Their songs are notable for their male/female vocal harmony, shifting rhythms, and quirky song structure- most tracks are composed of multiple distinct, almost disjointed movements. Both members sing with great intensity, often in the upper ranges of their voices, and often sing different (yet complementary) melodies simultaneously. Tempos are nearly always fast, with beats often resembling those found in electronic club or dance music.
The main instruments used by the band are drums and electric organ. Although both members started out playing the guitar, they found they ended up fooling around with the organ and drums in their practice space more often than with more traditional instruments.
The band recorded one album on Omnibus Records before moving to Polyvinyl Record Company for their second and third full-lengths. They have also released five 7-inch singles and two EPs. In December 2005, the band signed with Barsuk and since have released an album entitled Bring It Back. In May 2008, they released the album Re-Arrange Us.
Get Better
Mates of State Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let the color schemes arrive
Come onboard, it's a curious sight
Absorbing sound that's never been right
Never ahead of, never behind it
Occasionally guarded, just keeps us surrounded
It's luck
Ah
I propose a less serious boat
But don't mistake it for a party of jokes, who are never ahead of, never behind us
Floating in circles there's more to remind them of less
Everything's gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better
Done
I'm done
I'm done
The Mates of State's song "Get Better" seemingly has a simple enough message, encouraging listeners to forget their politics and absorb the joy and beauty of life. The opening lines of "Forget all your politics for a while, let the color schemes arrive" show the band's intention to help us escape the mundane daily troubles and take in what is around us. The lyrics then go on to describe a "curious sight" which could mean anything significant or trivial, something that is a treat for one's eyes and could help in "absorbing sound that's never been right". The line means that even if the sound may not be perfect, one can still actively consume it.
The following lines in "Get Better" describe how luck and being guarded surround us from time to time. Perhaps, the Mates of State believe that life is like a game of cards, and luck plays a fair share in it. And while we are trying to guard ourselves and our lives, we observe that life still happens in unpredictable ways. The most crucial message that the band wants to convey through the song lies in the chorus: "Everything's gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better." The chorus is a powerful statement on life’s imperfections and an announcement of acceptance. No matter what happens, we have to learn to let go of negativity and find a way to let ourselves lighten up to enjoy life.
Line by Line Meaning
Forget all your politics for a while
Take a break from your political beliefs and biases
Let the color schemes arrive
Embrace the beauty and diversity of different perspectives and ideas
Come onboard, it's a curious sight
Join us on this journey of exploration and discovery
Absorbing sound that's never been right
Taking in the noise and chaos in the world that never seems to make sense
Never ahead of, never behind it
Not trying to be ahead or behind anything, just going with the flow
Occasionally guarded, just keeps us surrounded
Sometimes we feel protected, even though we're surrounded by uncertainty
It's luck
It's all a game of chance and circumstance
Everything's gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better
Things may not improve, but at least they'll become easier to bear
Ah
Sigh of resignation or acceptance
I propose a less serious boat
Let's take a more laid-back approach to life
But don't mistake it for a party of jokes, who are never ahead of, never behind us
Don't confuse our carefree attitude for being frivolous or unimportant
Floating in circles there's more to remind them of less
When we're going in circles, we're reminded of how little progress we've made
Done
I'm finished, in a state of finality or resolution
I'm done
Reiteration of being finished, with possibly more emphasis or emotion
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jason Edward Hammel, Kori Gardner Hammel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thomas Fougère
Forget all your politics for a while
Let the color schemes arrive
Come onboard, it's a curious sight
Absorbing sound that's never been right
Never ahead of, never behind it
Occasionally guarded, just keeps us surrounded
It's luck
Everything's gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better
Ah
I propose a less serious boat
But don't mistake it for a party of jokes, who are never ahead of, never behind us
Floating in circles there's more to remind them of less
Everything's gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better
Done
I'm done
I'm done
Bleak
"Forget your politics for a while. Let the color schemes arrive." This song speaks on my thoughts lately. People are always gonna disagree, but we could compromise, or if not, just all be the same for a while. We're not so different at all from one another. Listen to this song live. YES
D. Rebecca Huynh
Let’s look for commonalities, not at all our differences all the time. Value differences for the different perspectives that keep us all in check.
David Corrado
This is my favorite song by my favorite band. Way to go Mates of State! It is amazing how much their sound has evolved since their last album!
Drewdude
Still one of my favorite songs, even after all these years!
Eltaurus
even after all these years!
Katey Nicosia
God this song is amazing on so many levels.
SquidBrandon
Absolutely brilliant! I might seriously be more excited about the new MoS album than graduating from pharmacy school this week!
Gary Lucy
Another triumph by a very underrated band
Stray Medicine
I really have a passion for this bands music now. This song really helped me through some tough times I had.
andrew a
Just saw them last night and I got to say that they sounded very good live. I recommend seeing them in person.