The band consists of Adam Gardner and Ryan Miller on guitar and vocals and Brian Rosenworcel on percussion. Multi-instrumentalist and backup vocalist Joe Pisapia played with the band from 2003-2010. Luke Reynolds took Pisapia's place to tour with the band for their 2010 album, Easy Wonderful, and has remained with the band since. The band is noted for its catchy, poppy melodies, and the distinctive hand-drumming on percussion. They are also known for their humor, including a joke album released in 2003, The Meowstro Sings: Guster's Keep It Together, wherein the lyrics are replaced with (off-melody) meowing.
The band has released eight studio albums which are, in chronological order, Parachute, Goldfly, Lost and Gone Forever, Keep It Together, Ganging Up On the Sun, Easy Wonderful, Evermotion, and their most recent, Look Alive, which was released on January 18th, 2019. In addition, they have released a total of eleven live albums, spanning the years 2003-2015.
Scars & Stitches
Guster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What the future held
A little candy ring
In a mystic ocean's shell
They were anesthetized
Slowly washed away
Left all the poison in
I don't mind falling down
And scraping up my knees
Scars and stitches always fade
And only strengthen me
With my eyes as wide as pearls
My only centerpiece
Is taken like the dead man's urn
And tossed into the sea
Write me a letter
And dot your I's and cross your T's
Nothing was everything to me
Under the monster's claws
And in between his teeth
Was the shadow and a silhouette
Of what I thought I'd be
I don't mind falling down
And scraping up my knees
Scars and stitches always fade
And only strengthen me
But with my eyes as wide as pearls
My only centerpiece
Is floating on the ocean's bed
And floats there endlessly
Well it's taken like the dead man's urn
And tossed into the sea
In Guster's song Scars & Stitches, the band explores the idea of resilience in the face of adversity. The lyrics paint a picture of a past filled with innocence and promises of a bright future, but that future never materialized. The candy ring in the ocean's shell symbolizes the hope and optimism of childhood, while the poison left in the sand represents the disappointment and pain of reality.
The second verse delves deeper into the themes of the song, with the monster's claws and teeth representing the barriers and obstacles life throws our way. The shadow and silhouette of what the singer thought they'd be shows how the realities of life can shatter our dreams and leave us with scars and stitches. However, the chorus provides a hopeful message that these scars and stitches only make us stronger, and the only centerpiece the singer needs is the knowledge that they can overcome anything.
The end of the song takes a more somber turn, with the dead man's urn being tossed into the sea. This symbolizes the finality of death and how, in the end, our struggles and triumphs mean little in the face of mortality. But even in death, there is the possibility of rebirth and renewal, as the singer knows that their scars and stitches will always fade and strengthen them.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you remember
Do you recall
What the future held
The events that were estimated to come to pass
A little candy ring
A small ring made of sweets
In a mystic ocean's shell
Inside a shell found in a mysterious sea
They were anesthetized
They were numbed
Slowly washed away
Slowly removed
Left all the poison in
The toxicity remained
The sands in which I played
The sand that I had played with
I don't mind falling down
I don't care about setbacks
And scraping up my knees
And getting injuries in the process
Scars and stitches always fade
The wounds heal over time
And only strengthen me
And make me stronger
With my eyes as wide as pearls
I am looking stunned
My only centerpiece
The only thing that matters
Is taken like the dead man's urn
Taken away like cremated ashes
And tossed into the sea
Thrown into the ocean
Write me a letter
Send me a message
And dot your I's and cross your T's
Be thorough and precise
Nothing was everything to me
I valued what seemed insignificant to others
Under the monster's claws
Underneath the grip of something terrifying
And in between his teeth
Caught in its teeth
Was the shadow and a silhouette
The outline was all that remained
Of what I thought I'd be
Of what I wanted to become
Is floating on the ocean's bed
Is drifting on the ocean floor
And floats there endlessly
And will be there forever
Well it's taken like the dead man's urn
Well, it has been taken away like ashes
And tossed into the sea
And thrown into the ocean
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ADAM S. GARDNER, BRIAN A. ROSENWORCEL, RYAN MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
waltzed
The acoustics on Parachute are amazing. Insane work and mixing for a 90s album.
aSmelly1
Can you remember
What the future held
A little candy ring
In a mystic ocean's shell
They were anesthetized
Slowly washed away
Left all the poison in
The sands in which I played
I don't mind falling down
And scraping up my knees
Scars and stitches always fade
And only strengthen me
With my eyes as wide as pearls
My only centerpiece
Is taken like the dead man's urn
And tossed into the sea
Write me a letter
And dot your I's and cross your T's
Nothing was everything to me
Under the monster's claws
And in between his teeth
Was the shadow and a silhouette
Of what I thought I'd be
I don't mind falling down
And scraping up my knees
Scars and stitches always fade
And only strengthen me
But with my eyes as wide as pearls
My only centerpiece
Is floating on the ocean's bed
And floats there endlessly
Well it's taken like the dead man's urn
And tossed into the sea
Micah Wright
This is what I would consider souped up bluegrass.
And those bongos are legendary!