They play indie rock music, with influences such as Cheap Trick, T Rex and Queen. They share management with They Might Be Giants, with whom they toured before signing to Capitol Records. They served as the house band to the public radio program This American Life on the show's fifth anniversary tour. Ira Glass, the show's host, wrote their first official bio, calling them "living catnip" and describing their songs as "part indie rock, part stadium rock, part straight up pop with the occasional whiff of The Pixies or The Cars or Elliott Smith."
In the United Kingdom, "Get Over It", from their self-titled debut album, appeared at No. 21 in the singles chart on March 16, 2003, and the band performed it on that week's edition of Top of the Pops. Also that week, the single's video was named video of the week by Q Magazine. The single was also featured in EA Sports video games Triple Play Baseball and Madden NFL 2003 in 2002.
The band contributed a cover of "This Will Be Our Year," the Zombies classic, as the lead track of Future Soundtrack for America, a political benefit album put out by Barsuk Records in the fall of 2004. Lead singer Damian Kulash also became somewhat politically active during that election cycle, writing a heavily downloaded how-to-guide entitled "How Your Band Can Fire Bush" for bands hoping to help unseat President George W. Bush, which garnered him an avalanche of hate mail.
The band's second record, "Oh No", was recorded in Malmö, Sweden and produced by Tore Johansson (The Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand) in the fall of 2004. Released in August 2005, it gained notoriety for its first single, the Clash-esque "A Million Ways." Its popularity was due in large part to its video, which proved to be a viral internet sensation in the fall of 2005. The ultra-low budget, one-take video featured the band in their back yard performing a dance choreographed by lead singer Kulash's sister, Trish Sie. Using a camera borrowed from a friend, the video was produced for under ten dollars and released without the knowledge or consent of their label, Capitol Records. By November 2005, the video had become the most downloaded music video ever with over 3 million downloads. It also spawned hundreds of tribute performances by amateur dancers around the world, a phenomenon that was encouraged by the group, which sponsored a dance contest, "OK Go Dances with You(Tube)", in which contestants were asked to upload videos of themselves doing the 'million ways dance' to YouTube, which would subsequently be judged, with the winning group of dancers to appear on stage with the band at a future OK Go performance.
The nontraditional video for "A Million Ways" is not without precedent for the band. Previous oddball video efforts featuring OK Go include their Ping Pong Instructional Video and the Federal Truth In Music Project.
Their next video featured the band dancing on treadmills to the single "Here It Goes Again" from the "Oh No" Album. This video was produced in a similar style to "A Million Ways", and also choreographed by singer/songwriter Damian Kulash's sister, Trish Sie. As with the previous music video for "A Million Ways", "Here It Goes Again" was also recorded as one continuous unedited take, although it required 7 days of rehearsal, and was the best (take 14) of 17 attempts. The amateur and yet brilliantly original 'treadmill video' sparked an even greater viral internet phenomenon than the AMW video, and was subsequently viewed on YouTube and elsewhere online well over 15 million times. On February 11, 2007, the "Here It Goes Again" music video earned the band members of OK Go and Trish Sie the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.
OK Go toured North America with Silversun Pickups and Snow Patrol in 2007.
Invincible
OK Go Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They'll have to go through you first
I bet they won't be expecting that
When they finally come to destroy the earth
They'll have to deal with you first
And now my money says they won't know about the
Thousand Fahrenheit hot metal lights behind your eyes
You're invincible
That crushing crashing atom-smashing white hot thing,
It's invincible
When they finally come, what'll you do to them
Gonna decimate them like you did to me?
Will you leave them stunned and stuttering
When they finally come how will you handle them?
Will you devastate them deliberately?
Cause I'm gonna guess they won't be
Prepared for the thousand Fahrenheit hot metal lights behind your eyes
Invincible
You're invincible
That crushing crashing atom-smashing white hot thing
It's invincible
So please, use your powers for good
Please use your powers for good
You're invincible
The lyrics to OK Go's song, Invincible, tell the story of a person who is invincible and able to protect the Earth from being destroyed by a unnamed force. The song constructs an apocalyptic event in which the Earth's end is inevitable. However, this person (referred to as "you") is the only obstacle in the way. The singer bets that the force will not have anticipated "you" and that they will not know of the 'thousand Fahrenheit hot metal lights behind [your] eyes.' The lyrics continue to ask what "you" will do when the force finally arrives, whether "you" will handle them with force or deliberately devastate them. Through this, it's suggested that they will possess an immense, almost god-like power.
The song emphasizes the strength of this figure and highlights their invincibility through an ethereal electronic sound, which emphasizes the singer's god-like image. The song includes hints of rock music blended with upbeat pop-inspirations. OK Go's lyrics suggest a readiness for challenge and their perceived power to overcome anything thrown their way. Nevertheless, throughout the song, there is a sense of caution, and an emphasis on using their powers for good.
Line by Line Meaning
When they finally come to destroy the earth
In the scenario where Earth is under attack, the attackers will have to face you before making their way to the planet.
They'll have to go through you first
The attackers will only be able to destroy Earth if they defeat you first.
I bet they won't be expecting that
It is highly unlikely that the attackers are prepared to face you.
And now my money says they won't know about the
It is speculated that the attackers are unaware of the following.
Thousand Fahrenheit hot metal lights behind your eyes
The intense passion and forceful drive that resides within you, waiting to manifest when the need arises.
Invincible
You possess impenetrable strength and unwavering resolve.
You're invincible
Your impenetrable strength and unwavering resolve grants you invincibility.
That crushing crashing atom-smashing white hot thing,
Your inner strength can be compared to a force powerful enough to crush atoms and cause massive destruction.
It's invincible
Nothing can defeat your crushing, crashing force.
When they finally come, what'll you do to them
In preparation for the inevitable attack, what actions will you take against the attackers?
Gonna decimate them like you did to me?
Will you completely destroy them, similar to the impact you had on me?
Will you leave them stunned and stuttering
Will the attackers be left in a state of shock and confusion by your actions?
When they finally come how will you handle them?
When the attackers make their arrival, what will be your course of action?
Will you devastate them deliberately?
With carefull planning, will you inflict massive damage upon the attackers?
Cause I'm gonna guess they won't be
The attackers are expected to be unprepared for the following.
Prepared for the thousand Fahrenheit hot metal lights behind your eyes
The intensity and ferocity of your inner strength will come as a shock to the attackers.
So please, use your powers for good
It is suggested that your immense power should be utilized for benevolent purposes.
Please use your powers for good
It is implored that your immense power be used for the betterment of others.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: DAMIAN KULASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@seductivegreenbean8269
"What goes with the theme 'invincible'? I wanna get a real badass message across."
"Exploding hay bails?"
"GENIUS"
@twenty3enigma
When I was going through chemo+radiation treatments for cancer, quite a few years ago, this song was my battle anthem. It kept me positive and strong. With the 1st lines of the song being "When they finally come to destroy the earth, they'll have to go through you first" -- what can I say? It really helped. If you ever know a rock fan who's going through cancer treatments, pass this song along. Every little thing...
@perkwoo
Glad you used your powers for good! Invincible.
@ToddyWithaHotdog
Such an underrated band.
@dominiquedahler8524
Exactly
@Hirudura
when you try to film a music video but random shit just keeps exploding the background
@lindseychester1
these guys are way more than a band! they are video choreography geniuses
@dominiquedahler8524
Yes very good
@videogamepro964
this song is so fucking underrated, it needs more views damnit.
@PINGPONGROCKSBRAH
VideoGamePro I was just thinking the same thing.