1) Harem Scarem is a R… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Harem Scarem is a Rock band hailing from Ontario, Canada, formed in 1987. They renamed themselves Rubber in 1999 and released two albums under that name. In 2001, they went back to the Harem Scarem name. In the Summer of 2007 they announced they "will officially break-up after one more studio album." They would reform in 2013 and has released four more albums since then.
2) Harem Scarem emerged from Melbourne's mid-80's indie scene, but, it could be argued, were closer in sound to classic Australian blues-rock from a decade before (Dingoes, Coloured Balls, Chain, Rose Tattoo etc.). Their sound was infused with a heady mix of punk spirit and Stax soul that also made them contemporaries of the likes of The Gun Club and the Beasts Of Bourbon.
Harem Scarem first appeared on the Melbourne Psychobilly compilation “Asleep at the Wheel”. They soon developed (via the “Dogman” EP and some key line-up changes) into a powerhouse live act, where Christopher Marshall's extraordinary, passionate vocals combined with Charlie Marshall's stonesy guitar.
With the classic line-up of the Marshall brothers, Barry Palmer (guitar), Glen Sheldon (bass), Peter Jones (drums) and Chris Wilson (harmonica & sax), the band went into the studio with producer John Archer (Hunters & Collectors) and emerged with this, their masterful 1986 album: Pilgrim's Progress (now re-issued by Aztec Music http://www.aztecmusic.net/)
3) Harem Scarem is a Scottish contemporary folk band http://www.haremscaremscotland.co.uk who have collaborated with Will Oldham AKA 'Bonnie Prince Billy'
Everything I Do
Harem Scarem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I remind myself each day
If only I could remember what I'm doing in a room
The walls are padded down with foam
Because it takes away the sound
And alters the voices that tell me to do
What I do
Without my pills
And they knew that I'd do
What I do
One more try
To step inside my brain
A constant fight
But I won't sleep till I can fool them
For hours they make me stare at blotches
I failed the grade
When I told them I was Jesus and I hear voices
That tell me to do what I do
The lyrics of Harem Scarem's song, "Everything I Do," paint a vivid picture of an individual struggling with mental health issues. The lines, "It's only life, I remind myself each day," suggest that the singer tries to find hope in their situation and keep life in perspective. However, the rest of the verse reveals a much darker reality. The walls of their room are padded with foam, likely to prevent them from injuring themselves or others. They hear voices that tell them to do things, and without their medication, they fear they might act on those impulses.
The second verse delves further into the singer's internal struggle. They describe trying to "step inside [their] brain" in order to understand and control their thoughts. The line, "For hours they make me stare at blotches," suggests that they are undergoing a form of therapy - perhaps an inkblot test - to assess their mental state. The final line of the verse, "I failed the grade when I told them I was Jesus and I hear voices," reveals that the singer has had difficulty with mental health professionals before, likely due to their delusions and hallucinations.
Through these lyrics, Harem Scarem paints a poignant portrait of a person battling schizophrenia or another mental illness. The song highlights the fear, confusion, and isolation that can accompany such a condition, while also acknowledging the importance of medication and therapy in helping patients manage their symptoms.
Line by Line Meaning
It's only life
Life is the only thing that matters
I remind myself each day
I regularly tell myself this
If only I could remember what I'm doing in a room
Sometimes I forget what I am doing in a room
The walls are padded down with foam
The walls have been covered in foam in order to silence the voices
Because it takes away the sound
The foam takes away the sound
And alters the voices that tell me to do
The sound is altered to stop the voices from telling me what to do
What I do
The voices tell me what to do
They're worried that I'll want to kill
People are afraid that I will become violent
Without my pills
If I don't take my pills
And they knew that I'd do
People knew that I would become violent
One more try
I have to try one more time
To step inside my brain
To understand myself better
A constant fight
It's always difficult
But I won't sleep till I can fool them
I won't rest until I can hide who I really am
For hours they make me stare at blotches
I'm forced to stare at images for hours
I failed the grade
I didn't pass the test
When I told them I was Jesus and I hear voices
People thought I was crazy when I said I was Jesus and that I hear voices
That tell me to do what I do
The voices are telling me what to do
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: LARRY H STOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind