Dayton Ohio's LAB PARTNERS formed in 1998 by guitarist/vocalist MIKE SMITH … Read Full Bio ↴Dayton Ohio's LAB PARTNERS formed in 1998 by guitarist/vocalist MIKE SMITH and keyboardist AMY SMITH, the band originally featured lead guitarist KEVIN PARRETT (A Ten O'Clock Scholar) and drummer MATT SCHULZ, who has been a longtime collaborator with Mike Smith dating back from their days together in Honeyburn. Schulz went on to perform full-time duty with Enon. Today Lab Partners' drum work is handled by KEVIN VAUGHN (Candy Afterlife, Heartless Bastards) and features veteran rocker MIKE VOLK on lead guitar (also formerly of Honeyburn and Let's Crash). Lab Partners also serve as one of the few bands not to include a bass player, with Amy Smith's keyboards and sequencer work uniquely filling in the low end of the rock spectrum.

Spin Magazine called them the “Band To Watch” and Under The Radar Magazine and Pitchfork Media suing the bands praises as they've continued to tour with the likes of The Warlocks, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Kinski and US Maple.

After Hours
Lab Partners Lyrics

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Can I call you up at two?
Can I sleep the morning through?
I really miss the after hours

And can I call you from New York?
Ask me when I'm coming home
Tell me that you'll leave the light on

Can we pretend that we're not done?
Will you tell me I'm the one?
I really miss the rain and flowers

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Overall Meaning

The Lab Partners' song "After Hours" talks about missing someone and yearning to be with them during the late hours of the night. The song opens with the singer asking if they can call the other person at two in the morning and sleep until morning; a request that indicates intimacy and trust in their relationship. The chorus talks about missing the after-hours, representing after-work time when the singer presumably had the time to spend with the other person, but is now missing their company and comfort.

In the second verse, the singer asks if they can call from New York and wants to know if the other person will leave the light on for them. The singer is seeking reassurance and wants to believe that the other person wants them to come home, even if they are far away. The verse ends with the singer hoping to pick back up where they left off, despite the issues they may have had, while still missing the "rain and flowers," representing the good times they've shared.

Overall, the song is about missing someone and wanting to be in their company even during the late hours of the night. It touches on themes of longing, trust, and the desire to pick up where things left off, despite difficulties.

Contributed by Zoe L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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