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
The Grocery
Manchester Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you leave the apartment, grab the gun under the bed
I want to reach above the paradox where nobody can see
Want to hold a light to paradigm and strip it to its feet
I want to feel the way my father felt, is it easier for me?
I want to know if there's a higher love oblivious to me
"Don't you dare move a muscle," cardboard cutout ads
I want to reach above the paradox where nobody can see
Want to hold a light to paradigm and strip it to its feet
I want to feel the way your father felt, was it easy for belief?
I want to know if there's a higher love he saw that I can't see
Looking back, it's obvious now
You believe him or you don't
So you load up your pistol and you press it to your lips
And you squeeze on the trigger, all it does is clicks
I want to reach above the para-blind where nobody could see
Want to hold a light to paradise and see if I could sleep
I want to feel the way our fathers felt when it swept them off their feet
I want to know about that higher love you saw that can't be seen
The only obvious equation, you believe it or you don't
I've been trying to find the right way to get out of here
I've been trying to find the right way to get out of here
This is the only way to go
This is the only way
The song "The Grocery" by Manchester Orchestra is a narrative that follows a person on a journey towards an unknown destination. The opening line, "I don't know where I'm going but I'm going anyways," suggests the uncertainty and lack of direction that the singer feels. The second line, "So you leave the apartment, grab the gun under the bed," immediately sets a tone of danger and tension. The lyrics that follow express a desire to transcend earthly confines and to connect with something greater, whether it be a higher love or a spiritual awakening. The singer's frustration and despair culminate in a violent encounter at a grocery store which does not lead to an escape but only reinforces the futility of his struggle. The song ends with the lines, "This is the only way to go / This is the only way," which implies a resigned acceptance of the singer's fate.
The lyrics of "The Grocery" are open to interpretation and can be read in various ways. One could see it as a commentary on the human condition, where people are constantly searching for meaning and enlightenment but often find themselves in cycles of despair and violence. The line, "Looking back, it's obvious now / You believe him or you don't," is ambiguous but could refer to a religious or philosophical belief that either sustains or fails the singer. The song's title itself, "The Grocery," is an unusual choice but could be interpreted as a symbol of the mundane and the everyday, a place where one would not expect to find oneself and yet becomes the site of a disturbing and deadly encounter.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know where I'm going but I'm going anyways
Despite not having a clear destination, I'm determined to move forward.
So you leave the apartment, grab the gun under the bed
In a state of distress, you arm yourself before heading out.
I want to reach above the paradox where nobody can see
Want to hold a light to paradigm and strip it to its feet
I want to feel the way my father felt, is it easier for me?
I want to know if there's a higher love oblivious to me
I aspire to transcend the limitations of conventional thinking and expose its flaws. I long to experience the transcendence my father did and understand if a greater love exists beyond my comprehension.
So you walk in the grocery and you unload several rounds
"Don't you dare move a muscle," cardboard cutout ads
In a delusional state, you perceive danger in mundane surroundings and react with excessive force.
Looking back, it's obvious now
You believe him or you don't
Retrospectively, it's evident that one must accept or reject someone's beliefs.
So you load up your pistol and you press it to your lips
And you squeeze on the trigger, all it does is clicks
In a moment of despair, you attempt suicide but the gun fails to discharge.
I want to reach above the para-blind where nobody could see
Want to hold a light to paradise and see if I could sleep
I want to feel the way our fathers felt when it swept them off their feet
I want to know about that higher love you saw that can't be seen
I desire to surpass existential limitations and discover inner peace. I yearn to understand the transcendence our fathers experienced and comprehend the indescribable higher love they perceived.
The only obvious equation, you believe it or you don't
The only evident choice is to accept or reject a given belief.
I've been trying to find the right way to get out of here
I've been trying to find the right way to get out of here
I've been attempting to find an escape or a solution to my problems.
This is the only way to go
This is the only way
There seems to be no alternative or solution other than pursuing a desperate course of action.
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Andrew John Hull
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BlueJoy95
Lyrics:
"I don't know where I'm going but I'm going anyways"
So you leave the apartment, grab the gun under the bed
I want to reach above the paradox where nobody can see
Want to hold a light to paradigm and strip it to its feet
I want to feel the way my father felt, is it easier for me?
I want to know if there's a higher love oblivious to me
So you walk in the grocery and you unload several rounds
"Don't you dare move a muscle, " cardboard cutout ads
I want to reach above the paradox where nobody can see
Want to hold a light to paradigm and strip it to its feet
I want to feel the way your father felt, was it easy for belief?
I want to know if there's a higher love he saw that I can't see
Looking back, it's obvious now
You believe him or you don't
So you load up your pistol and you press it to your lips
And you squeeze on the trigger, all it does is clicks
I want to reach above the para-blind where nobody could see
Want to hold a light to paradise and see if I could sleep
I want to feel the way our fathers felt when it swept them off their feet
I want to know about that higher love you saw that can't be seen
The only obvious equation, you believe it or you don't
I've been trying to find the right way to get out of here
I've been trying to find the right way to get out of here
This is the only way to go
This is the only way
Senders
"I don't know where I'm going but I'm going anyways"
So you leave the apartment, grab the gun under the bed
I want to reach above the paradox where nobody can see
Want to hold a light to paradigm and strip it to its feet
I want to feel the way my father felt, is it easier for me?
I want to know if there's a higher love oblivious to me
So you walk in the grocery and you unload several rounds
"Don't you dare move a muscle," cardboard cutout ads
I want to reach above the paradox where nobody can see
Want to hold a light to paradigm and strip it to its feet
I want to feel the way your father felt, was it easy for belief?
I want to know if there's a higher love he saw that I can't see
Looking back, it's obvious now
You believe him or you don't
So you load up your pistol and you press it to your lips
And you squeeze on the trigger, all it does is clicks
I want to reach above the para-blind where nobody could see
Want to hold a light to paradise and see if I could sleep
I want to feel the way our fathers felt when it swept them off their feet
I want to know about that higher love you saw that can't be seen
The only obvious equation, you believe it or you don't
I've been trying to find the right way to get out of here
I've been trying to find the right way to get out of here
This is the only way to go
This is the only way
IxQuit
Is it selfish that I want these guys to stay small(ish) and be my favorite band, just for me? They deserve to be playing arena shows for sure, So much talent and raw emotion. I really liked MO when I discovered them in 2009 while researching for Lollapalooza and they were the first band I saw of the weekend, but when I saw them again in 2011, right before Simple Math came out, It blasted them straight to the top of the heap in my personal favorite band list and they have never been knocked down. Any band that can bring you to tears the very first time you ever hear a song live (Sleeper 1972) without ever hearing the recorded version before that point, That's some raw power.. You guys have touched many people with your art, and I want it to continue for a long, long time.
Dylan McMullan
no its not
hidog420
As A 45 year old man, I just got rocked by this! Tears trickling down my cheek as I type this. Thank you MO for beautiful, POWERFUL, and overall fantastic music.
Per Shing
25 year old here, gone through some serious shit already. I don't know where I'm going. I'm going anyways. This masterpiece gives me peace.
Growing Up With Floyd
@hidog420 • "Your a strong human Male." I thank you for sharing your true emotions with us all. Thats the beauty of music, it reaches your heart and soul deeply. Stay the course, may the wind be at your back always and forever. Take Care Friend and Be Well:🇬🇧
Wayne Gabriel
lol as a 67 year old i just discovered them and am totally blown away.
archielabb
hidog420 I understand....same here!
Patrick Hunter
The transition from The Sunshine into The Grocery is easily one of my favorites of all time, it's so seamless and so powerful
Taco Johns
The transition from the alien to the sunshine is also beautiful. I love how all three songs blend together
Andrew Breding
Can't wait for the next thing. I'm content to wait just know it's going to be good