The quartet recorded two albums together: Let's Cut the Crap & Hook Up Later On Tonight, released on Black Dog Records in 1998, and Kids in Philly, released on Steve Earle's now-defunct E-Squared Records in 2000. Both critically acclaimed CD's were recorded and produced by the band and recording engineer Paul Smith above an auto repair garage in south Philadelphia.
Metz and Vance left the band in 2000, and were replaced by Mick Bader on drums and Joe Hooven on bass. Augmented by Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on lap steel, this version of the group toured extensively to support Kids in Philly. Marah performed the song, "Point Breeze" from Kids in Philly on The Late Show with Conan O'Brien in 2000. Bader and Hooven left Marah in 2001 and were replaced by Jon Kois (drums) and Jamie Mahon (bass) of Philadelphia psychedelic rock band The Three For Tens.
The Bielankos, with Kois and Mahon, left for Wales in late 2001 to record their third CD, Float Away with the Friday Night Gods with former Oasis producer Owen Morris. It was released on Artemis Records in 2002.
In 2003, Marah returned to the auto garage and recorded their fourth record, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky. The CD was released on Yep Rock records in 2004. The band toured this album with John Wurster (of Indie Rock-stalwarts Superchunk) on drums, Mike Brenner on lap steel, and Kirk Henderson on bass and keyboards.
In 2005, the band entered The Magic Shop recording studio in New York City to record their fifth album with the help of Henderson and two new members, Adam Garbinski and Dave Peterson. The result, If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry (IYDLYC), was hailed by critics as a return to form for the band.
The release of IYDLYC was complemented by the recording and release of a Christmas album, A Christmas Kind of Town, on October 18, 2005. The band, solidified as a three-guitar quintet, embarked on a year-long tour of the US and Europe to support the two albums. Highlights of the tour included Serge Bielanko's intense renditions of "Dishwasher's Dream" off of IYDLYC, as well as occasional performances of "Reservation Girl," an original song that has never been officially released by the band.
Dave Bielanko, Serge Bielanko, and Adam Garbinski at ACL 2006.The band played at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 16, 2006, which was highlighted by a rousing introduction by St. Louis scenester/character Beatle Bob and a cover of The Who's "Baba O'Riley." Marah later played the Austin City Limits Music Festival on September 15th, 2006, featuring a spirited performance from the band with Dave and Serge Bielanko jumping over the crowd barriers into the audience. The audio of this performance was released on iTunes on November 7th, 2006.
On September 21, 2006, the band's website announced the release of a live DVD of the IYDLYC tour, entitled Sooner or Later in Spain. The DVD, which was originally recorded and released as a fan bootleg, was released on November 17th, 2006.
Marah, with Christine Smith now a full time member, entered Nashville's 16 Ton Recording Studios in August 2006 to record songs for a new record. In April 2007, the group recorded and mixed additional songs at Brooklyn, New York's Excello Recording. In June, Marah announced that the new record, Angels of Destruction, would be released on January 8, 2008 and previewed the album at a concert/listening party in Philadelphia on September 8th, 2007. Angels of Destruction was preceded by a 6-song 10" EP entitled Can't Take It With You which was released in October 2007. A Christmas EP called Counting the Days was released in November 2007.
The new album was released in early January 2008 to widespread acclaim. Almost immediately afterwards, however, plans for an extensive US tour were cancelled following the departure of Garbinski, Peterson, and Henderson. A statement from Dave Bielenko stated that the current line-up could not agree on tour plans, and that to acquiesce to rhythm section would have represented a "musical regression." Bassist Johnny Pisano and drummer Joe Gorelick were hired as replacements, and in late February the band embarked on a European tour to promote the album.
In August 2008, Dave Bielanko, Smith and Pisano started recording new material at 16 Ton Studios in Nashville. Bielanko has stated his intentions of recording "a lilting beautiful folky record of acoustic guitars, tack pianos, and the stand-up bass".
So What If We're Outta Tune
Marah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In spite of our names
Glowing in a room of Christmas lights and candle flames
We're sick starting over
If promise rings on ancient strings
Ain't no one got a clue
‘Cause oooh lover
So what if we're outta tune
With the rest of the world
We're humming in circles
Cleaning our plates
Dreaming out our choruses
And slow sad middle eights
A tenner between us
And nothing to lose
By leaving everyone behind us
Silent and confused
But oooh lover
They ain't me and you
So what if we're outta tune
With the rest of the world
So come on darling stay with me
Let's cut through the crowd
Make the most of being lost
In what time we're allowed
We're desperate in common
And missing the jokes
Rollin' through the eyes of snakes
And in the rings of smoke
Strainin' our voices
To no consequence
Cause maybe baby loves the cost of our irrelevance
And oooh lover
That's all I want to do
So what if we're outta tune
With the rest of the world
The song "So What If We're Outta Tune" by Marah explores the theme of two people connecting despite being out of step with the world. The opening lines convey how the couple is united by their desperation and shared experiences, even though they come from different backgrounds ("in spite of our names"). The imagery of "Christmas lights and candle flames" creates an intimate and cozy atmosphere, reinforcing the idea of the couple finding solace in each other's company.
The chorus of the song underscores the idea of being different from the rest of the world, but not caring about it. The lines "I only sing for you / So what if we're outta tune / With the rest of the world" signify the couple's willingness to stand apart from societal norms and expectations. They are content to exist in their own bubble and create their own music, even if it doesn't conform to the established standards.
The second verse further builds on the theme of the couple being in sync with each other ("humming in circles") and detached from the rest of the world. The image of "cleaning our plates" suggests that they are self-sufficient and rely on each other for support. The line "dreaming out our choruses" conveys the idea that they are creating their own life narrative that is separate from the rest of society. Similarly, the "tenner between us" and the decision to leave everyone else behind reinforces the idea of them being a self-contained unit.
The final verse builds on this sense of detachment and individuality. The allusions to "snakes" and "rings of smoke" hint at a lack of trust in the outside world (perhaps hinting at drug use?). The lines "Strainin' our voices / To no consequence" suggest that the couple is not trying to impress anyone else but each other, thereby highlighting their devotion. The final lines, "Cause maybe baby loves the cost of our irrelevance / And oooh lover / That's all I want to do", cement the idea that the couple is happy living in their own world, unconcerned with fitting in with societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
We're desperate in common
Despite our differences, we share a sense of desperation
In spite of our names
Our names don't define us
Glowing in a room of Christmas lights and candle flames
We find beauty in simple things
We're sick starting over
We're tired of constantly having to begin again
If promise rings on ancient strings
If our promises are outdated and irrelevant
Ain't no one got a clue
No one else understands us
'Cause oooh lover
My love for you drives me
I only sing for you
You're the only one who truly gets me
So what if we're outta tune
It doesn't matter if we don't fit in
We're humming in circles
We're stuck in a cycle
Cleaning our plates
We're getting by
Dreaming out our choruses
We're imagining our ideal lives
And slow sad middle eights
The moments that bring us down
A tenner between us
We don't have much money
And nothing to lose
We're willing to take risks
By leaving everyone behind us
We're forging our own path
Silent and confused
No one else knows what to make of us
But oooh lover
I have you by my side
They ain't me and you
No one else can understand us like we understand each other
So what if we're outta tune
We don't need to fit in with everyone else
So come on darling stay with me
Let's face the world together
Let's cut through the crowd
Let's make our own way
Make the most of being lost
Let's embrace our uncertainty
In what time we're allowed
In the limited time we have
And missing the jokes
We don't always fit in with others
Rollin' through the eyes of snakes
We're navigating treacherous waters
And in the rings of smoke
We're finding beauty in unexpected places
Strainin' our voices
We're pushing ourselves to be heard
To no consequence
Our efforts may not always have an impact
Cause maybe baby loves the cost of our irrelevance
Maybe what makes us different is what makes us special
And oooh lover
Through it all, I have you
That's all I want to do
All I want is to be with you
So what if we're outta tune
It doesn't matter if we don't fit in
Contributed by Asher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.