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
Simple Math
Manchester Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm lost and hardly noticed, slight goodbye
I want to rip your lips off in my mouth
Even in my greatest moment doubt
The line between deceit and right now
Simple math, it's how our bodies even got here
Sinful math, the ebb and flow to multiply
What if it was true and all we thought was right was wrong?
Simple math, the truth cannot be fractioned
Either way
I imply to mitigate the guilt, we could align
A perfectly constructed alibi
To hush the violent guilt that eats and never dies
In actual blame, they call me once the dark divides
Simple math, it's why our bodies even lay here
Sinful math, the truth cannot be fashioned
What if you were crazy, would we have to listen then?
What if we've been trying to get to where we've always been?
What if I was wrong, and started trying to fix it?
What if you believed me? Everything is brilliant
Oh, oh, oh
What if I've been trying to get to where I've always been?
What if we've been trying to get to where we've always been?
Simple math, believe me, all is brilliant
What if we've been trying to kill the noise and silence?
What if I was wrong and you had never questioned it?
What if it was true, that all we thought was right, was wrong?
Simple math, the truth cannot be fractioned
I imply I've got to get it back then
Oh, oh, oh
The lyrics to Manchester Orchestra's song Simple Math can be interpreted in a number of ways, but one possible interpretation is that the song is about the complexities of relationships and the universal struggle to find meaning in our lives. The lyrics suggest that the singer is grappling with the idea of deceit and its blurry line with reality, as well as his own insecurities and doubts. The idea of simple math is used as a metaphor for the mechanics of life, the ways our bodies reproduce and the way things are meant to add up in order to make sense. The comparison of simple and sinful math suggests that these mechanics can be both good and bad, something that can bring us joy or pain.
The lyrics also explore the idea of what if, a common theme in many of Manchester Orchestra's songs. The singer imagines what would happen if things were different, if he had done something differently or if the world were a different place entirely. This idea is further underscored by the repetition of the phrase "what if" throughout the song, suggesting that these questions are always on our minds even if we don't always acknowledge them.
In essence, Simple Math is a reflection on the human experience, on the many questions we have about ourselves, each other, and the world we inhabit. The song acknowledges that life is complex and can be painful, but ultimately suggests that there is beauty and brilliance to be found in it all.
Line by Line Meaning
Hunter eyes
I am lost and hardly noticed with hopeless eyes
I'm lost and hardly noticed, slight goodbye
I feel unnoticed and overwhelmed but I'll try to say goodbye anyways
I want to rip your lips off in my mouth
I am so in love and passionate that I want to be with you every second
Even in my greatest moment doubt
Despite the times I am happy, I still have doubts
The line between deceit and right now
It's hard for me to tell the difference between lies and truth
Simple math, it's how our bodies even got here
The biology behind our existence is as simple as a mathematical equation
Sinful math, the ebb and flow to multiply
The process of reproduction often involves sin but is necessary for multiplication of life
What if I was wrong and no one cared to mention
What if I was making a mistake and no one ever pointed it out to me?
What if it was true and all we thought was right was wrong?
What if our perception of what was right and wrong was actually opposite?
Simple math, the truth cannot be fractioned
When it comes to facts, the truth cannot be split into fractions or be disputed
Either way
Regardless of the outcome, I will take it one step at a time
I imply to mitigate the guilt, we could align
I suggest to minimize guilt, we could devise an explanation together
A perfectly constructed alibi
A masterful and well-crafted alibi to protect us from guilt
To hush the violent guilt that eats and never dies
To silence the overwhelming guilt that consumes and never fades
In actual blame, they call me once the dark divides
When held accountable, I am blamed and seen as the one who brought division
Simple math, it's why our bodies even lay here
The biology of life is also the reason for our existence in this world
Sinful math, the truth cannot be fashioned
The truth cannot be created or manipulated, despite the potential immorality of the method
What if you were crazy, would we have to listen then?
Would we have to believe you if you appeared crazy?
What if we've been trying to get to where we've always been?
What if we've been taking steps back instead of progressing?
What if I was wrong, and started trying to fix it?
What if I made a mistake and attempted to correct it?
What if you believed me? Everything is brilliant
If you chose to trust me, everything would be great and worth it
What if we've been trying to kill the noise and silence?
What if we've been attempting to escape the noise and stillness of life?
What if I was wrong and you had never questioned it?
What if I was wrong and you never bothered to challenge me on it?
I imply I've got to get it back then
I intend to take action and correct my mistake and recoup what's lost
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: JOHN ANDREW HULL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stiefjac5082
Weirdly enough, I figured out his life was flashing before his eyes when i first watched this back in 2011, but your analysis dug deeper and brought alot more insight to the video, and I agree completely with what you wrote a couple years ago.
Then I thought even further while I was watching the video and realized how beautiful true art is when you finally see it. Because it speaks to you in your own voice.
I was 19 when this came out, I'm 28 now. I've always loved this song and video, but I feel like almost 10 more years of living has made me watch this in a different way. And as I got to the scene where he shoots the deer and is frantically trying to escape and I started to see something I vibed with and never thought of before. When he shoots the deer he begins to run away, and keeps being stopped by small reminders that what's happening right now is happening and he can't stop it. He can't hang on to those memories because he has no choice and life is going to keep moving forward whether he wants it to or not.
At 3:24 he gets stopped by the same table that was in his house in the middle of the woods, and the liquid is leaning in the bottles as a reminder he's still tumbling through the chaos and can't hang on to the known and the familiarity of his memories
At 3:32 he crashes right through the woman like a pile of leaves and i can only guess she's probably "Sarah" referenced in the video
A couple seconds later the trash cans explode behind him as he runs like he's being chased by something he can't see
At 3:30 he explodes into the same leaves like his memories as he's thrown from the truck
"What if I was wrong and you had never questioned it? What if it was true, that all we thought was right, was wrong?" plays right as he stops and thinks for a second he's alive and in the hospital and made it to see his dad again. Then you watch the water in the glass move again and it almost feels like you're being told even your ideal outcome and how you want things to end still can't stop what will be no matter how much you want it to.
I would say i'm reading into it too deeply but the last segment of the video shows his father buckle up his seatbelt before it falls back into the crash, but this time his younger self is driving through his old life. Almost like he was always on this crash course he had no control over but held on to so tightly.
this video almost plays like the beginning is the start of life pushing you onwards towards the end of the video - death. In the very beginning he's driving along a road (life), but if you notice his eyes are closed (implying he's blindly traveling through life), he opens them to see a deer he can't avoid (catastrophic life event), and only then does the rest of the video play out almost completely in slow motion, and he sees for the first time, only it's too late.
There's almost so much picture language in this video I never noticed before.. This might be the best one ever made
@evansthan
Hunter eyes
I'm lost and hardly noticed, slight goodbye
I want to rip your lips off in my mouth
And even in my greatest moment doubt
The line between deceit and right now
Simple math, it's how our bodies even got here
Sinful math, the ebb and flow to multiply
What if I was wrong and no one cared to mention
What if it was true and all we thought was right was wrong?
Simple math, the truth cannot be fractioned
Either way...
I imply to mitigate the guilt, we could align
A perfectly constructed alibi
To hush the violent guilt that eats and never dies
In actual blame, they called me once the dark divide
Simple math, it's why our bodies even lay here
Sinful math, the truth cannot be fashioned
What if you were crazy, would we have to listen then?
What if we've been trying to get to where we’ve always been?
What if I was wrong, and started trying to fix it?
What if you believed me? Everything is brilliant
Oh, oh, oh
What if I’ve been trying to get to where I’ve always been?
What if we’ve been trying to get to where we’ve always been?
Simple math, believe me, all is brilliant
What if we've been trying to kill the noise and silence?
What if I was wrong and you had never questioned it?
What if it was true, that all we thought was right, was wrong?
Simple math, the truth cannot be fractioned
I imply I've got to get it back then
Oh, oh, oh
@mikeholloway2625
The Dark Divide from whence my art multiplies.
My meaning flies in the face of your lies.
Turning and returning on simple math.
My truth is the only reason you got here.
What if you were wrong and missed it.
What if I wasn't prone to simple acts of kindness?
What if I stopped caring at all?
Pissed off, at all you have wasted?
The Dark Divide in my own mind is where I live. My Homestake. At my toes on the mortal coil is where I draw the red line in the dirt, in defense of my only haven, this side of the veil. Out of darkness the light is reflected before my very eyes. Everything becomes simple math there, then, and brilliant afterall. I am the first and last dark divide. The beginning and end of all dark divides. Who am I?
@CapitalFProductions
In case you’re interested: the directors of this music video won Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture Oscar’s for EEAAO last night
@runvnc208
You can see how the "everything everywhere" was already a big part of their thinking.
@CapitalFProductions
@@runvnc208 The fact that there's a clear line of Li'l Jon's 'Turn Down For What' to stylistic tricks that made up a BP winner is pretty astounding
@baileythomas9635
That makes me happy
@faithcentered2322
Therapy awards ❤ from nerds
@joaovitorxxd
That's so nice!
@xxlogicxx7954
This music video is a straight up piece of art. And the song is straight up beautiful.
@electrollama2127
Check out Daniels, the directors and visual effects artists
@vickvick8556
I too like anarchy and beauty
@andrewholmes3116
The directors did Everything Everywhere All At Once