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
Broad Ripple is Burning
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the girls are getting sick
Off huffing glue up in the bathroom
While their boyfriends pick up chicks.
And darling I'm lost.
I heard you whispering
That night in fountain square.
The trashed filled streets made me wish we were heading home.
There was love inside the basement
Where that woman used to lie
In a sleeping bag we shared upon
The floor almost every night.
Oh, darling I'm drunk,
And everything that I had loved has turned to stone.
So pack your bags and come back home.
And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.
If my woman was a fire,
She'd burn out before I wake,
And be replaced by pints of whiskey,
Cigarettes, and outer space.
Then somebody moves
And everything you thought you had has gone to shit.
Well, we've got a lot.
Don't ever forget that.
And I wrote this on airplane where the people looked like ants.
And when a woman that you loved was gone,
She was bombing East Japan.
Don't fucking move,
'Cause everything you thought you had will go to shit.
We've got a lot.
Don't you dare forget that.
And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.
And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.
"2 Broadripple is Burning" is a poignant song by Margot & the Nuclear So and So's that reflects on the decay and ruin of a once-thriving neighborhood. The first verse sets the scene for the audience, as the song's narrator observes the tragic circumstances of the area. The young people living here are abusing dangerous substances like glue, and their romantic relationships are shallow and transactional. The singer is disoriented, and he hears whispers that make him yearn for the safety of home.
The second verse introduces an element of nostalgia, as the performer recalls a happy time in the past with a love interest. The basement, once a sanctuary for the couple, is now a sad reminder of what once was. The singer is drunk, and he feels that everything he once cherished has lost its value. He urges his lover to pack their bags and return to their roots, presumably to escape the pain of the present.
The bridge of the song turns more ominous, as the singer describes his own self-destructive tendencies. If his life were a metaphorical fire, it would burn out sooner, possibly due to his affinity for alcohol and cigarettes. The final verse adds more proof to this theory, as the singer has to come grips with the fact that everything he once knew is gone. The woman he once loved is gone, and something catastrophic has happened in East Japan, leaving him feeling helpless.
Line by Line Meaning
Children, Broadripple is burning
The situation in Broadripple is dire and intense
And the girls are getting sick
The girls are succumbing to the toxic environment in Broadripple
Off huffing glue up in the bathroom
The girls are resorting to drug use to cope with the situation
While their boyfriends pick up chicks.
The boys are exploiting the situation to hook up with other girls
And darling I'm lost.
The artist is feeling overwhelmed and disoriented
I heard you whispering
The singer remembers a past conversation with someone they care about
That night in fountain square.
The conversation took place in a specific location that now holds significance
The trashed filled streets made me wish we were heading home.
The environment is so contaminated that the artist just wants to leave and go back to a safer and cleaner place
There was love inside the basement
The basement was a space where the artist experienced affection
Where that woman used to lie
The woman the artist loved was a part of that memory
In a sleeping bag we shared upon
The love was intimate and involved physical closeness
The floor almost every night.
The love was consistent and enduring
Oh, darling I'm drunk,
The singer is in a state of altered consciousness
And everything that I had loved has turned to stone.
The singer feels like everything they cherished has become lifeless and unresponsive
So pack your bags and come back home.
The singer is ready to leave the current environment behind and go back to a place that's familiar and comfortable
And I'm wasted. You can taste it.
The artist is intoxicated to the point that it's noticeable to others
Don't look at me that way, 'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
The artist is aware that their behavior is worrisome and might lead to harmful consequences
I will haunt you like a ghost.
The singer's actions will have an enduring impact on the people around them
If my woman was a fire,
The singer is contemplating a hypothetical scenario involving their loved one
She'd burn out before I wake,
The hypothetical scenario involves the idea of losing the loved one
And be replaced by pints of whiskey,
The artist is suggesting that alcohol would be their coping mechanism in such a situation
Cigarettes, and outer space.
The artist is listing other potential ways of escaping reality
Then somebody moves
A small change in the environment triggers a shift in the singer's mood
And everything you thought you had has gone to shit.
The artist feels like they've lost everything they valued
Well, we've got a lot.
Despite the difficulties, the singer acknowledges that they still have things to be grateful for
Don't ever forget that.
The singer is reminding themselves (and possibly others) to appreciate what they have
And I wrote this on airplane where the people looked like ants.
The singer wrote this in a situation where the vastness of the world is put into perspective
And when a woman that you loved was gone,
The artist is referring to a specific event that caused them pain
She was bombing East Japan.
The artist is using a metaphor to describe the aftermath of the heartbreak they experienced
Don't fucking move,
The singer is demanding the attention of the person they're addressing
'Cause everything you thought you had will go to shit.
The singer is warning the person that their world might come crashing down unexpectedly
We've got a lot.
The artist is reassuring the person that they have support and resources available
Don't you dare forget that.
The artist is emphasizing the importance of remembering what they have
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: RICHARD CHARLES EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SheLady00
Children, Broadripple is burning
And the girls are getting sick
Off huffing glue up in the bathroom
While your boyfriends pick up chicks.
And darling I'm lost.
I heard you whispering
That night in fountain square.
The trashed filled streets made me wish we were heading home.
There was love inside the basement
Where that woman used to lie
In a sleeping bag we shared upon
The floor almost every night.
And darling I'm drunk,
And everything that I have loved has turned to stone.
So pack your bags and come back home.
And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.
If my woman was a fire,
She'd burn out before I wake,
And be replaced by pints of whiskey,
Cigarettes, and outer space.
Then somebody moves
And everything you thought you had has gone to shit.
We've got a lot.
Don't ever forget that.
And I wrote this on an airplane where the people looked like eggs.
And when a woman that you loved was gone,
She was bombing East Japan.
And don't fucking move,
'Cause everything you thought you had will go to shit.
We've got a lot.
Don't you dare forget that.
And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.
And I'm wasted.
You can taste it.
Don't look at me that way,
'Cause I'll be hanging from a rope.
I will haunt you like a ghost.
@bt8208
Lost my brother to depression 2 years ago...
And I find myself listening to this song while drinking in my bathroom alone....
Times are tough,
i used to want to speak, write, sing, cry
now i just hurt
im a ghost
a shell of a man that never really was
a sinner on aimless coast
i dont want to rhyme
my minds on repeat,
i dont want to die
but there's no cure
an endless ebb, but no flow
endless hurt
the ones i love will hurt the most
unfortunately this is something i know
and that hurts the most
the feeling comes and never really goes
@libraryofthelabyrinth
I had such a distinct phase of my life with this song. Now I come back every once in a while to pay homage.
@celiaroberts3824
I listened to this during one of my lowest moments. Now that it’s years later, it literally takes me back to that time but in a whole other perspective that I’m thankful for.
@mrbred-el3vf
@@celiaroberts3824 Me too. ironically, it has a special place in my heart
@jess_isthebest1
♥
@sosemiteyam562
Spot on.
@yungslug8251
Absolute same
@intent6228
I love how this uses repetition but the repeated parts get more aggressive as it goes - darling I'm lost becomes darling I'm drunk, turned to stone becomes turned to shit, somebody moves becomes don't fuckin' move. Great lyricism there.
@JPusername
You have opened my eyes, I thank you
@Sleeplessxdream
My favorite is where it goes from "don't ever forget that" turns to "don't you dare forget that"
@stevenmercer8299
I completely agree. I am not sure who introduced them to me. I fuckin love them. (using their language0