Their debut album, The Dust of Retreat came out in 2006. At this time, the band was signed to Artemis Records and had 8 members. In 2008 the band signed to Epic Records and (on 7 October) released two new albums, Animal! and Not Animal. The band originally planned to just release "Animal!". However, Epic disagreed on their song choice, and compiled a different list, which would later become "Not Animal". Eventually, after dispute over which version would be released, it was decided to release both at the same time.
In August 2009, 5 of the band's members left. They are all involved in other projects, most notably Pravada.
While the band, and Richard specifically have given many explanations to the band's name; this is all in fun. As the name was created as an anti-name; not meant to have any real meaning, just to make fun of other ridiculous names. The name "Margot" comes from Gweneth Paltrow's character in Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums".
The band's sound, categorized as "chamber pop", has been compared to the indie rock groups Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, and The Shins, while incorporating elements of singer/songwriters like Paul Simon and Conor Oberst.
Current Members are:
Richard Edwards - lead vocals, guitar, bells, melodica, banjo
Ronnie Kwasman - lead guitar
Tyler Watkins - bass guitar
Brian Deck - drums
Eric Kang - guitar
Cameron McGill
Former Members include:
Emily Watkins - keys, backup vocals
Andy Fry - guitar, bass, lap steel, percussion
Jesse Lee - cello
Casey Tennis - percussion
Chris Fry - drums, percussion
5 Quiet As A Mouse
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In sunken boats
And you can hide quiet as a mouse
But they'll find you out
And she aked me what have you felt
So down and out
You can stay with me at my house
Sunlight poured through all the cracks in my front door
Wake up you've got a lot of things to do
Wake up the sun is rising without you
Toursits robbed me of my child
They smoked him out
He was draft dodgin some war
Till they found him out
And he came wanderin in the night
to his mom and me
And he said times, they gotta change,
but so do we
When I woke I was alive in sombody's room
I felt life and love and hope infested my bones
Wake up you've got a lot of things to do
Wake up the sun is rising without you
When I woke my body was dyin all over the floor
I felt apathy and hate infested my bones
Wake up you've got a lot of things to do
Wake up the sun is rising without you
The lyrics of "Quiet A Mouse", a song by Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, tell a story of displacement, loss, and redemption. The first verse paints a picture of a person who has been robbed of their home by tourists, and now they're hiding, hoping not to be found. The second verse shifts to another character, who had lost his child to the war and had to hide. He eventually wanders back to his parents, realizing that times need to change. The third verse describes a moment of awakening, where the singer wakes up to find themselves lying on the floor, feeling broken and hopeless. But the final line hints at a possibility of redemption, that life and love and hope can infest their bones.
It's easy to see the overarching themes of displacement and loss throughout the song. The singer and the other characters have all lost something important to them, whether it's their home or their child. They're all trying to find a way to cope with their losses, whether it's by hiding or by seeking connection with others.
However, the song also hints at a possibility of redemption. The final line of each verse brings a glimmer of hope, even in the darkest moments. The possibility of staying with a friend, the realization that times need to change, and the possibility of feeling life and love and hope again all indicate that there's a way forward, even after loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Tourists rob you of your home
As a local, you feel like tourists are taking away everything that's special to you
In sunken boats
Tourists may take tours on boats, even sunken ones, that they find interesting
And you can hide quiet as a mouse
You can try to stay out of sight and keep quiet, hoping to avoid the negative impacts of tourism
But they'll find you out
Tourists will eventually find out about your home and its attraction, regardless of your efforts to keep it hidden
And she asked me what have you felt, so down and out
Someone asked the artist how they had been feeling, likely in response to their struggles with the impact of tourism on their home
You can stay with me at my house
The singer offers to provide shelter and comfort to the singer who is struggling with the negative aspects of tourism
When I woke my back was broke from lyin on the floor
The singer wakes up in pain, and it's implied that they slept on the floor, highlighting their emotional and physical struggles
Sunlight poured through all the cracks in my front door
Despite the artist's struggles, light is still getting into their life, giving them hope
Wake up you've got a lot of things to do
The artist is urging someone to wake up and start taking action to deal with their problems
Wake up the sun is rising without you
The sun is rising and time is moving on, whether or not the artist takes action to deal with their problems
Toursits robbed me of my child
Tourism has taken away something personal and valuable to the singer, likely their child or their relationship with their child
They smoked him out
The child was forced out of their hiding place or safe space, likely because of tourism
He was draft dodgin some war
The child was trying to avoid being drafted into a war, further highlighting the negative impacts of societal and political issues on the singer
Till they found him out
Despite his attempts to stay hidden, the child was found by those looking for him
And he came wanderin in the night to his mom and me
The child eventually found his way back to his family, but likely after experiencing traumatic events related to the impact of tourism and war
And he said times, they gotta change, but so do we
The child recognizes that change is necessary to address the negative impact of various societal issues, but that individuals also need to make changes in their own lives to contribute to this process
When I woke I was alive in somebody's room
The artist wakes up in a new place, potentially someone else's home, highlighting the idea of finding shelter and support in others
I felt life and love and hope infested my bones
Despite their struggles, the singer is beginning to feel more positive emotions and energy, highlighting the potential for healing and growth
When I woke my body was dyin all over the floor
The singer is experiencing even more pain and struggle, perhaps reflecting the reality of the difficulties one can face on the path to healing and growth
I felt apathy and hate infested my bones
Despite previous feelings of hope, the artist is experiencing negative emotions once again, highlighting the ongoing and cyclical nature of the healing process
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: RICHARD CHARLES EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind