Hailing from Montreal, Canada, Islands is a 6 piece band founded in 2005 by The Unicorns co-founder/songwriter Nick Thorburn (often performing as "Nick Diamonds") and drummer J'Aime Tambeur. Following the untimely disbandment of The Unicorns as they teetered on the brink of breaking through, Islands' debut release entitled Return to the Sea, with its quirky sounds and refreshing, catchy melodies includes collaborations with members of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. This debut picks up where The Unicorns left off and takes the music to new heights without departing from The Unicorns' unique if sometimes peculiar appeal.
Islands plays beautiful pop melodies, intertwined with elements of afro-pop, hip hop, and indie rock, among others. One of the main gimmicks of the band is the recorder brought over from The Unicorns, which is prominently featured in the song "Jogging Gorgeous Summer." Nick Diamonds rules over the band with an iron fist. Other members include: Patrice Agbokou, Aaron Harris, Alex Chow, Sebastian Chow, and Patrick Gregoire. Return To the Sea, their rookie effort, was released on April 4th, 2006 on the brand new label, Equator Records, and Rough Trade in the UK. Digital Distribution handled by Alpha Pup.
On May 20, 2008, Islands released its second album, Arm's Way, on Anti- Records.
On September 22, 2009 Islands released their third full length album, Vapours.
On February 14, 2012 Islands released their fourth full length album, A Sleep & A Forgetting.
On September 17, 2013 Islands released their fifth full length album, Ski Mask
On May 13, 2016 Islands released their sixth and seventh full length albums, Should I Remain Here, At Sea? and Taste.
Don't I Love You
Islands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Isn't the sky gray?
Isn't the moon blue?
La dah dah dah
And don't I love you?
Until one hundred
Mmm, go unfed
And when I turned around
You had gone underground
And when I tried to coax you out
You didn't make a sound
Don't I love you?
Isn't the sky gray?
Isn't the moon blue?
Don't I love you
While my arms surround you
Like lovers' do
The lyrics to Islands's song Don't I Love You seem to express both confusion and devotion towards a loved one. The singer seems to be questioning their love for the person, asking if they love them and pointing out the mundane reality around them as if to question why they feel so strongly. Yet, despite this confusion, the singer continues to express love for the person, pledging to love them until one hundred and holding them tightly. The section where the singer says "And when I turned around, you had gone underground" seems to suggest that the loved one has withdrawn from the singer's life, making the singer feel disconnected and lonely. However, the singer is still willing to try and coax the loved one back, even if they don't respond.
Overall, the song seems to capture the complicated emotions of loving someone deeply, while also feeling uncertain and confused about that love. The repetition of the line "Don't I love you?" seems to suggest that the singer is trying to convince themselves that they do in fact love the person, possibly because their love is not being reciprocated or because they are unsure of how to express it.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't I love you?
Asking if they still love their partner
Isn't the sky gray?
The sky is dull and colorless, mirroring the singer's mood
Isn't the moon blue?
Emphasizing the bleakness of the world without their loved one
La dah dah dah
A non-verbal filler, possibly to express the singer's inability to adequately convey their emotions
And don't I love you?
Repeating the question, underscoring the emotional intensity of the singer's feelings
Until one hundred
The singer's love is so strong that it will last a hundred years
Mmm, go unfed
The love is so strong that it will continue even if the singer is not reciprocated
And when I turned around
Turning around symbolizes taking a break or a hiatus from the relationship
You had gone underground
The partner has disappeared and hidden themselves metaphorically, putting a strain on the relationship
And when I tried to coax you out
The singer tried to rekindle the relationship and bring it back to what it used to be
You didn't make a sound
The partner is unresponsive or unwilling to communicate
While my arms surround you
The singer is physically embracing the partner
Like lovers' do
The singer is reminiscing about how their relationship was before it changed
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: NICHOLAS SHANAHAN THORBURN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind