Since forming in March 2011, Calcutta, India’s Ifs and Buts have gone on to… Read Full Bio ↴Since forming in March 2011, Calcutta, India’s Ifs and Buts have gone on to become an exciting acoustic duo that has played all around the city. What began as an Open Mic project slowly started growing after they won the Calcutta leg of the Autumn Music Festival organized by The American Center. Coming Runner’s up in the Finals didn’t slow them down, and they went on to have a great year playing at nearly every music venue in Calcutta.

Exactly a year since they started out, the duo of Subhodip Banerjee (guitar/vocals) and Nicholas Rixon (vocals/guitar/percussion) took another important step. They released a self-titled EP independently at The Basement and played to a packed house. The Ifs and Buts EP consisted of five tracks and the artwork was sketched out by an indie artist, Suparna Lala. It turned out to be the first of many EP’s to come out from the Calcutta music scene in 2012.

Stuck
Ifs and Buts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes it gets
It gets scary to watch
People around you
in Suits and Ties
They keep on walking
With one purpose in mind
To keep on working
And then they die...

To hold on to what
A little anger you've got
That'll get you out of
a lifetime of misery
Don't be like a
Tree and a desert
With nowhere to go
Nothing to do
And nothing to show...

No, I won't
Go down from here

No, I won't
Cuz I'm stuck in fear...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Stuck" by Ifs and Buts touch on themes of fear, anger, and purpose. The first verse reflects on the monotony of corporate life, where workers seem to be on a rigid path towards their ultimate demise. The suits and ties represent the stark corporate culture that view workers as mere cogs in the machine. The second verse speaks to the importance of holding onto a little anger, as it can be the impetus to change one's life; to not become like a tree in a desert with nothing to show for its existence. The refrain "No, I won't go down from here, no, I won't 'cause I'm stuck in fear..." speaks to the inner struggle of wanting to break free but feeling trapped by fear.

Overall, the song seems to suggest that it's important to recognize the power of anger and to use it to drive one forward towards a meaningful purpose. At the same time, it acknowledges the anxiety and fear that can come with trying to live life on one's terms.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes it gets
Occasionally, the situation becomes

It gets scary to watch
It becomes frightening to observe

People around you
Individuals who surround you

in Suits and Ties
Dressed in formal business attire

They keep on walking
They persist in moving forward

With one purpose in mind
With a singular objective in their thoughts

To keep on working
To continue performing labor

And then they die...
And eventually they pass away

To hold on to what
To keep possession of

A little anger you've got
Any small frustration that exists

That'll get you out of
That will alleviate