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.
flowers
Guster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like Adam and an Eve
Waterfall
Garden of Eden
Two fools in love
So beautiful and strong
The birds in the trees
Since the age of the dinosaurs,
Cars have run on gasoline.
Where, where have they gone now?
It's nothing but flowers
There was a factory,
Now there are mountains and rivers
You got it, you got it
We caught a rattlesnake,
Now we've got something for dinner
You got it, you got it
This was a shopping mall,
Now it's all covered with flowers
You got it, you got it
If this is paradise,
I wish I had a lawnmower
You got it, you got it
Years ago
I was an angrier man
I pretend
I was a billboard
Standing tall
By the side of the road
I fell in love
With the beautiful highway
This used to be real estate
Now it's only fields and trees
Where, where is the town now?
It's nothing but flowers
The highway's cars
All sacrificed for agriculture
Guess we thought that we'd start over
But I guess I was wrong
Once there were parking lots,
Now it's a peaceful oasis
You got it, you got it
This was a pizza hut,
Now it's all covered in daisies
You got it, you got it
I miss the "Honky-Tonks"
Dairy Queens and 7-11s
You got it, you got it
And as these fell apart,
Nobody gave much attention
You got it, you got it
I dream of cherry pies,
Candy bars and chocolate chip cookies
You got it, you got it
We used to microwave,
Now we just eat nuts and berries
You got it, you got it
This was a discount store,
Now it's turned into a cornfield
You got it, you got it
Don't leave me standing here,
I can't get used to this lifestyle
The song "Flowers" by Guster is a thought-provoking commentary on the consequences of human expansion and industrialization on the environment. The lyrics begin with a reference to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, perhaps alluding to humanity's original purity and innocence before the industrial revolution. The mention of a waterfall further emphasizes the natural beauty and tranquility of the setting. However, the lyrics soon take a darker turn as the theme of environmental degradation and loss of nature becomes apparent. The lyrics describe the disappearance of dinosaurs and their replacement by cars running on gasoline. This transition is juxtaposed with the image of a once-bustling factory now covered in flowers, illustrating the transformation of industrialized areas back into nature.
The verses also depict the loss of commercial and urban areas to agriculture and other natural elements. The lyrics mention a shopping mall now being covered in flowers, a pizza hut becoming a field of daisies, and a discount store being replaced by a cornfield. The chorus highlights the singer's nostalgia for the past, wishing for a return to a simpler and more abundant time of cherry pies and candy bars. The song concludes with a plea to not leave the singer to suffer in this new way of life, conveying a sense of alienation and isolation.
Overall, "Flowers" is a poignant and timeless commentary on the impact of human actions on the environment, and the need to preserve and protect our natural resources.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we stand
Starting our journey together
Like Adam and an Eve
Beginning of human existence and love story
Waterfall
A beautiful natural landscape
Garden of Eden
The first home of Adam and Eve; a symbol of a perfect world
Two fools in love
Crazy in love
So beautiful and strong
Radiating positivity, strength and beauty
The birds in the trees
Nature admires and rejoices in their love
Are smiling upon them
Supporting them
Since the age of the dinosaurs,
Since time immemorial
Cars have run on gasoline.
A fundamental symbol of human progress and modernization
Where, where have they gone now?
Questioning the disappearance of what seemed so essential
It's nothing but flowers
Nature has retaken her primacy, reducing all human efforts to nothing
There was a factory,
Symbol of industrial revolution and economic dynamism
Now there are mountains and rivers
The resurgence of natural life after human activity ceased
You got it, you got it
Affirming a sense of recognition or nostalgia
We caught a rattlesnake,
Juxtaposing ancient and modern ways of life
Now we've got something for dinner
Celebrating how getting by with less can still bring satisfaction
This was a shopping mall,
A space of modern consumerism
Now it's all covered with flowers
Nature is reclaiming the space of the shopping mall
If this is paradise,
Wryly suggesting that pure natural life may not always feel like paradise
I wish I had a lawnmower
A humorous nod to the challenges of adapting to a new lifestyle
Years ago
A time-shift, back to when society was different
I was an angrier man
Commenting on how the self can change over time
I pretend
Reflecting on the self as performance
I was a billboard
A conspicuous public presence, whether desired or not
Standing tall
Connoting pride and stature
By the side of the road
A space of constant motion, tracking human progress
I fell in love
An opportunity for introspection
With the beautiful highway
Admiring and embracing progress while recognizing that it comes at a cost
Once there were parking lots,
A microcosm of modern life
Now it's a peaceful oasis
The transformation of this area into a more natural, less developed space
This was a pizza hut,
Symbolizing fast food culture
Now it's all covered in daisies
Nature reclaims formerly developed space
I miss the "Honky-Tonks"
Nostalgia for a particular kind of nightlife
Dairy Queens and 7-11s
Typical roadside establishments
And as these fell apart,
Acknowledging the loss of a particular form of modern culture
Nobody gave much attention
A critique of societal priorities
I dream of cherry pies,
Yearning for the simple pleasures of the past
Candy bars and chocolate chip cookies
Evocative of childhood memories
We used to microwave,
The mundane acts of modern life
Now we just eat nuts and berries
Embracing a simpler, more natural diet
This was a discount store,
An emblem of consumer culture and globalized trade
Now it's turned into a cornfield
Returning to small-scale agriculture
Don't leave me standing here,
Voicing an anxiety about the loss of home and stability
I can't get used to this lifestyle
Struggling to adapt to a simpler, less materialistic life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind