The band released their debut four-track EP entitled ‘Japanese Spy Transcript‘ on their own label, Robot Needs Home Records in early 2006 which was later picked up by Japan’s XTAL Recordings (Caspian, Yndi Halda) and released in an extend form in August of the same year.
Nottingham’s Field Records released the bands self-recorded debut album ‘Not For Want Of Trying‘ in May 2008. The record was Huw Stephen’s album of the week on his radio 1 show in its week of release and received glowing reviews from RockSound (8/10), Kerrang (4/5) and Drowned In Sound (8/10), amongst many others. After touring the release extensively around the UK with friends Fight Fire With Water, Worriedaboutsatan and And So I Watch You From Afar, they quickly began working on their second full-length.
A year later, in June 2009, ‘Sing The Word Hope In Four-Part Harmony‘ was released, once again through Field Records. Inspired by six months of heavy touring, the record was written to be performed live with a louder, rougher sound. Reviews were as enthusiastic once again, and the touring schedule ever more hectic with the band venturing as far afield as Japan and Russia and mainland Europe to promote the release.
After an extended period of quiet in 2010, the band released their first new material for over a year in the form of 7″ single ‘To The Skies From A Hillside‘ and set about a near sell-out headline tour of the UK, Europe and Russia in support of the record – culminating in a massive home-coming show at Leicester’s Y-Theatre.
Shortly after returning home the band announced that they would be parting ways (amicably) with Field Records, moving on to join the Function Records roster (Meet Me In St. Louis, Cats and Cats and Cats, Shield Your Eyes). Having released the single ‘Critical Distance‘ on 7″ in March 2011, their third studio album ‘I was here for a moment, then I was gone‘ was released in the UK, Europe and Japan in June.
Approaching the record as if they were recording their first album, it saw the band move to using studio spaces for the first time, though still keeping the engineering in-house with Jamie taking the production reins. The album received wide-spread critical acclaim across the board, including Kerrang (4/5), RockSound (8/10), Big Cheese (4/5), NME (7/10) and Artrocker (4/5). In an unprecidented turn up for the books the album was played back to back in its entirety on Kerrang Radio in its week of release and gained the band ‘Band of the Week’ accolade on RockSound’s website for two weeks running.
Over the past five years the band have toured or played with friends and acquaintances including A Silver Mt. Zion, And So I Watch You From Afar, Cats and Cats and Cats, Earthtone9, Envy, Foals, God Is An Astronaut, Humanfly, Johnny Truant, Lite, Long Distance Calling, Mojo Fury, The Ocean, This Will Destroy You, Worriedaboutsatan, You Slut! and &U&I.
The band released its final album, Fair Youth, in late 2014. A year after the album's release, the band announced they would be ending the project. Maybeshewill played its last show on April 15, 2016, in London.
The band have described their sound as "instrumental rock with electronics", while Drowned In Sound described them as sounding "like Mogwai would if the latter had ever found love in an arthouse cinema. And then were beaten around the head with a keyboard".
In January 2020, the band announced their reformation, as well as a few tour dates.
Our History Will Be What We Make Of It...
Maybeshewill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And if there are any historians about 50 or 100 years
From now and there should be preserved the kinescopes
Of one week of all three networks
They will there find, recorded in black and white and
In color,
Evidence of decadence, escapism, and insulation from
The realities of the world in which we live.
Complacent.
We have a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing
Information.
Our mass media reflect this.
But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and
Recognize that television in the main is being used to
Distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then history
Will take it's revenge and retribution will not limp in
Catching up with us.
It may be that the human race is doomed, never to learn
From it's mistakes.
We are the only animals on this globe who periodically
Set out to slaughter each other for the best, the
Noblest, the most inescapable of reasons. We know
Better. But we do it again and again in generation
After generation.
It may be that our empire, too, is doomed like all
Those that have gone before it to continue to spew and
Waste it's best blood on foreign soil, no matter what we
Say or do in this place, or think, or believe, or have
Learned from history.
But, thank God for us...
Maybeshewill's song "Our History Will Be What We Make of It" is a commentary on the state of modern society and the potential consequences of our actions or lack thereof. The lyrics suggest that our current period in history will be judged by future historians based on our choices and actions, and that we need to take responsibility for the ways in which we use technology and media to distract ourselves from the realities of the world.
The first part of the song acknowledges the power of media, specifically television, to shape our perceptions of the world around us. The lyrics note that if historians were to look back at our time, they would see evidence of “decadence, escapism, and insulation from the realities of the world” in our media. The song suggests that we are too comfortable and complacent, and that we have a tendency to avoid unpleasant or challenging information.
The second half of the song takes a darker turn, suggesting that there may be severe consequences for our inaction and avoidance. The lyrics argue that we are capable of learning from history, but that our propensity for violence and conflict seems to repeat itself across generations regardless. The song suggests that if we continue to prioritize our own interests over collective good, we will eventually suffer the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Our history will be what we make it.
The events and stories of the past will be shaped by the actions we take in the present.
And if there are any historians about 50 or 100 years
From now and there should be preserved the kinescopes
Of one week of all three networks
They will there find, recorded in black and white and
In color,
If historians in the future were to examine recordings of television broadcasts from a week, they would see both the good and bad aspects of society captured in black and white and color.
Evidence of decadence, escapism, and insulation from
The realities of the world in which we live.
These television recordings would show evidence of society's decline, avoidance of problems, and ignorance of the realities of the world we inhabit.
We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable, and
Complacent.
We are currently well-off, apathetic, and too comfortable, leading to a lack of motivation to make necessary changes.
We have a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing
Information.
Our mass media reflect this.
Our aversion to difficult or troubling information is reflected in the media we consume, which seeks to entertain and distract rather than inform and educate.
But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and
Recognize that television in the main is being used to
Distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then history
Will take it's revenge and retribution will not limp in
Catching up with us.
We must recognize the ways in which television is used to placate us and take action to change our behavior, or fate will catch up with us in the form of negative consequences.
It may be that the human race is doomed, never to learn
From it's mistakes.
The possibility exists that as a species, we are fated to continually repeat our mistakes and fail to learn from them.
We are the only animals on this globe who periodically
Set out to slaughter each other for the best, the
Noblest, the most inescapable of reasons. We know
Better. But we do it again and again in generation
After generation.
Despite being capable of learning from previous atrocities, humans continue to engage in warfare for reasons considered just or unavoidable, perpetuating a cycle of violence.
It may be that our empire, too, is doomed like all
Those that have gone before it to continue to spew and
Waste it's best blood on foreign soil, no matter what we
Say or do in this place, or think, or believe, or have
Learned from history.
It is possible that our society will suffer the fate of past empires, spending its most valuable resources on wars in foreign lands despite knowledge gained from previous events.
But, thank God for us...
Despite these bleak possibilities, there is still hope for change and improvement in the future.
Contributed by Adalyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ptoner87
There are two movies being referenced in this track. The first is "Goodnight, And Good Luck," and the second is "Young Winston." Just in case anyone was going to ask.
Lesley Redshaw
A very underrated band indeed!
René Burkert
Great Song!!!Amazing!!!
Sergio Zapatillas
great live!!!! I hope they will come back to spain :)
sunflowerofpeace
Powerful, thank you from Canada
J.R. White
I don't think this was the last song they ever played, but I feel like it would have been appropriate.
hanarafa1
sączy się ze mnie stróżka, z rany, każdej historii niespisanej
Zaligia
out of all ur video...dis is my favourite....looking forward for more.....cheers...
~poddy~
great intro!
Jordan Ting
got goosebumps while listening to this song, not sure if it's because of the song or because i'm trying cold juice ;p