ryan Rabin, Sean Gadd
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zhenya Moiseew
Yeah we got down in the sand
You took my clothes off with your hands
I gotta say you look real pretty
All the way from new york city
And the sunlight in your eyes
Pins and needles
No surprise
And the moon sets in your hands
Can you believe were really here
And its all handled
You close your eyes and count to ten
Don't swallow any seaweed
Or if you do your starting again oh
You diggin' on your tan
Talking bout how you wanna live we call it metamorphosis
Yeah this is metamorphosis
And the sunlight in your eyes
Pins and needles no surprise
And the moon sets in your hands
Can you believe were really here
Close your eyes and count and count to ten
Don't swallow any seaweed or if you do it'll start it again
Can you believe were really here
Close your eyes and count and count to ten
Don't swallow any seaweed or if you do it'll start it again
Ba dadadad ohh badadadad dadadad daaa badadadada ohh
Maria Barrios
This is one of the few bands that can hold my attention for the whole album :)
zappadawg
What a great song. My favorite from Grouplove.
FEDERAL 'free money lack of reserve 'BANK
Started listening to grouplove in 2011 ( colors) , best band ever
Hope Cline
words cannot express how much i love this song omfg
Kelly Snyder
this song will never get old
martilook
I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!!!
Tot Films Production
Well... I guess I'm going to kill this "replay" button today
Mary Shetley
+Tot Films Production xD
Joe7Schmoe
saw them at summerfest it was shaggalicious
Jean Luc
I love happy songs that make me cry