After mk Ultra broke up in 1999, Vanderslice wasted little time building a solo reputation. In 2000, he gained national media attention over his single Bill Gates Must Die after concocting an elaborate hoax in which Microsoft supposedly threatened legal action over supposed trademark violations (the disc had a similar etching to a Windows installation disc).
Subsequent albums, Time Travel is Lonely, Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, Cellar Door, Pixel Revolt and Emerald City have gained critical acclaim for their melodic quality and sophisticated narrative lyrical content. Vanderslice has spent much of the last few years on tour across North America, Europe, and Japan.
Vanderslice also founded a recording studio in 1997 called Tiny Telephone. Located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Tiny Telephone has carved out a niche as the last all-analog recording studio in the Bay Area, and has a policy of setting recording rates under market prices. Bands who have used Vanderslice's studio include Beulah, Death Cab for Cutie, Okkervil River and Spoon.
Vanderslice is a proponent of using analog instruments and recording equipment to produce a richer, more raw sound which he has sometimes called "dirty hi-fi". He has collaborated closely with Scott Solter in the production of his recent albums, with Pixel Revolt being notably shaped by Solter.
Vanderslice was a contributing producer on the Spoon album, Gimme Fiction, and has collaborated and toured with The Mountain Goats. He is strongly influenced by film and is a fan of David Lynch, whose work is referenced in his song "Promising Actress". His declared musical influences are diverse, ranging from Neutral Milk Hotel to Public Enemy. He is an avid photography hobbyist. He has incorporated the poetry of William Blake and Robert Lowell into his music.
Several songs on the album Pixel Revolt referenced the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent global political situation. This is also true of Vanderslice's most recent album, Emerald City.
Too Much Time
John Vanderslice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i tied up my sleeping bag
a jetty wont last forever
waves tumblle and tumble
stone by stone
i ended here all alone
and brick by brick
i woke myself from happiness
and eucalypted piled high
im shivering by a flaming fire
too much time
ah oh
too much time gone by
and i cant find you if i try
too much time
ah oh
too much time gone by
and i cant find you if i try
rolled up my mat and
I've got no obligations
packed up my pots and pans and
freedom is overrated
stone by stone
i left my only home
and brick by brick
Woke myself from happiness
and dead fur and almond wood
storm crosses over mount hood
ive got too much time
ahh ooh
too much time gone by
and i cant find you if i try
too much time
ahh ooh
too much time gone by
and i cant find you if i try
too much time
ahh ooh
too much time gone by
and i cant find you if i try
too much time
ahh ooh
too much time gone by
and i cant find you if i try
The lyrics to John Vanderslice's song "Too Much Time" convey a sense of isolation and restlessness. The singer has awoken alone on a beach and appears to be in a state of transition, with the line "stone by stone, I ended here all alone" suggesting that the singer has slowly dismantled their previous life to arrive at this place. The lyrics also present a certain amount of emotional detachment, with the repetition of the phrase "too much time gone by, and I can't find you if I try" suggesting that the singer has lost touch with someone or something important in their life.
As the song progresses, the singer continues to reflect on their life choices, with lines like "packed up my pots and pans and freedom is overrated" suggesting that the singer has deliberately chosen a life of transience and impermanence. However, there is also a sense of longing present, with the line "I'm shivering by a flaming fire" evoking a sense of vulnerability and isolation.
Overall, the lyrics to "Too Much Time" paint a vivid picture of a person in a state of transition, grappling with the consequences of their choices and searching for meaning in a world that seems constantly in flux.
Line by Line Meaning
woke up on the sand and
I woke up lying on the beach
i tied up my sleeping bag
I packed my sleeping bag
a jetty wont last forever
A structure built on the shoreline can be washed away anytime
waves tumblle and tumble
The waves crash and roll on the shore
stone by stone
Slowly and steadily
i ended here all alone
I am now alone, with nowhere else to go
and brick by brick
Gradually and with great effort
i woke myself from happiness
I had to force myself out of the state of happiness I was in
and eucalypted piled high
A stack of eucalyptus wood is burning beside me to keep me warm
im shivering by a flaming fire
Despite the fire, I am still cold and shivering
too much time
I have had too much time without you
ah oh
I am feeling lost and unsure
too much time gone by
It has been too long since I last saw you
and i cant find you if i try
I cannot locate you no matter how hard I look
rolled up my mat and
I have packed up everything I own
I've got no obligations
I am free to go wherever I want
packed up my pots and pans and
I have collected all of my cookware
freedom is overrated
Being free does not necessarily make you happy
and dead fur and almond wood
I am burning a combination of animal fur and almond wood
storm crosses over mount hood
A storm is passing over Mount Hood
ive got too much time
I have an excess of free time
too much time gone by
It has been too long since we last saw each other
and i cant find you if i try
No matter how hard I look, I cannot locate you
too much time
I have had too much time alone
ahh ooh
I feel lost and unsure
too much time gone by
We have been apart for too long
and i cant find you if i try
I have tried but cannot find you
too much time
I have had too much time without you
ahh ooh
I am feeling lost and unsure
too much time gone by
It has been too long since I last saw you
and i cant find you if i try
Despite trying, I cannot locate you
too much time
I have had too much time without you
ahh ooh
I am feeling lost and unsure
too much time gone by
It has been too long since I last saw you
and i cant find you if i try
I cannot find you, no matter how hard I look
Contributed by Aaron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DeepSouthLass
Woke up on the sand and
I tied up my sleeping bag
A jetty wont last forever
Waves tumble and tumble
Stone by stone
I ended here all alone
And brick by brick
I woke myself from happiness
And eucalypted piled high
I'm shivering by a flaming fire
Too much time
Ah oh
Too much time gone by
And I cant find you if i try
Too much time
Ah oh
Too much time gone by
And I can't find you if I try
Rolled up my mat and
I've got no obligations
Packed up my pots and pans and
Freedom is overrated
Stone by stone
I left my only home
And brick by brick
Woke myself from happiness
And dead fur and almond wood
Storm crosses over mount hood
I've got too much time
Ahh ooh
Too much time gone by
And I cant find you if I try
Too much time
Ahh ooh
Too much time gone by
And I can't find you if I try
Too much time
Ahh ooh
Too much time gone by
And I cant find you if I try
Too much time
Ahh ooh
Too much time gone by
And I can't find you if i try
Melissa S
I fell asleep listening to Night Vale and woke up to pitch blackness with this beautiful song playing. It was utterly transcendent.💕
Lex Loiacano
That's beautiful
DeepSouthLass
Woke up on the sand and
I tied up my sleeping bag
A jetty wont last forever
Waves tumble and tumble
Stone by stone
I ended here all alone
And brick by brick
I woke myself from happiness
And eucalypted piled high
I'm shivering by a flaming fire
Too much time
Ah oh
Too much time gone by
And I cant find you if i try
Too much time
Ah oh
Too much time gone by
And I can't find you if I try
Rolled up my mat and
I've got no obligations
Packed up my pots and pans and
Freedom is overrated
Stone by stone
I left my only home
And brick by brick
Woke myself from happiness
And dead fur and almond wood
Storm crosses over mount hood
I've got too much time
Ahh ooh
Too much time gone by
And I cant find you if I try
Too much time
Ahh ooh
Too much time gone by
And I can't find you if I try
Too much time
Ahh ooh
Too much time gone by
And I cant find you if I try
Too much time
Ahh ooh
Too much time gone by
And I can't find you if i try
ICanRideMyBike2
We need more people like you in this world, DeepSouthLass
evieisleavie
Do you remember posting all these lyrics on all these videos, all these years later?
How committed you were... I wonder if you're committed to something new, Deepsouthlass.
David Thompson
Thank you. Love these words. I think he says "Brick by brick, WALLED myself from happiness". maybe?.
John Smith
What's a jetty?
evilpompom
Thank you!
Destiny Adira
this song makes me feel something from my past life
DahliasDarkside
this song breaks my heart, i miss so many people but time changes things in such a way that we can never go back even if i did talk to them, it'll never be the same.