Margot & the Nuclear So and So's is a 6-piece indie-pop/orchestral pop band… Read Full Bio ↴Margot & the Nuclear So and So's is a 6-piece indie-pop/orchestral pop band from Indianapolis, Indiana. The band, which was formed in 2004 by Richard Edwards and Andy Fry (formerly of Archer Avenue and The Academy, respectively), is currently signed to Epic Records.

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

A Children's Crusade on Acid
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Zero settle down
Put your helmet on
Walk the streets of gold
With cigarettes you hand-rolled
I don't know you
And I don't owe you
A damn

But I smile so hard it hurts
Just when things get worse
Said you awoken from a dream
Abandoned by your mother
Could this be?

Satan settle down
Keep your trousers on
You can roam the globe but leave my wretched soul alone

I don't know you
And I don't owe you a thing
But the children lose their minds
In such uncertain times
I've awoken from a dream
Surrounded by my lovers
Woe is me

And a hundred thousand times a day
The yellow lights turn red
And a hundred thousand miles away
I'm turning myself in
Christ I am

Sarah settle down
Put your helmet on
Walk the streets of gold
With cigarettes you hand-rolled
I don't know you
And I don't owe you
A thing

But the children lose their minds
In such uncertain times
The children lose their minds

In such uncertain times
In such uncertain times

Overall Meaning

The song A Children's Crusade on Acid by Margot & the Nuclear So and So's is a haunting and enigmatic piece of music that seems to weave together several different themes and narrative threads into a cohesive whole. At its core, the song appears to be a meditation on the chaos and uncertainty of the modern world, particularly as it relates to the experiences of children and young people. This is conveyed through a series of surreal and often contradictory images and phrases, such as references to walking the streets of gold with hand-rolled cigarettes and the repeated refrain of "the children lose their minds in such uncertain times."

Line by Line Meaning

Zero settle down
Calm down and start from nothing

Put your helmet on
Prepare to protect yourself

Walk the streets of gold
Experience an amazing life

With cigarettes you hand-rolled
Enjoy the simple pleasures in life

I don't know you
There is no personal connection

And I don't owe you
Nothing is owed

A damn
No care or concern

But I smile so hard it hurts
Putting on a fake smile despite internal pain

Just when things get worse
When things seem to be falling apart

Said you awoken from a dream
Stuck in a surreal state of reality

Abandoned by your mother
Feeling deserted by a parent