Originally formed in 2003 while the members attended SUNY Purchase, the band played a series of shows at the now defunct Apocalypse Lounge in NYC, and quickly began building a fanbase with their reverently twisted take on Americana filtered through a wealth of musical influences as divergent as Bill Monroe, Prince, Neil Young, The Microphones, and The Misfits. For these shows, O’Death put together a very raw, 10-track CD-R, entitled Carl Nemelka Family Photographs, to sell to concert-goers.
As O’Death worked on new material for their second, self-released LP, Head Home, the five-piece perfected their stage show. The band’s nonstop touring caught the attention of the New York-based Ernest Jenning Record Co., who re-released Head Home in June 2007. Later that Summer, UK-based label City Slang released Head Home in Europe. O’Death continued to tour the US and Europe throughout 2007, putting out a limited edition (500 copies) vinyl version of Head Home on Ernest Jenning Record Co./City Slang, followed by a 7” single of two new songs, "Low Tide" and "I Think I'm Fine," as well as a cover of The Pixies’ “Nimrod’s Son” as an internet bonus track. Head Home was nominated for a 2007 Shortlist Prize.
On February 5, 2008, Gigantic Music released a new 7”, which features songs “Spider Home” and “Silk Hole”.
The band also participated on Vincent Moon's The Take-Away Shows.
Band Members
* Bob Pycior (fiddle)
* Gabe Darling (banjo, ukulele)
* Greg Jamie (vocals, guitar)
* David Rogers-Berry (drums)
* Jesse Newman (bass)
* Dan Sager (trombone, euphonium, keys)
Wrong Time
O'Death Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It go bad, it go bad
My friends they took my bell
Oh, I'll meet you by the nickel old dream
We go dream, we go dream
I'll meet you by the nickel old dream
I'm known here for my looks
I'm known here for my looks
Oh, oh
It worked, but you must go around
And we are starving
And work but you must go around
WRONG TIME, WRONG TIME
WRONG TIME, WRONG TIME
WRONG TIME, WRONG TIME
The lyrics to O'Death's song Wrong Time are a bit enigmatic and open to interpretation. However, one possible explanation is that the singer has lost something important to him - his bell - and his friends are the ones responsible for that. He seems to lament this loss, repeating the phrase "it go bad". Despite this betrayal, he invites someone to meet him by the "nickel old dream", almost as if he is seeking solace or escape from his predicament. In the second verse, the singer switches to talking about his appearance, which suggests that he feels vulnerable or judged by others. He claims that "it worked", which could be interpreted as his good looks being an advantage to him. However, he also acknowledges that "you must go around" - perhaps meaning that he has to navigate certain obstacles or biases because of how he looks. The repeated chorus of "wrong time" could indicate a sense of frustration or resignation about his situation, as though he feels stuck in this position.
Overall, the lyrics to Wrong Time are quite sparse and suggest more than they explain. The singer seems to be grappling with some personal loss, both physical and emotional, and is seeking some form of comfort or escape. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "wrong time", adds an ominous and melancholy tone to the song, suggesting that the singer may feel that everything is against him at the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
My friends they took my bell
I've been let down by my trusted friends, they betrayed me and stole my possessions
It go bad, it go bad
My stolen bell is now of no use to anyone as it is broken and useless
Oh, I'll meet you by the nickel old dream
Despite my friends betraying me, I am willing to meet you in the place where we both dreamed of visiting
We go dream, we go dream
We will continue to dream of a better time, even though our reality is tough
I'm known here for my looks
I have nothing of value here, but the only thing that people notice about me is my appearance
It worked, but you must go around
Despite my looks helping me in some way, it is not enough to survive and navigate the harshness of this world
And we are starving
We are desperate and in dire need of food and sustenance
WRONG TIME, WRONG TIME
I am convinced that this is not the right time for anything good to happen to me
WRONG TIME, WRONG TIME
This phrase is repeated to emphasise and reinforce my belief that everything is going wrong for me
WRONG TIME, WRONG TIME
I am completely convinced that the timing for anything positive or fortunate is not right for me
Contributed by Benjamin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.