Still, Harvey Danger has attracted U.S. attention due to their critical praise, with the All Music Guide calling the release 'Little By Little' "a smart and compelling pop album". In contrast, the band is little known in Europe, the aforementioned issues compounded since the band focused on selling themselves in America (especially Seattle) and thus made it very difficult for fans to get albums in Europe. The original drummer, Evan Sult, moved to Chicago and now drums in the band Bound Stems. For a short-time, he was replaced by Michael Welke, formerly of the band No. 226.
As a symbol of the group's close connection to its fans, they published their last album as a free download along with other materials. In 2009, they announced on their website they've called it quits. According to them, their decision was mutual, and they felt the band has run its course. The single "Flagpole Sitta" remains popular on various radio stations as well as having notoriety from being the theme song to the popular British comedy program 'Peep Show'.
On March 6, 2016, bass player and founding member, Aaron Huffman, died of respiratory failure.
War Buddies
Harvey Danger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waist deep in big muddies, side by side
I'd be the atheist in your foxhole any time
Let's be friendly fire
Body count's mounting on a bed of barbed wire, coldly stacked
As soon as the morning light has broken, then we attack
If nobody tries to hard to kill you, I got your back
Across the desert, back to brave the burning sand
If you've got guns, well now's the time for sticking
Resistance is already forming: The second shot won't be a warning
Let's be collateral damage
Looking down your nose like it's the best you can manage
Just to stand indignity after indignation
The thread of a hostile occupation
The better to form a sovereign nation
Here's the plan:
Let every man who disagrees be roughly brought down to his knees,
be starved to death, made to freeze, and sentenced to the gulag.
If you've got guns, well now's the time for sticking
Resistance is already forming: The second shot won't be a warning
When the tanks roll into Warsaw, will I find you at the front,
singing into a tape recorder, shouldering the brunt of the attack?
Has it come to that?
The lyrics to Harvey Danger's song War Buddies seem to be discussing war and the idea of being companions in that environment. The first verse, "Let's be war buddies, Waist deep in big muddies, side by side. I'd be the atheist in your foxhole any time. Let's be friendly fire, Body count's mounting on a bed of barbed wire, coldly stacked," portrays the idea of two people in the trenches of war, facing the same dangers and relying on each other for mutual support. The phrase "I'd be the atheist in your foxhole any time" may be meant to suggest that regardless of differences in beliefs or backgrounds, they would still be there for each other in dangerous times.
The second verse, "Across the desert, back to brave the burning sand, back to question every effort, back to challenge your command," portrays a sense of questioning authority and searching for meaning in the midst of chaos. The line "The second shot won't be a warning" suggests a sense of urgency and danger as war continues to escalate.
The final verse, "Let's be collateral damage, Looking down your nose like it's the best you can manage, Just to stand indignity after indignation, The thread of a hostile occupation, The better to form a sovereign nation," suggests a sense of rebellion and resistance against an occupying force. The phrase "let's be collateral damage" may be meant to suggest the idea of being willing to sacrifice oneself for a greater cause, challenging the idea of "looking down your nose" at the situation. The final lines question whether they will be able to stand up and fight when the time comes, suggesting a sense of doubt and questioning their own strength in the face of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's be war buddies
Let's fight together in the war as comrades.
Waist deep in big muddies, side by side
We'll be together in the trenches fighting in difficult and hazardous conditions.
I'd be the atheist in your foxhole any time
Even if you have different beliefs, I'll stand by your side through thick and thin.
Let's be friendly fire
Even if we accidentally hurt each other, like friendly fire, we'll continue fighting together.
Body count's mounting on a bed of barbed wire, coldly stacked
We see the tragedies of war every moment and have grown numb to the violence and deaths around us.
As soon as the morning light has broken, then we attack
We'll be ready to launch an attack as soon as the opportunity arises.
If nobody tries to hard to kill you, I got your back
I'll protect you from harm, as long as you're not deliberately putting yourself in danger.
Across the desert, back to brave the burning sand
We'll return from the desert and face extreme conditions and danger together.
back to question every effort, back to challenge your command
We'll reevaluate our tactics and leadership decisions to make the best choices.
If you've got guns, well now's the time for sticking
If we have weapons, we need to be ready to use them at any moment.
Resistance is already forming: The second shot won't be a warning
People are already fighting back against us; we can't be lenient and expect a second chance.
Let's be collateral damage
We might get hurt or killed, but it's worth it for the cause.
Looking down your nose like it's the best you can manage
You're acting superior and condescending even in the face of danger and devastation.
Just to stand indignity after indignation
We'll endure humiliation and mistreatment repeatedly in order to fight for our cause.
The thread of a hostile occupation
We're fighting against a force that's trying to take over our land and oppress us.
The better to form a sovereign nation
We're fighting to establish our own independent country.
Here's the plan:
This is our strategy and outline for fighting.
Let every man who disagrees be roughly brought down to his knees,be starved to death, made to freeze, and sentenced to the gulag.
Anyone who opposes us needs to suffer violent punishment or death.
When the tanks roll into Warsaw, will I find you at the front,singing into a tape recorder, shouldering the brunt of the attack?
Will you be with me fighting at the forefront when we're facing a major attack in a key location?
Has it come to that?
Are we really at the point where we need to resort to such extreme measures and violence?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LudusAurea
I was singing this in the car and essentially screaming the lyrics by the end. Jesus Harvey Danger was so good, RIP their bassist and their band. They couldn't have made a better last album - all three of their albums are amazing, and even Dead Sea Scrolls EP like their cover of Maneater.
@oswaldfigglebottom
this album is banger after banger
@NobleKale
Seriously a beautiful song
@0mgitsabadger
Brilliant track from a brilliant album :)
@TEHPWNZER1234
Let's be war buddies
Waist deep in big muddies, side by side
I'd be the atheist in your foxhole any time
Let's be friendly fire
Body counts mounting on a bed of barbed wire, coldly stacked
As soon as the morning light has broken, then we attack
If nobody tries too hard to kill you, I got your back
Across the desert, back to brave the burning sand
Back to question every effort, back to challenge your command
If you've got guns, well now's the time for sticking
Resistance is already forming: The second shot won't be a warning
Let's be collateral damage
Looking down your nose like it's the best you can manage
Just to stand indignity after indignation
The threat of a hostile occupation
The better to form a sovereign nation
Here's the plan:
Let every man who disagrees be roughly brought down to his knees,
Be starved to death, made to freeze, and sentenced to the gulag,
If you've got guns, well now's the time for sticking
Resistance is already forming: The second shot won't be a warning
When the tanks roll into Warsaw, will I find you at the front,
Singing into a tape recorder, shouldering the brunt of the attack?
Has it come to that?
Has it come to that?
Has it come to that?
Has it come to that?
@MarshalTennerWinter
"...if you got guns well now's the time for sticking..."
@Darkmage1293
Resistance is already formin'; the second shot won't be a warnin'.