Manchester Orchestra has released several extended plays and six studio albums: I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child (2006), Mean Everything to Nothing (2009), Simple Math (2011), Cope (2014) (as well as its accompanying acoustic version, Hope), A Black Mile To The Surface (2017), and The Million Masks of God (2021). They are signed to independent record label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, which is distributed through Sony Music Entertainment, and Loma Vista Recordings.
Manchester Orchestra originated in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. They are named after the English city Manchester, a place rich in musical history (The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Joy Division, Oasis, New Order, Happy Mondays). Feeling increasingly alienated at his "small-town-Georgia, Christian high school", Hull became so frustrated that he spent his senior year studying at home. Early in their career, the band recorded an album entitled Nobody Sings Anymore. However, it was never released due to the shift in the band's musical direction and personal changes undergone following its recording. The band stated that "the band that made the record was different to the band now." Some of the tracks written for the album were released instead on the EP You Brainstorm, I Brainstorm, but Brilliance Needs a Good Editor.
Following You Brainstorm, I Brainstorm, but Brilliance Needs a Good Editor, Manchester Orchestra recorded and released their debut album I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child. This album gained the attention of the music industry, and eventually led to their signing with Canvasback. The album was released nationwide July 27, 2007. Guitarist Robert McDowell did not appear on this album. The song Wolves At Night was featured in the video game NHL 08.
In October of 2008 the band recorded their second EP, Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind, with producer Dan Hannon and engineer Brad Fisher. It was released October 7, 2008.
In early September 2008, the band announced on their Myspace blog that they had begun recording their second album entitled Mean Everything to Nothing with producer Joe Chicarrelli (The Shins, My Morning Jacket). On February 4, 2009, the band posted a link to a free download of the single I've Got Friends and performed an acoustic version at The Fly’s In The Courtyard Sessions. The album was released April 21, 2009.
On January 26, 2010, the band released a digital split EP with Kevin Devine entitled I Could Be The Only One. Following the release of the Manchester Orchestra/Kevin Devine split EP, it was announced that Kevin Devine would record a full-length album along with the members of Manchester Orchestra later that year, with half the album written by Devine and half by Andy Hull. On April 10, 2010, it was announced the new project's name was Bad Books, and that the album would be released under that moniker, and not "Manchester Orchestra + Kevin Devine" as previously speculated. The self-titled full-length Bad Books album was digitally released on October 19, 2010, and on CD on November 9, 2010.
On March 2010, in an interview with the Dallas Observer, Hull mentioned that the band had begun work on a follow up to 2009's Mean Everything to Nothing tentatively entitled Let Go of Your Sorrowful Groaning. He also said that the band have around 34 songs they are demoing and that in writing this album he was imagining a "spiritual miscarriage". Later that year in an interview with Rip It Up magazine, the band announced that they were in the middle of recording their third full-length album. Although without a title, they explained that the album was completely different to anything they had released in the past. The album was being recorded with Dan Hannon and balanced between Blackbird Studios (Nashville, TN) and their own Favorite Gentlemen Studios (Atlanta, GA).
On October 23, 2010, during an appearance at Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia, following a Bad Books show in support of their recently released self-titled debut album, Manchester Orchestra debuted an acoustic version of the title track of their new album, Simple Math. Originally scheduled for release in March 2011, the band announced in January of 2011 that their third full-length studio album, Simple Math, would be released on May 10, 2011, as well as announcing the album's tracklist and revealing that the album was set to be a concept album.
For more info, check out their official site: http://www.themanchesterorchestra.com/ca/home
Alice And Interiors
Manchester Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You’re never visible on the weekdays
When I need you to
Do what you can’t afford to do
You better watch your tone
You’re not invincible
You know I’ll do what I have to do
To stop the sound coming from you
You’re probably not as bad
As I make you out to be
To the boys and the girls
That will listen closely know
I’m the one that is sorry
You can write the coolest songs
I was wrong, I was wrong
This isn’t working out
You’re only logical on Sundays
When you can follow through
Exactly what I told you to do
Please just pick up the phone
Am I invisible?
Now you know
I didn’t mean a thing
When I said you could barely sing
Cause the truth is
You’re probably not as bad
As I thought that you were being
To the boys and myself
We’re just tired of listening
I’m the one that is sorry
Help me write the coolest songs
I was wrong, I was wrong
Cause the truth
Is that no one
Truly knows
What the hell it is you’re doing
When they ask are you dead
Or are you just sleeping?
I am the one that is happy
I don’t like your shitty songs
You were wrong
You were wrong
The song Alice and Interiors by Manchester Orchestra talks about a tumultuous relationship that takes place between two people who can't seem to get along. The singer narrates their struggle of trying to get the other person to be there for them when they need them the most. They are frustrated because the other person doesn't seem to understand their needs, and even worse, there seems to be a lot of miscommunication between them.
The verse "I swear I tried again, You're never visible on the weekdays, When I need you to do what you can't afford to do" highlights the singer's desperation to make things work in their relationship. They are constantly trying to connect with the person they love, but it feels like they are always missing each other at the wrong times. The chorus "Cause the truth is you're probably not as bad as I make you out to be" is a moment of clarity for the singer. They realize that they might be blowing things out of proportion, and that maybe the other person isn't the devil they make them out to be.
The song explores the complexities of relationships and how hard it can be to communicate with someone you love. It shows how miscommunication can lead to conflicts and how it's vital to understand each other's perspectives. The song's emotive lyrics and stirring melody make it a relatable and heartfelt composition.
Line by Line Meaning
I swear I tried again
I attempted to make things work between us
You’re never visible on the weekdays
I hardly see you during the weekdays
When I need you to
When I need your help or support
Do what you can’t afford to do
To do something you cannot afford to do
You better watch your tone
You should be careful about how you talk to me
You’re not invincible
You are not indestructible
You know I’ll do what I have to do
I will do whatever it takes to make things right
To stop the sound coming from you
To prevent you from saying hurtful things
Cause the truth is
The reality is
You’re probably not as bad
You're likely better than I give you credit for
As I make you out to be
As I portray you to others
To the boys and the girls
To the people around us
That will listen closely know
Who truly pay attention
I’m the one that is sorry
I am the one who should apologize
You can write the coolest songs
You have great songwriting abilities
I was wrong, I was wrong
I admit my mistakes and ask for forgiveness
This isn’t working out
Our relationship isn't working
You’re only logical on Sundays
You seem reasonable only during a specific time
When you can follow through
When you actually stick to your promises
Exactly what I told you to do
To do exactly what I instructed
Please just pick up the phone
Please answer my calls or messages
Am I invisible?
Do you not acknowledge my presence?
Now you know
Now you understand
I didn’t mean a thing
I didn't say anything important or serious
When I said you could barely sing
When I criticized your singing ability
To the boys and myself
To my friends and myself
We’re just tired of listening
We are exhausted of hearing the same things
Help me write the coolest songs
Assist me in composing amazing songs
Cause the truth
Again, the reality is
Is that no one
Nobody
Truly knows
Really understands
What the hell it is you’re doing
They do not understand your actions
When they ask are you dead
When people ask if you have disappeared or left
Or are you just sleeping?
Or if you are just taking a break
I am the one that is happy
I am the one who is content
I don’t like your shitty songs
I dislike your terrible songs
You were wrong
You were mistaken
You were wrong
Again, you were mistaken
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDY HULL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind