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
New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down
LCD Soundsystem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you're bringing me down
New york, I love you
But you're bringing me down
Like a rat in a cage
Pulling minimum wage
New york, I love you
But you're bringing me down
New york, you're safer
And you're wasting my time
Our records all show
You are filthy but fine
But they shuttered your stores
When you opened the doors
To the cops who were bored
Once they'd run out of crime
New york, you're perfect
Don't please don't change a thing
Your mild billionaire mayor's
Now convinced he's a king
So the boring collect
I mean all disrespect
In the neighborhood bars
I'd once dreamt I would drink
New york, I love you
But you're freaking me out
There's a ton of the twist
But we're fresh out of shout
Like a death in the hall
That you hear through your wall
New york, I love you
But you're freaking me out
New york, I love you
But you're bringing me down
New york, I love you
But you're bringing me down
Like a death of the heart
Jesus, where do I start?
But you're still the one pool
Where I'd happily drown
And oh.. take me off your mailing list
For kids that think it still exists
Yes, for those who think it still exists
Maybe I'm wrong
And maybe you're right
Maybe I'm wrong
And myabe you're right
Maybe you're right
Maybe I'm wrong
And just maybe you're right
And oh..
Maybe mother told you true
And they're always be something there for you
And you'll never be alone
But maybe she's wrong
And maybe I'm right
And just maybe she's wrong
Maybe she's wrong
And maybe I'm right
And if so, is there?
The song "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" by LCD Soundsystem is a love letter to New York City that also serves as a critique of the city's flaws. The repetitive chorus of "New York, I love you, but you're bringing me down" shows the singer's conflicting emotions towards the city. On the one hand, he loves the city, but on the other hand, it's bringing him down in some ways.
The first verse of the song talks about how the singer feels trapped in the city, like a rat in a cage, and that he's only making minimum wage. Despite this, he still loves the city. The next verse is a criticism of how the city has changed, with the influx of wealthy people and the shuttering of small businesses. The singer laments the loss of the neighborhood bars that he once dreamed of drinking in.
The bridge of the song is where the singer really starts to lose it. He talks about how the city is freaking him out with all its constant noise and how there's no one left to shout with. The final verse talks about how the singer is torn between what his mother told him about the city always being there for him and his own doubts about that being true.
Overall, the song is a bittersweet ode to New York City, acknowledging both the good and the bad parts of it. It's a reflection on how the city can simultaneously inspire and drain someone.
Line by Line Meaning
New york, I love you
The singer has love and admiration for New York City
But you're bringing me down
The city is affecting the singer in a negative way
Like a rat in a cage
Feeling stuck and powerless
Pulling minimum wage
The singer is working a low-paying job
New york, you're safer
New York is generally a safe place to live
And you're wasting my time
The singer does not feel productive or fulfilled in the city
Our records all show
Statistics indicate that New York is a dirty, but still appealing place to live
You are filthy but fine
Despite its filthiness, the city is still desirable
But they shuttered your stores
Although businesses initially thrived, they were eventually closed down
When you opened the doors
The businesses were closed due to misconduct
To the cops who were bored
Police officers were looking for something to do after the area was cleaned up
Once they'd run out of crime
It was difficult for officers to find crime to stop after the area became safer
New york, you're perfect
The city is viewed as close to perfect, but not actually perfect
Don't please don't change a thing
The singer does not want anything to change about the city
Your mild billionaire mayor's
The billionaire mayor is passive and not very effective
Now convinced he's a king
Despite his passiveness, the mayor has an inflated sense of self-importance
So the boring collect
Uninteresting people gather in groups
I mean all disrespect
The singer has a negative opinion of these groups of people
In the neighborhood bars
People tend to gather in bars in the neighborhood
I'd once dreamt I would drink
The singer once felt that going to these bars would be a dream come true
But you're freaking me out
The city is causing fear or anxiety to the singer
There's a ton of the twist
The music scene feels repetitive
But we're fresh out of shout
There is no energetic or enthusiastic music
Like a death in the hall
The negativity in the environment is palpable
That you hear through your wall
The negativity is affecting the singer's personal life
And oh.. take me off your mailing list
The singer does not want to be part of something that does not exist anymore
For kids that think it still exists
Some people still hold onto the notion that the mailing list exists
Maybe I'm wrong
The singer may not be correct in his views
And maybe you're right
There is a possibility that someone else has a more accurate perspective
Maybe mother told you true
The possibility exists that things will work out
And they're always be something there for you
No matter what, there will be something good to hold on to
And you'll never be alone
A sense of community always exists in New York city
But maybe she's wrong
The singer disagrees with the idea that everything will work out
And if so, is there?
The singer wants to know if the idea that everything will work out is false
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind