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
Your Lower Back
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't worry baby, I won't resuscitate
Dumb buzzard luck don't give a fuck
Don't worry baby, stand up
If they treat you rough in the evening
You'll be alright by the morning
Why would you do this it's so god damn demeaning
Your lower back your lower back
Baby stand up
Oh and don't make a peep, don't even squeak
Don't fight it baby, be sweet
If they rough you up in the evening
You'll get 'em back by the morning
Why would you do this it's so goddamn demeaning yeah
Your lower back haunts me every time I come
If I lose my lunch over dinner
That southern drawl is getting thinner
And I don't like it when rough stuff gets too gruesome
Your lower back haunts me every time I come
The lyrics of Margot & the Nuclear So and So's's song Your Lower Back paint a story of a woman who is being mistreated by her partner. The opening lines "Your lower back, your lower back/Don't worry baby, I won't resuscitate" suggest that the woman might have been physically harmed, and the singer is telling her that he won't intervene or save her if she ends up in trouble. The lines "Dumb buzzard luck don't give a fuck/Don't worry baby, stand up" further emphasize the helplessness of the woman and how she is expected to "stand up" against the mistreatment.
The chorus of the song ("If they treat you rough in the evening/You'll be alright by the morning/Why would you do this, it's so goddamn demeaning/Your lower back haunts me every time I come") suggests that the singer is aware of the mistreatment and feels sorry for the woman. It also highlights the cyclical nature of abuse, where it happens repeatedly, and the victim is unable to escape from it.
The second verse of the song ("If I lose my lunch over dinner/That southern drawl is getting thinner/And I don't like it when rough stuff gets too gruesome/Your lower back haunts me every time I come") appears to be from the singer's perspective, where he is repulsed by the violence and abuse he witnesses. The reference to a "southern drawl" suggests that the song might be set in the southern United States, and the characters might be from that region.
Overall, the song is a harrowing tale of domestic abuse and the helplessness of the victims. The lyrics are introspective and subtle, but they convey the pain and suffering of those caught in abusive relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Your lower back, your lower back
The singer is fixated on the person's lower back.
Don't worry baby, I won't resuscitate
The singer promises not to intervene if things go wrong.
Dumb buzzard luck don't give a fuck
Luck is indifferent and unpredictable.
Don't worry baby, stand up
The artist tells the person to be strong.
If they treat you rough in the evening
If someone hurts the person at night,
You'll be alright by the morning
Things will be better in the morning.
Why would you do this it's so god damn demeaning
The singer questions why the person allows mistreatment.
Your lower back haunts me every time I come
The artist is unable to forget the person's lower back.
Your lower back your lower back
The artist's fixation on the person's lower back continues.
Baby stand up
The artist once again encourages the person to be strong.
Oh and don't make a peep, don't even squeak
The singer tells the person to be quiet and accept mistreatment.
Don't fight it baby, be sweet
The artist urges the person to comply and not resist.
If they rough you up in the evening
If someone hurts the person at night,
You'll get 'em back by the morning
The person will get revenge in the morning.
Why would you do this it's so goddamn demeaning yeah
The singer repeats their question about why the person tolerates mistreatment.
Your lower back haunts me every time I come
The artist still can't forget the person's lower back.
If I lose my lunch over dinner
If the artist feels nauseous during dinner,
That southern drawl is getting thinner
The person's accent is becoming less noticeable.
And I don't like it when rough stuff gets too gruesome
The singer doesn't enjoy extreme violence or brutality.
Your lower back haunts me every time I come
The artist's fixation on the person's lower back persists.
Contributed by Vivian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.