Les Savy Fav is an indie rock band which formed in Providence, Rhode Island… Read Full Bio ↴Les Savy Fav is an indie rock band which formed in Providence, Rhode Island, United States in 1995, where the members were attending the Rhode Island School of Design. The band moved to Brooklyn, New York shortly after graduating. The band consists of Tim Harrington (vocals), Seth Jabour (guitar), Andrew Reuland (guitar), Syd Butler (bass) and Harrison Haynes (drums).

The band has released five albums: "3/5" (1997), "The Cat and the Cobra" (1999), "Go Forth" (2001), "Let's Stay Friends" (2007) and "Root for Ruin" (2010). "Inches", a compilation of the non-album singles the band released between 1995 and 2004 was released in April 2004.

Hello Halo Goodbye Glands
Les Savy Fav Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hello to my halo,
Goodbye to my glands,
You can move a mountain with a book of plans.
You can't break a heart with my birthday wish.
You can't make a wave in a petrie dish.

Tell them,
We think they're starving.

Tell them,
We think they're deaf.
Tell them,
We've seen them carving curse words into their desks.
Tell them,
That I'm a liquid.
Tell them,
It's been a gas.
Tell them,
They're frozen solid just behind the looking glass.

The mirror just flat,

The mirror's just glass,
Into the mirror let's try not to pass.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Les Savy Fav's song "Hello Halo Goodbye Glands" convey a sense of detachment and disorientation. The opening lines depict a separation between the singer's physical self (their glands) and their spiritual manifestation (their halo). Additionally, the lyrics speak to the power of knowledge and plans to move mountains, while acknowledging the inability of wishes to break hearts or petrie dishes to make waves. These contrasts highlight a paradoxical nature of the world - the juxtaposition of the tangible and the intangible, and the power of ideas to affect change.

The second half of the song describes the singer's perception of a larger societal problem. The lines "We think they're starving" and "We think they're deaf" suggest a sense of social commentary and critique, as if the singer is calling out a group of people/individuals for their lack of awareness and empathy. The references to "carving curse words" and "frozen solid" provide additional insight into the singer's perception of this group and their perceived social isolation.

Overall, the song conveys a sense of frustration and confusion, as the singer grapples with the complexities and contradictions of the world they inhabit.

Line by Line Meaning

Hello to my halo,
I acknowledge my pure and good intentions.

Goodbye to my glands,
I am disconnecting from my primal instincts.

You can move a mountain with a book of plans.
With a solid strategy, anything is possible.

You can't break a heart with my birthday wish.
My desires aren't selfish or harmful to others.

You can't make a wave in a petrie dish.
You can't create a significant impact in a controlled environment.

Tell them,
Spread the word.

We think they're starving.
We believe they are deprived and in need.

We think they're deaf.
We believe they are not listening or paying attention.

We've seen them carving curse words into their desks.
We've witnessed their frustration and anger manifesting in destructive behavior.

Tell them,
Spread the word.

That I'm a liquid.
I am adaptable and ever-changing.