During the band's final years, Murphy was accompanied by Al Doyle (guitar, percussion -- also of Hot Chip), Tyler Pope (!!! / Out Hud) (bass), Nancy Whang (keyboards) and Pat Mahoney (drums). Members that played live with Murphy under the LCD Soundsystem name before this time include Phil Mossman (guitar, percussion) and Phil Skarich (bass).
LCD Soundsystem gained attention with its first single, "Losing My Edge". The song, which sounds like the boastings of a music geek put to an electronic beat, received acclaim in 2002. Murphy released a double album simply titled LCD Soundsystem in February of 2005 to critical acclaim. The first disk of the album contains new music and the second contains re-releases of songs previously released as singles. The opening track "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" entered the UK Top 40 in March 2005.
On December 8, 2005 the group received nominations for two Grammys in the Electronica category for their self-titled album and in the Dance category for "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House". This album was also chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005.
In March 2007, the band released their second album entitled Sound Of Silver. The album has spawned four singles including "North American Scum", "All My Friends", "Someone Great" and "Time To Get Away". Sound Of Silver saw a move towards a more traditional song writing approach whilst still maintaining the production values of their eponymous debut effort. This has resulted in the album appearing in numerous critic's end of year lists and another Grammy nomination for best electronic/dance album of 2007.
On November 18, 2008 Al Doyle seemed to suggest in an interview with 6 Music that the band would soon be discontinued. However, the following day both Doyle and James Murphy quashed this rumor, with Murphy indicating a new LCD Soundsystem album was on the way. Murphy began recording in the summer of 2009 in Los Angeles. Possible song titles mentioned at that time included "Why Do You Hate Music?" and "Love in LA." For the 2009 Record Store Day the band released a cover of Suicide member Alan Vega's song "Bye Bye Bayou".
On February 23, 2010, the official LCD Soundsystem website announced that the album had been completed. The first single was set to be "Drunk Girls" and on March 25, a stream of the song was put on music site One Thirty BPM. The title of the album and the cover were revealed on the DFA site on March 30. The album, titled This Is Happening, was released in the UK on May 17, 2010 and in the US on May 18, 2010. Prior to the release Murphy promised that it will be "definitely better than the other two." Murphy also stated that it was likely to be the last LCD Soundsystem album.
On February 5th, 2011, Murphy announced the band's breakup, citing an interest in pursuing other projects as a record producer. The same day, the band's final performance was announced -- their biggest headlining show ever at New York's Madison Square Garden on April 2nd of 2011. In the show's controversial onsale, the arena sold out in seconds due to scalpers allegedly buying tickets in mass amounts, and denying the opportunity for most fans to buy tickets. After public outrage, the band announced four more shows at New York's Terminal 5, to take place the week before the final show at MSG.
On January 5th, 2016, James announced the band's reunion, a new album to be released 2016, and a tour, "not just playing coachella. we’re playing all over".
Official site: http://lcdsoundsystem.com
Give It Up
LCD Soundsystem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make you feel real good
I always take it more than I know I should
You never give it away for free
You're always stealing a little love from me
but you got to give it up
If you want to live it up
If you want to live it up
Money
Make you feel real good
You're always taking more than you know you should
You always take it take it take it etc...
Give it up
If you want to live it up
You got to give it up
If you want to live it up
You got to give it up
If you want to live it up
You got to give it up
If you want to live it up
These are the parts of a terrible past
And these are the things we can live without
You got to give it up
If you want to live it up
These are the parts of a terrible past
And these are the things we can live without
The lyrics of LCD Soundsystem's song "Give It Up" touch on a number of ideas related to money, love, and happiness. The opening verse starts with the suggestion that money can make you feel good, but that taking too much of it can lead to problems. The singer admits to taking more money than they know they should, but that they still feel like they are not getting their fair share of love in return. The chorus then repeats the idea that if you want to live it up (i.e. be happy and fulfilled), you need to give up something in return. The second verse repeats a similar structure, again emphasizing the idea that taking too much can lead to problems.
However, as the song progresses, it takes on a more philosophical tone. The bridge section starts with the line "these are the parts of a terrible past", implying that the problems related to money and love are tied to a broader societal or historical context. The singer then suggests that there are things we can live without, implying that there are certain material possessions or experiences that we don't actually need to be happy. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, affirmed by the final line "these are the things we can live without," suggesting that true happiness comes from a willingness to let go of excess and unnecessary things.
Overall, the lyrics of "Give It Up" suggest that while money and possessions can bring temporary satisfaction, true happiness requires a degree of selflessness and a willingness to give up something in return.
Line by Line Meaning
Money
Money is a powerful motivator.
Make you feel real good
Money has the ability to make one feel good.
I always take it more than I know I should
Despite knowing that taking too much money is wrong, the singer still does it.
You never give it away for free
No one gives away money without expecting something in return.
You're always stealing a little love from me
The person who controls the money has power over the artist, and subtly takes advantage of them.
but you got to give it up
The singer acknowledges that the person with the money must eventually let it go.
If you want to live it up
Enjoyment and success in life require more than just hoarding wealth.
Money
Make you feel real good
You're always taking more than you know you should
You always take it take it take it etc...
Reiteration of the power of money and the tendency to want more.
Give it up
If you want to live it up
You got to give it up
If you want to live it up
You got to give it up
If you want to live it up
You got to give it up
If you want to live it up
The chorus emphasizes the importance of letting go of money in order to truly live life to the fullest.
These are the parts of a terrible past
The artist identifies negative aspects of their history.
And these are the things we can live without
The singer decides that these past issues can be left behind in order to move forward.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Jeremiah Murphy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind