After releasing 300 copies of two of their songs, the band was discovered by, and eventually signed with, independent label Warp Records in 2004, releasing their critically-acclaimed debut album A Certain Trigger" in May 2005. Widely described as one of the best British albums of the year, the album helped the band develop a strong and diverse fanbase both in the UK and abroad, and also earned them a nomination for the coveted Mercury Music Prize. Three songs from the record, Apply Some Pressure (re-released), Graffiti and Going Missing, reached the Top 20 in the UK music charts in 2005. Maxïmo Park also contributed a song titled Wasteland to the War Child album Help: A Day in the Life, midway through that year. The final single from A Certain Trigger, I Want You To Stay, was released in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2006.
Maxïmo Park's second album, Our Earthly Pleasures was released on April 2, 2007. Singles included Our Velocity, Girls Who Play Guitars, Books From Boxes and Karaoke Plays. In August 2008 Paul Smith announced that the band had finished recording their third album and were looking for someone to produce it. It is expected for release in early 2009.
As a result of their rapidly increasing popularity both in the United Kingdom and overseas, 2005 also proved to be a highly exciting year for the band from a touring perspective, with a number of successful tours of Europe, as well as supporting The Bravery in the United States and performing a number of sellout shows in Japan and Australia. While performing across Europe at the Glastonbury and Lowlands music festivals and the Carling Weekend, their enormous success in the United Kingdom was confirmed through their place as support for Kaiser Chiefs on the NME Rock and Roll Riot Tour, and their appearance at the XFM Winter Wonderland shows in London in December of 2005. In a similar vein, the band headlined the NME Awards Tour in the UK, featuring Arctic Monkeys, Mystery Jets and We Are Scientists, and expanded their presence in Asia by performing in Thailand as part of the Rock 100 Festival in Bangkok.
The The National Health Songfacts reports that Maximo's Park fourth album relates to the state of society at large: "The nation is out of control," said Paul Smith, "and the record is about taking back control, and being a force for change in your own life. It can't speak for everybody but it has its eyes and ears all around us. Our songs are built on empathy. I would hope it's as vital a music as people would want to hear." The National Health will be released June 11, 2012.
The band also enjoys playing in their hometown, Newcastle. In early 2007, despite global success, they decided to play in three small venues and price tickets at only £5. These venues were The Head Of Steam, The Cumberland Arms and The Cluny. The band also headlined Freevolution 2007, a free outdoor music festival in Newcastle/Gateshead sponsored by Orange phones.
The Unshockable
Maxïmo Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make their way through towns
The lines of transport
Make their way through towns
At any cost, name a price
Digging through towns
Make way like Moses through the waves
To describe the biggest events
(Did I make it all)
Did I make it all up?
Detritus gathers
Until dirt is the only layer you see
Scratch away, scrape away
Lacerate, keep scratching
Have we become the unshockable?
Or have we become the saddened?
Activity is absent, things are looking scarce
The human heart is on trial for a limited spell
A human heart is on offer for a limited spell
Your body was your great strength
How do you feel now there's nothing left?
The moment's gone
For me, you spent too many hours in bed
(Do you think this is)
Do you think this is cruel?
Snickering clowns
In laughter we hide behind our hands
Take them away, move them away
Stand up straight, keep turning
Have we become the unshockable?
Or have we become the saddened?
Activity is absent, things are looking scarce
Have we become the unshockable?
Or have we become the saddened?
Activity is absent, things are looking scarce
Conceal those thoughts that linger on your breath
Keep them hidden or they'll catch their death
Conceal those thoughts that linger on your breath
Keep them hidden or they'll catch their death
The modes of transport
Forge their way through towns
The modes of transport
Forge their way through towns
Take them away, move them away
Take them away, keep turning
Take them away, move them away
Take them away, keep turning
Have we become the unshockable?
Or have we become the saddened?
Activity is absent, things are looking scarce
Have we become the unshockable?
Or have we become the saddened?
Activity is absent, things are looking scarce
The lyrics of Maxïmo Park's The Unshockable are meant to be an introspective commentary on the society that has become immune to the atrocities happening around them. The lines of transport that make their way through towns and the digging through towns like Moses through the waves represent the constant movement and change that occurs in society. However, the song's references to detritus, dirt layers, and scratching away indicate the underlying decay that has happened. The chorus questions whether people are unshockable or saddened, and the absence of activity and scarcity of things suggests that people might be desensitized and indifferent to the world's issues.
The later stanzas of the song talk about covering up thoughts and feelings to avoid conflict or backlash from society. The line, "The human heart is on trial for a limited spell," is a reference to the short time during which people get to express themselves without fear of judgment. The song ends on a somewhat chaotic note with the repetition of, "Take them away, move them away, take them away, keep turning." It represents the never-ending cycle of events and the things that have become normalised in society.
Line by Line Meaning
The lines of transport
The various modes of transportation
Make their way through towns
Travel through different towns
At any cost, name a price
Cost doesn't matter, just tell the price
Digging through towns
Exploring the towns
Make way like Moses through the waves
Clear a path through the crowd like Moses did through the sea
Pick and choose from a folklore
Select some stories from oral traditions
To describe the biggest events
To narrate the major happenings
(Did I make it all)
Wondering if everything was fictional
Did I make it all up?
Questioning the authenticity of the story
Detritus gathers
Waste material accumulates
Until dirt is the only layer you see
Till the waste reaches a significant level
Scratch away, scrape away
To remove the debris
Lacerate, keep scratching
Keep digging deeper
Have we become the unshockable?
Have we lost the ability to get shocked?
Or have we become the saddened?
Or have we become dispirited?
Activity is absent, things are looking scarce
The lack of energy is evident and resources are limited
The human heart is on trial for a limited spell
People are being judged for a brief period
A human heart is on offer for a limited spell
People have limited emotions
Your body was your great strength
Your physical ability was your forte
How do you feel now there's nothing left?
How do you feel now that you don't have that advantage?
The moment's gone
The opportunity has passed
For me, you spent too many hours in bed
For me, you were lazy
(Do you think this is)
Questioning the listener's perspective
Do you think this is cruel?
Asking whether this is harsh or not
Snickering clowns
Laughing clowns
In laughter we hide behind our hands
We try to cover our laughter with our hands
Take them away, move them away
Move the clowns away
Stand up straight, keep turning
Don't lose your composure and keep moving forward
Conceal those thoughts that linger on your breath
Hide your innermost emotions
Keep them hidden or they'll catch their death
Don't let your emotions become evident, or they will hurt you
The modes of transport
Different types of transportation
Forge their way through towns
Making their way through the towns
Have we become the unshockable?
Questioning whether we have lost our capacity to get shocked
Or have we become the saddened?
Perhaps we have become depressed
Activity is absent, things are looking scarce
There is a general lack of energy and inadequate resources
Have we become the unshockable?
Asking whether we have lost the ability to feel surprised
Or have we become the saddened?
Perhaps we have lost our enthusiasm
Activity is absent, things are looking scarce
There is a general lack of energy and inadequate resources
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, SENTRIC MUSIC
Written by: ARCHIS TIKU, DUNCAN ROBERT LLOYD, LUKAS JAMES WOOLLER, PAUL ANTHONY SMITH, THOMAS ALEXANDER ENGLISH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind