Look What I Did are a self-described info punk band formed in 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee by singer, Barry Donegan and guitarist, Colby Shea. Miles McPherson (drums, currently playing with Kelly Clarkson) and Chris Bradley (bass) were added before the bands first public live performance in January 2002. The band live performances during that era often ended in animal thongs, a fistfight between members, and in some cases, a hospital trip for its vocalist.
In 2003, the band added a second guitar player, Aaron "Skeet" Childress, formerly of National Green, and relocated to Los Angeles, California. At this time they also released their first recording, an independently recorded, financed, and released LP, My First Time, on their own Clockrock Recordings. Despite its limited pressing, the record received many features from ezines such as theprp.com, loudside.com, Opuszine.com. Miles McPherson was not able to join the band in L.A., and Eli Green, now of HORSE the band filled in for some time. McPherson returned to the group in 2004.
In 2005, newly reformed Combat Records and producer, Brian Virtue (Jane's Addiction, theSTART) worked with the band to release Minuteman for the Moment on October 4, 2005. The band then relocated to Nashville, TN, and began heavy national touring with bands such as Ion Dissonance, Animosity, At All Cost, Dog Fashion Disco, Tub Ring and The Classic Struggle, Drop Dead, Gorgeous, Folly, and The Human Abstract.
In October of 2006, Jake Omen(drums, ex Year of Desolation) and Ty Coughlin(bass) joined the band, replacing McPherson and Shea. Chris Bradley took over the duties on guitar.
In early 2008 the band signed a deal with new label Modernist Movement. The album Atlas Drugged was released on February 9, 2010 via Modernist Movement Recordings. Atlas Drugged was also produced by Brian Virtue.
The band released Zanzibar III: Analog Prison in 2014 and Sympathy Porn in 2019 on So Say We All Records.
House Of Cards
Look What I Did Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fingernails in the plastic, gently, gently, gently
Careful not to damage the plastic makes perfect makes perfect
Makes structures such perfect
Piles and Piles of
The architecture, arts and leisure, whores and beggers, beg for better
A gust of wind can erase the foundation, the patience, the effort is wasted on making
Piles and Piles of
It takes such flimsy parts to make a House of Cards
Carefully balancing intricate curvature gently, gently, gently
The six and the jack are now buckling under the pressure
The King is such corpulent heavy
Piles and Piles of
The weight and measure, trash and treasure, pain and pleasure
Obtuse gets the pressure
Form against function a swaying impression
A contractor paid with his sweat for the measure of
Piles and piles of
All this grand presentation
Colors, fine decoration
Built to please
Piece by piece
Makes no matter
Shortly after
A King and pauper, lead to slaughter, fertilize the ground
Your life is, too fragile, to balance on
In Look What I Did's song "House of Cards", the lyrics present a metaphor for life, represented as a house of cards, built upon the structure of the individual's own architecture, arts, leisure, trash, and treasure. The careful construction of a house of cards, represented through the delicate stacking and balancing of cards, reflects the effort and patience that goes into the construction of one's own life. However, as the song progresses, we see that despite the effort that goes into building and maintaining the house of cards, ultimately, it is fragile and easily destroyed. As the wind blows, the carefully constructed foundation collapses, leaving behind only piles of shambled cards. The metaphorical King, Queen, Jack, and other playing cards, all represented as different components of life, are also easily buckling under the pressure and weight of the structures that have been built.
The song seems to argue that the effort we put into building our own lives, whether it be for presentation, success, or pleasure, can all too easily be destroyed, leaving behind only piles of wreckage. The metaphor is a bleak one, but also a powerful reminder of the fragility of existence. We see this reflected in the final lines of the song: "Your life is, too fragile, to balance on."
Line by Line Meaning
Open the deck
Begin the process of creating a House of Cards by opening the deck of cards.
Fingernails in the plastic, gently, gently, gently
Handle the plastic cards carefully and delicately, using your fingernails to avoid damaging them.
Careful not to damage the plastic makes perfect makes perfect
Being cautious with the plastic cards ensures that you can create a perfect structure without any damage.
Makes structures such perfect
Being careful while handling the cards helps to create such perfect structures.
Piles and Piles of
Repeated reference to the accumulation of cards and structures.
The architecture, arts and leisure, whores and beggers, beg for better
The aspects of life represented by the different suits and cards make up the foundation of the House of Cards, with the desire for improvement present in all aspects.
A gust of wind can erase the foundation, the patience, the effort is wasted on making
The fragility of the cards, and the House of Cards itself, means that it can be destroyed by something as simple as a gust of wind, making patience and effort put into creating it seem futile.
Kings, Queens, 2's, 3s, how fragile all these things
All the cards, regardless of rank or suit, are inherently fragile and unstable.
It takes such flimsy parts to make a House of Cards
The House of Cards is made up of these weak and unstable individual parts.
Carefully balancing intricate curvature gently, gently, gently
The process of balancing and stacking the cards into a structure is delicate and intricate, requiring careful attention.
The six and the jack are now buckling under the pressure
The fragility of the cards is demonstrated as some cannot support the weight and pressure of the structure.
The King is such corpulent heavy
The weight of the King card contributes significantly to the instability and eventual collapse of the House of Cards.
The weight and measure, trash and treasure, pain and pleasure
The different cards and suits represent various aspects of life, both positive and negative, all of which contribute to the final House of Cards.
Obtuse gets the pressure
The weak points of the House of Cards are placed under significant pressure and stress.
Form against function a swaying impression
The importance of the structure's appearance and design is at odds with its practical function, leading it to sway and eventually collapse.
A contractor paid with his sweat for the measure of
The creator of the House of Cards has put in significant effort and work to make it happen.
Piles and piles of
The accumulation of cards and structures is emphasized once again.
All this grand presentation
The end result of the House of Cards is visually impressive and grand.
Colors, fine decoration
The design and decoration of the House of Cards adds to its visual appeal.
Built to please
The creator of the House of Cards has made it with the intention of pleasing others.
Piece by piece
The House of Cards is constructed one card at a time.
Makes no matter
Despite the attention to detail and effort put into creating the structure, it ultimately does not matter.
Shortly after
The ultimate collapse of the House of Cards is inevitable and imminent.
A King and pauper, lead to slaughter, fertilize the ground
All aspects of life, from the highest to the lowest, are ultimately subject to the same fate and eventual destruction.
Your life is, too fragile, to balance on
The House of Cards serves as a metaphor for the fragility and instability of life itself, emphasizing the importance of living carefully and deliberately.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Devil Cloud
When I saw this live many years ago, it was amazing. LWID crew thank you for one great memory.
jared jaguar
iifuckingLove this track oh so much!!!
Con
They need to be more well known. This is awesome.
Devil Cloud
Great song.
Octavio Bannach
The world is such a rotten place. LWID'll never came to Brazil, but Lady Gaga still alive...