The band was formed in 1993 by Geoff Farina, Eamonn Vitt and Gavin McCarthy. In 1995, Jeff Goddard joined the band as bass player, and Vitt moved to second guitar. Vitt departed Karate to pursue a medical career in 1997.
Karate’s perfectionism and attention to detail belied the off-the-cuff ethos of the indie rock world, and some considered them to be as un-punk as it gets. But fans would say that their auto-didactic music studies, compulsive control of their song arrangements, ascetic studio values, and Geoff’s work modifying old tube amplifiers and creating original album artwork, was pure DIY. Karate was even compulsive about naming this recording, which was originally called "594” since it was believed to be a recording of their 594th show, according to “The Showlist.” Culled mostly from Jeff Goddard’s elephantine memory, The Showlist is a mammoth list of Karate’s 695 shows, complete with dates, venues, support bands, and even the specific tour vehicle used to get to each show. But when Gavin recently discovered a flyer for a forgotten early show that had somehow evaded Jeff’s memory, the band quickly changed the title to '595'.
The early incarnation of Karate included Eamonn Vitt on bass and guitar, and when Jeff Goddard joined early on, they recorded In Place of Real Insight as a four-piece. When Eamonn left to pursue medical school, the lineup stabilized and remained a trio until their 2005 demise. Karate also built up a close-knit community of collaborators who shared their same no-nonsense values, including Tape Op tech guru Andy Hong who engineered most of their studio albums, Flower Booking’s Mahmood Shaikh who booked the band for over a decade, and tour manager / live sound engineer Greet Vyvey who traveled with the band on all their European tours.
Since the band's breakup, Jeff and Gavin recorded a bass/drums project called Possible Path, and Gavin began drumming for the legendary Boston psych-rock band Cul De Sac. Geoff and Gavin have a new band called Glorytellers that also features Josh Larue (Mice Parade, Him, The Sorts ) on electric guitar. Geoff started work on a new solo release for Southern Records, a recording of pre-War blues songs with Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Pullman, The New Year), and recently appeared on an all-covers record called Guilt by Association with Devendra Banhart, Mike Watt, Will Oldham, Petra Haden, Mark Mulcahy, Jim O'Rourke, and other great performers.
South
Karate Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"In the South they just don't work."
Lazy angels spill time and use lives as I would mine.
Pouring out of windows, like strange flags,
Come clean clothes.
Spit-free sediment sweep dives from
Broom-kept porch in no time.
With the day-dried test of small talk.
She walks quick, fresh, with clean, black crease,
And navigates this mess with protected ease.
Does she leave?
Does she come home?
Where does she sleep?
But somehow the gate's not right.
A face stripped of something since last night.
Can you sustain that same smile at a store or a job?
And what's such a rush that would let you be robbed?
Do you leave?
Do you come home?
The lyrics of Karate's song "South" offer a contemplative, almost poetic reflection on the South and what it means to live there. The opening lines, "How many times have I heard, / 'In the South they just don't work,'" immediately set the tone for what follows. The singer is questioning a stereotype that is often applied to people who live in the South, and seems to be suggesting that there is more to the region than lazy Southern drawls and front porch rocking chairs.
Throughout the song, the singer offers a series of fragmented images that seem to capture the essence of life in the South. They describe "lazy angels" who "spill time" and "use lives as [they] would mine," conjuring up a sense of ennui and listlessness. The imagery then shifts to a more mundane but still evocative description of clean clothes pouring out of windows and sediment being swept from broom-kept porches.
The rest of the song is similarly impressionistic, with the singer questioning whether people ever truly leave or return home, and pondering the significance of a face "stripped of something since last night." Ultimately, the song doesn't offer any clear answers, but instead invites the listener to reflect on the complexities of life in the South and what it means to belong there.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times have I heard,
An opening question that reflects on the common perception of Southern people as lazy.
"In the South they just don't work."
A statement that reinforces the stereotype of Southern people being lazy.
Lazy angels spill time and use lives as I would mine.
An acknowledgment that even though Southern people might not work as hard, they have a relaxed way of living that one can appreciate.
Pouring out of windows, like strange flags,
A comparison between the clothes hanging from Southern windows and flags. Both signify something about the culture and way of life.
Come clean clothes.
An observation about the refreshing sight of clean clothes hanging out to dry.
Spit-free sediment sweep dives from
A description of the clean porch, which reflects the Southern habit of keeping their homes tidy.
Broom-kept porch in no time.
An acknowledgment of the efficiency and ease with which Southern people clean and maintain their homes.
Now the sun strips that same sidewalk,
A reference to the passage of time and the changes that occur over the course of the day.
With the day-dried test of small talk.
A reference to the social interactions that take place outside on a Southern sidewalk.
She walks quick, fresh, with clean, black crease,
A description of a woman who embodies the ideal of cleanliness and orderliness in the South.
And navigates this mess with protected ease.
An acknowledgment that even though the South might be chaotic at times, there's a certain sense of protection and security to be found there.
Does she leave?
A rhetorical question that could apply to anyone living in the South.
Does she come home?
A question that reflects the importance of home and family in Southern culture.
Where does she sleep?
A question that hints at the mysteries and secrets that might be hidden behind a Southern facade.
But somehow the gate's not right.
A suggestion that something might be wrong or off-kilter in the singer's perception of the South.
A face stripped of something since last night.
A hint that something has changed or been lost in the artist's experience in the South.
Can you sustain that same smile at a store or a job?
A question that suggests the difficulty in truly understanding and appreciating Southern culture.
And what's such a rush that would let you be robbed?
A philosophical question that implies the dangers and risks inherent in fully immersing oneself in the South.
Do you leave?
A question that reflects the desire for escape or change that might be present in anyone living in the South.
Do you come home?
A question that reflects the pull and allure of the South and its unique way of life on those who leave.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarcosAntonio-bg2iz
Agora sim um Karaté de verdade!
@NathiNicee
Osu!!! Thank you so much for the videos. Will you please upload more of the others, especially those of Sensei Maxama, Senpai Zamani and Sensei Lwazi. Thank you
@phililemchunu6000
lindo is a good fighter yoh..
. just that towards the end he really felt Xolanis wieght. but damn guy is good.
@tholakelemlangeni8559
Lindo is a good fighter phela Xolani is Big but he still managed to keep going.I love his strength
@bhekazulu2907
Big up to Lindo the guy fought well considering the weight difference
@mlindenimtshali298
Good fight these guys showed so much energy
@Simaq7
If anyone knows sensei Xolani, ask if he knows sensei Lucky Dube from Khayelitsha. I used to train under sensei Lucky in 1998. There was a gentleman who was a brown belt from another dojo, by the name of Xolani. I'm not sure if it's the same Xolani.
@GcinikhayaMadama-ne9xm
Hi
@nolwazigumede220
Osu
@2Zuz
I don't care what y'all say....BUT....Xolani is a freak'n tank....!!! 30 more seconds...the man would've put the lil' guy in a stretcher.....!!!! Nonetheless....good fight