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
Mighty
Manchester Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Iced easy you can track in the snow
Duel gunning it happened the last time
Stop talking watch your head on the car
Cats cradle and hail to the Rat King
Teeth sharpened on our broken bones
Look straight in the eyes of the hopeless
It's not like I was lost for a purpose
I lost purpose and purposefully froze
So be good if you think it can save you
Yeah, be good if you're comfortably numb
And I will do my best to breathe with
I was happy I thought I'd escaped you
Pearl gates and a street made of gold
My memory serves like a beat boy
I'm too stubborn and scared to be home
I'm finding out that there's actually a purpose
I'm caught cabbin' on the way to your home
And your body's asleep in a wheelchair
I'll start rolling you down toward the cars
And I will do my best to plead with
So let go of the sorrowful groaning
Let go of the ones you admire
It's not like I was devious or boastful
My arms waving, I'm saying goodbye
And I will do my best to breathe for you
For you
For you
For you
For you
For you
For you
For you
"Feet slipping on the porch to my house, Iced easy you can track in the snow" refers to someone coming home in the winter, possibly from a party or just being out. The reference to slipping on the porch suggests that it's slippery outside due to the weather. The next line, "Iced easy you can track in the snow", refers to how the snow has been compacted and turned into ice due to foot traffic.
The second stanza, "Cats cradle and hail to the Rat King, Teeth sharpened on our broken bones, Look straight in the eyes of the hopeless, You can't swing if you don't use your arms", is a bit more cryptic. It's possible that "Cats cradle" is a reference to the game or the string figure that it's based on. "Hail to the Rat King" could refer to someone in power or someone who is well-liked by others, but who is actually a "rat" or a liar. "Teeth sharpened on our broken bones" suggests that someone is feeding off of others' pain or suffering. "Look straight in the eyes of the hopeless" is about confronting one's own mortality or despair. "You can't swing if you don't use your arms" could refer to standing up for oneself in the face of adversity.
The third stanza, "It's not like I was lost for a purpose, I lost purpose and purposefully froze, So be good if you think it can save you, Yeah, be good if you're comfortably numb, And I will do my best to breathe with", suggests that the singer has lost a sense of direction in their life and is feeling stuck. They implore their listeners to be good or virtuous, although it might not make everything better. They also suggest that they will try to empathize with others and be present for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Feet slipping on the porch to my house
I am having trouble getting to my own home
Iced easy you can track in the snow
The snow and ice outside make it easy to track my movement
Duel gunning it happened the last time
A conflict between two parties escalated quickly and violently last time
Stop talking watch your head on the car
Take care with what you say, you might end up hurt
Cats cradle and hail to the Rat King
We are playing games and paying tribute to our leader, who may not have our best interests in mind
Teeth sharpened on our broken bones
We are being hurt by those who claim to be our allies
Look straight in the eyes of the hopeless
Face those who have no hope left and acknowledge their pain
You can't swing if you don't use your arms
You have to take action in order to achieve your goals
It's not like I was lost for a purpose
I wasn't wandering aimlessly, even though it may have seemed like it
I lost purpose and purposefully froze
I knowingly let go of my goals and ambitions and became stagnant
So be good if you think it can save you
Behave well if you believe it will help your situation
Yeah, be good if you're comfortably numb
Act as if you are fine even if you are not truly present in the moment
And I will do my best to breathe with
I will try to help and support you as much as possible
I was happy I thought I'd escaped you
I felt good that I had moved on from a bad situation
Pearl gates and a street made of gold
A place that is depicted as perfect and idyllic
My memory serves like a beat boy
My recollection is like a constantly ticking metronome
I'm too stubborn and scared to be home
I am hesitant to confront my own insecurities and fears
I'm finding out that there's actually a purpose
I am starting to realize that there is a reason for everything, including my struggles
I'm caught cabbin' on the way to your home
I have been trapped in a difficult situation and am on my way to find a way out
And your body's asleep in a wheelchair
You are not fully taking control of your own life and are being held back in some way
I'll start rolling you down toward the cars
I will try to help you move forward and make progress in your life
And I will do my best to plead with
I will desperately try to convince you of the importance of making changes in your life
So let go of the sorrowful groaning
Stop lamenting over your sorrows and move forward
Let go of the ones you admire
Allow yourself to separate from those who may be holding you back
It's not like I was devious or boastful
I was not intentionally malicious or arrogant
My arms waving, I'm saying goodbye
I am signaling that it is time to move on from a past situation and say farewell
And I will do my best to breathe for you
I will provide support and help you through a difficult time
For you
I am doing this for you, not for myself
For you
My actions are motivated by the desire to help you
For you
I am making sacrifices for your benefit
For you
You are the focus of my efforts and attention
For you
I want to see you succeed and thrive
For you
You are important to me and I care about your well-being
For you
I will continue to do all that I can to help you
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind