Warner relocated from Oakland, California, to New York City in mid-2009 to work as a songwriter for hire, after a publishing company scout offered her a deal to write songs for mainstream artists. She soon met producer Peter Wade, and after months of writing with him, he suggested that she release an album under her own name. Warner and Wade uploaded four tracks to Myspace in 2009, which eventually became MNDR's debut EP, E.P.E.
Warner has performed under the moniker MNDR since 2005, around the time she was performing in the Bay Area. The name was given to her by a Fargo friend, who called her "Mandar" while she was still in high school. The spelling and design were inspired by early Detroit techno, early Chicago house, and German techno. Warner explained, "MNDR is a group with Peter Wade in the sense that we make and write all of the music. However, I perform as a solo artist and all that comes with that."
Cut Me Out
MNDR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Count them out, one by one again
Under bricks, buried away
Speculate on a future stake
Hold them close, swallow them whole
Pound them out into sheets to control
The words become translucent
You cash them in
All this talk in the clouds
Changes wind on the ground
Open eyelids of gold
Cut me out, cut me out, cut me out, cut me out
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
[x4]
A burning bloom on a bed of spines
Digging deep into your skin
The dry lines crack with charcoal
Your only comfort is the burning sun
Hold it close inhale it in
Take it down, and down and down again
Feel the quicksand through your fingers
Oh oh, while you melt away
All this talk in the clouds
Changes wind on the ground
Open eyelids of gold
Cut me out, cut me out, cut me out, cut me out
Unleash the downpour
As the words rush in
Will they wash you away?
Watered down
Cut me out, cut me out, cut me out, cut me out.
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
(Cut me out, cut me out)
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Unleash the downpour
As the words rush in
Will they wash you away?
Watered down.
Cut me out, cut me out, cut me out, cut me out.
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
[x4]
Cut me out, cut me out, cut me out, cut me out.
The song “Cut Me Out” by MNDR presents commentary on the tension between the personal and the public life. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been gathering and holding onto sparks of creativity in a bag that is to be opened and examined later. The metaphorical bag is referred to as a velvet bag, which implies it may contain something precious or luxurious. The act of counting the sparks one by one indicates that the singer is very deliberate about their approach towards their creativity. They contemplate a future stake in their creativity that they want to protect.
However, the words they produce become translucent, or transparent, metaphorically diminishing their value. The singer then cashes in their creativity, trading in their pursuit of creative expression for public approval. The line “All this talk in the clouds changes wind on the ground” is describing how public discourse can impact the individual’s private life. The metaphor makes it clear that the singer feels manipulated, overwhelmed, and cut-off from creativity. This line is followed by an assertive “Cut me out,” which suggests a yearning for a return of individuality and privacy.
The second half of the song deals with the after-effects of this tension between a creative and public self. The reference to a “burning bloom on a bed of spines” is evocative, implying a painful display of beauty. The line “The dry lines crack with charcoal” refers to the singer’s skin cracking under pressure. The image of “feel the quicksand through your fingers while you melt away” suggests the singer’s life is being swallowed up by public perception. Overall, the lyrics are a sobering reminder of the consequences of sacrificing personal expression for public validation.
Line by Line Meaning
Gather sparks in a velvet bag
Collecting things that give you happiness, and keeping them safe.
Count them out, one by one again
Taking great care not to lose even one of these things, they are that precious.
Under bricks, buried away
Storing these things underground where no one can find them and take them away.
Speculate on a future stake
Imagining a future where these precious things will play a very important role.
Hold them close, swallow them whole
Keeping these things very tightly close to you, so that nobody else can have them.
Pound them out into sheets to control
Transforming these things into something more tangible, so that you can have full control over them.
The words become translucent
Words lose their significance, importance and become translucent.
You cash them in
Getting rid of these things when you think they are no longer as valuable or as precious as they once were.
All this talk in the clouds
All the discussions taking place in the sky, doesn't matter in the real world.
Changes wind on the ground
Real transformations happen only on the ground, in the physical world.
Open eyelids of gold
Opening your eyes and seeing the value of things that others cannot see.
Cut me out, cut me out, cut me out, cut me out
Removing oneself from all those around you, and being alone.
A burning bloom on a bed of spines
Something beautiful growing out of a place of pain and discomfort.
Digging deep into your skin
Feeling extreme pain and irritation due to the surrounding circumstances.
The dry lines crack with charcoal
Dryness leading to cracks that are filled with blackness and darkness.
Your only comfort is the burning sun
The only source of comfort in these difficult times is hope.
Hold it close inhale it in
Grabbing onto something good, and taking it all in.
Take it down, and down and down again
Embracing the good and never giving up no matter how tough things get.
Feel the quicksand through your fingers
Feeling like life is slipping out of your hands and you're sinking in quicksand.
Oh oh, while you melt away
Slowly fading away into the background and eventually disappearing.
Unleash the downpour
Letting your emotions take over and flow out.
As the words rush in
Feeling powerless as the situation worsens and words overwhelm you.
Will they wash you away?
Will you survive the situation, or be destroyed by it?
Watered down
When things are no longer as strong or powerful as they once were.
Cut me out, cut me out, cut me out, cut me out
Removing oneself from all those around you, and being alone.
Contributed by Sadie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.