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
As Tall as Cliffs
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got a lisp
Kid, those things are hard to miss
Like my cripple cough
All your weekends lost by the lake
Where you said I needn't be afraid
Of all those devils on the wall
That make a fella small
They take his wine away
There were posters on the wall
I swear my mother saw
That I'd been up all night, up all night
And you came well-equipped
With a gun on your hip
And some poison on your lips
But when we wake up in our makeup
We'll be clean
And we won't have nowhere to be
Oh, but I can't talk to you
The way I've wanted to
I've been tellin' lies
But I'll tell you the truth
Oh, I can't talk to you
The way I've wanted to
I've been tellin' lies
But I'll tell you the truth
Darling, I'm tired
And I should be leaving, leaving
You know I'm tired
And I should be leaving, leaving tonight
Darling, I'm tired
And I should be leaving, leaving
You know I'm tired
And I should be leaving
And you'll hang like the rest
We'll leave a noose on the attorney's desk
And take to the streets
Chant like an army
And doctor up this disease
The lyrics to Margot & the Nuclear So and So's's song "As Tall as Cliffs" are cryptic and require interpretation. The song opens with the singer talking about telling tall tales, exaggerating the truth to make it seem greater than it is. He then mentions his speech impediment, stating that it is evident and challenging to hide. The line "like my cripple cough" is a metaphor for his condition being a hindrance, much like a cough that never goes away.
The lyrics then shift to a memory of spending weekends by the lake and the fear of devils on the wall. This suggests a fear of the unknown, and how we allow it to limit and control us. The line "When he's feelin' brave, they take his wine away" implies that often, even when we feel brave, we lose our courage in the face of uncertainty. The singer then mentions posters on the wall and his mother's reaction to them, suggesting a sense of rebellion or going against the norm.
The next verse introduces another character with a gun on their hip and poison on their lips, implying danger, and possibly a toxic relationship. The line "But when we wake up in our makeup, we'll be clean" suggests that they are running away from something, or possibly engaging in something that is not entirely honest or acceptable. The singer then admits to telling lies, but he will tell the truth to this person, indicating a level of trust and connection.
The chorus is a repetition of the singer's exhaustion and desire to leave, but the use of "you know" implies that there is more to the story. The final verse refers to leaving a noose on the attorney's desk and taking to the streets, chanting like an army, and doctoring up this disease. This suggests a sense of rebellion against the system and the desire for change.
Overall, "As Tall as Cliffs" is a haunting song that explores themes of fear, rebellion, and honesty. It touches on the dangers of telling tall tales and hiding behind masks, and the importance of being truthful with those close to us.
Line by Line Meaning
I tell tales tall as cliffs
I exaggerate and spin dramatic stories
You've got a lisp
You have a noticeable speech impediment
Kid, those things are hard to miss
Hey, just saying, those characteristics are pretty noticeable
Like my cripple cough
Similar to the way I have a persistent cough due to a physical condition
All your weekends lost by the lake
You spend all your weekends at the lake
Where you said I needn't be afraid
You told me I had no reason to be scared
Of all those devils on the wall
Of the frightening images or creatures painted on the wall
That make a fella small
Which make a guy feel small or insignificant
When he's feelin' brave
Even when he's trying to be brave and fearless
They take his wine away
They take away the comfort or solace he finds in alcohol
There were posters on the wall
Images or messages were displayed on the wall
I swear my mother saw
I'm certain my mother caught on to my behavior or habits
That I'd been up all night, up all night
That I didn't sleep all night, likely due to engaging in some sort of activity or mischief
And you came well-equipped
You arrived with all the necessary tools or equipment
With a gun on your hip
One of the items you brought was a firearm
And some poison on your lips
You were carrying poison and may have even ingested it
But when we wake up in our makeup
Despite our actions from the night before, when we wake up with our makeup still on
We'll be clean
We'll appear clean and put-together, at least on the surface
And we won't have nowhere to be
We won't have any plans or obligations for the day
Oh, but I can't talk to you
I've been unable to confide in you
The way I've wanted to
In the way I'd like to confide in you
I've been tellin' lies
I've been untruthful in my interactions with you
But I'll tell you the truth
But I'm finally ready to be honest with you
Darling, I'm tired
Hey, I'm exhausted
And I should be leaving, leaving
I know I should go soon
You know I'm tired
You're aware that I'm really worn out
And I should be leaving, leaving tonight
And I should really head out soon, like tonight
And you'll hang like the rest
You'll face the consequences just like everyone else who gets involved in these things
We'll leave a noose on the attorney's desk
We'll leave evidence of our involvement with the attorney, which may make it difficult to defend ourselves
And take to the streets
We'll take to the public or the streets to make our voices heard or to make a statement
Chant like an army
We'll yell or chant loudly, like a group of soldiers or protestors
And doctor up this disease
We'll try to remedy or fix this problem
Contributed by Mason H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Leah Johnson
I can't listen to Margot and not walk away feeling different than before. And in this case, feeling way happier.
Janice
bless the Plain White T's for recognizing a great band. Exposure is exposure and that is what Margot deserves. They Rock!
David Weaver
How did they represent Margot? Just curious.
mia agapay
I love this band so much!!!!!!!!!! is there any other bands in the world like them?
Marcus Agapay
I love this band nice job on the video perfection.
Trey
I Love this song! Animal and Not Animal are both incredible albums. I did a cover of As Tall As Cliffs yesterday check out TreyWilliamSings page.
Amelia
This music video is perfection.
Rachel Bishop
Such a sad song. With such a beautiful melody. And such a happy video. Oh, Richard... I want to marry you so badly.
Trevor White
wonderful song
Bingo
W seems like a innocent memory compared to the last 4 years.