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 Moth
Manchester Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But nobody's responding
The last thing that you heard was an inebriated slur
You can crash here all you want, but you don't live here anymore
There's a way out
There's a way in
There's a way out
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with Metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
My entire life you've been obsessing with the light
The closer that you get, the further up you've got to climb
You wanna hear it hurt, you wanna feel it when he dies
If you walk that path alone you've got to look him in the eye
There's a way out
There's a way in
There's a way out
There's a way in
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with Metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with Metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
"What about our future?"
At its core, Manchester Orchestra's "The Moth" grapples with themes of identity, change, and the struggle to find one's place in the world. The opening lines of "I want it all, I want it free / But nobody's responding" set the tone for the song's feelings of frustration and longing. The singer seems to be searching for something, but is met with silence and indifference from those around him. The reference to an "inebriated slur" suggests that perhaps this search has led to destructive behavior or strained relationships. The line "You can crash here all you want, but you don't live here anymore" further emphasizes this sense of displacement and alienation.
The chorus offers some hope for escape: "There's a way out / There's a way in." This repetition of the phrase creates a sense of urgency and determination. The lines "Forced myself to take a different name / Buried with Metonymy / Decide for me / Throw the man you used to be away / Bury him with rivalry entirely" suggest that the singer is willing to make drastic changes in order to find a new sense of self and shed past demons. The reference to "Metonymy," a figure of speech in which one term is substituted for another, further emphasizes the idea of transformation and reinvention.
The final lines of the song, "What about our future?" leave the listener with a feeling of uncertainty. It's unclear whether the singer has found the answers or sense of belonging they were searching for. It seems that the struggle to find one's place in the world is ongoing and complex.
Line by Line Meaning
I want it all, I want it free
I crave every possible success and opportunity without having to offer anything in return.
But nobody's responding
However, I am met with silence and apathy, blocking my path to these desires.
The last thing that you heard was an inebriated slur
The last time someone tried to communicate with me, it was through a drunken insult.
You can crash here all you want, but you don't live here anymore
Although you may come here to stay, you no longer have a true home in this place.
There's a way out
There exists a path to escape from these issues and struggles.
There's a way in
There is also a way to break through to what you truly desire and need.
Forced myself to take a different name
I went to great lengths to distance myself from my previous identity and reputation.
Buried with Metonymy
I put my old self to rest, replacing it with a new title of my own choosing.
Decide for me
However, I am still looking for someone to make important choices for me, as I feel uncertain or conflicted.
Throw the man you used to be away
I want to forsake and abandon my old self, and all the struggles and rivalries that came with it.
Bury him with rivalry entirely
I would like to bury these past conflicts and feuds for good.
My entire life you've been obsessing with the light
All my life, I have been consumed with trying to attain a particular goal or ambition.
The closer that you get, the further up you've got to climb
However, the closer I reach toward this goal, the harder and more treacherous the journey becomes.
You wanna hear it hurt, you wanna feel it when he dies
I want to experience the pain and destruction that accompanies the downfall of a particular person or obstacle.
If you walk that path alone you've got to look him in the eye
However, if I choose to walk this path alone, I must be prepared to face these obstacles and challenges head-on.
"What about our future?"
In the face of these obstacles and conflicts, someone raises concerns about where we are headed as a group or society.
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Andrew John Hull
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@timanglin3159
Lyrics
I want it all, I want it free
But nobody’s responding
The last thing that you heard was an inebriated slur
You can crash here all you want, but you don’t live here anymore
There’s a way out
There’s a way in
There’s a way out
There’s a way in
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
My entire life you’ve been obsessing with the light
The closer that you get, the further up you’ve got to climb
You wanna hear it hurt, you wanna feel it when he dies
If you walk that path alone you’ve got to look him in the eye
There’s a way out
There’s a way in
There’s a way out
There’s a way in
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
“What about our future?”
@daveystod
Its got to be magic, 56 years old and its hooked me like I am a teen again. Thanks for waking me up Manchester Orchestra.
@caempi93
Hi there, 50 over here ... that`s what great music does to you 😊!
@royvarga1080
I.m 58 and feel exactly the same.love this band 👍
@ellisbell614
@Roy Varga I'm a drummer and this is one of my favorite bands. I love their mini documentaries regarding different albums. So much respect for their creative process and hard work. So grateful we can all enjoy their brilliant pieces! Sending love to you! 🙏❤️
@alannewbury7833
Same as real musicat last
@ShelbyMerry
I cannot get enough of this dreamy, spooky, mystical landscape you are building with these singles.
@gracestallman2379
seconded, can't believe these guys have been putting out such quality for over a decade now. this album is gonna be great.
@bobthedestroyer6205
Not really how I'd describe it at all but ok
@timanglin3159
Lyrics
I want it all, I want it free
But nobody’s responding
The last thing that you heard was an inebriated slur
You can crash here all you want, but you don’t live here anymore
There’s a way out
There’s a way in
There’s a way out
There’s a way in
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
My entire life you’ve been obsessing with the light
The closer that you get, the further up you’ve got to climb
You wanna hear it hurt, you wanna feel it when he dies
If you walk that path alone you’ve got to look him in the eye
There’s a way out
There’s a way in
There’s a way out
There’s a way in
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
Forced myself to take a different name
Buried with metonymy
Decide for me
Throw the man you used to be away
Bury him with rivalry entirely
“What about our future?”
@M-a-k-o
Thank you.