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.
The Beginning Of The End
Guster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're just oil-filled machines
Trying not to say the things we mean
You gotta show us a little love
Our big brother tells us
That it's something in our genes
Pretty soon we'll all be coming clean
I'm the judge and jury
I'm the lion and the lamb
And this is the beginning of the end
It's breaking you down
We're breaking you down
We're unrecognizable
We're sunken submarines
Trying to escape before we're seen
You're gonna miss us when we're gone
I'm the judge and jury
I'm the lion and the lamb
And this is the beginning of the end
We're breaking you down
We're breaking you down
In Guster's song The Beginning of the End, the lyrics describe a sense of detachment from emotions and vulnerability that can arise in modern society. The first verse sets the tone, with the band members referring to themselves as "oil-filled machines," emphasizing the idea that they are numbed by their routines and their environment. They admit to struggling with expressing their sincere thoughts, choosing instead to hide behind a facade. The line, "You gotta show us a little love" seems almost sarcastic, as if they are daring their audience to try and connect with them.
The second verse delves deeper into the issues at play, with a direct reference to the concept of a "big brother" watching over and analyzing individuals. This alludes to the idea of society judging and categorizing us based on our biology, personality or background. The following line, "Pretty soon we'll all be coming clean" suggests that some hidden secrets will come to the surface eventually, whether we want them to or not. The final statement, "So start showing a little skin" might be interpreted as a challenge to shed our outer layers of protection and show our true selves.
The chorus serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges faced by us all. The vocalist declares himself to be "the judge and jury", representing an internal struggle, and "the lion and the lamb", representing the duality of human nature. These phrases highlight the fact that we all have contradicting aspects of our personality and often struggle with self-acceptance. The song concludes, "We're breaking you down," implying that this struggle isn't easy and can, in fact, be quite painful.
Line by Line Meaning
We're not sentimental
Despite appearances, we don't approach things emotionally
We're just oil-filled machines
We rely on our natural impulses and desires for guidance
Trying not to say the things we mean
We struggle to be honest with others, and ourselves, about what we truly think and feel
You gotta show us a little love
We need validation and affirmation in order to function in relationships
Our big brother tells us
Those in authority over us reinforce certain beliefs or ideas
That it's something in our genes
Our behavior or tendencies are inherent and predetermined by our biology
Pretty soon we'll all be coming clean
We are approaching a moment of truth or revelation that will force us to be honest about our actions or intentions
So start showing a little skin
We are vulnerable and exposed, and need others to meet us halfway by showing kindness or understanding
I'm the judge and jury
I hold all the power and make all the decisions
I'm the lion and the lamb
I embody both strength and weakness, and am capable of both violence and compassion
And this is the beginning of the end
We are at the starting point of a destructive or transformative process
It's breaking you down
The situation is having a negative impact on you, eroding your sense of self or well-being
We're breaking you down
Our actions or words are contributing to your distress or discomfort
We're unrecognizable
We have changed so much that we are difficult to identify or distinguish from others
We're sunken submarines
We are emotionally or psychologically submerged, struggling to stay afloat
Trying to escape before we're seen
We are avoiding reality or facing consequences that we fear will be too difficult to handle
You're gonna miss us when we're gone
Once we are no longer present, our absence will be felt and our impact recognized
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Equilibrium Phoenix
Wish guster was more well known
TheTrollingIndustry
Nice.
Grow Yourself
the last song has shitty quality recording