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.
Upside Down
OK Go Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you can feel it
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it, feel it
Don't know where your eyes are
But they're not doin' what you said
Don't know where your mind is baby
But you're better off without it
Inside down and upside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop
Can't stop
It's like an airplane goin' down
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
So when you met the new you
Were you scared?
Were you cold?
Were you kind?
Yeah when you met the new you
Did someone die inside?
Don't stop
Can't stop
It's like a freight train
Don't stop
Can't stop
It's like an airplane goin' down
Don't know where your eyes are
But they're not doin' what you said
Don't know where your mind is baby
But you're better off without it
Looks like it's time to decide
Are you here?
Are you now?
Is this it?
All of those selves that you tried
Wasn't one of 'em good enough?
'Cause you're upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Inside down and upside out
And you can feel it, feel it
Don't stop
Can't stop
It's like a freight train
Don't stop
Can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop
Can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop
Can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
The lyrics of OK Go's song Upside Down & Inside Out touch upon the themes of change, uncertainty, and self-discovery. The opening line of "Upside down and inside out" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the confusion and disorientation that can come with a major change in one's life. The repeated phrase "Don't stop, can't stop" conveys a sense of determination and urgency to embrace this change, no matter how overwhelming it may seem.
The lyrics also touch upon the notion that sometimes, in order to move forward and grow as a person, we need to let go of our old selves. The line "All of those selves that you tried, wasn't one of 'em good enough?" suggests that the singer has tried to change in the past, but perhaps didn't fully commit to the process. The overall message seems to be that in order to truly transform oneself, we need to fully embrace the upheaval and uncertainty that comes with it.
The final line of the song, "Until you feel it going down," can be interpreted in different ways. It could suggest that once we fully embrace change, we may experience a sort of "plunge" or transformation that will permanently alter our lives. Alternately, it could indicate that once we fully embrace the uncertainty of change, we will be able to better navigate the ups and downs of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Upside down and inside out
The world seems turned around and confused, leaving one feeling disoriented and out of place
And you can feel it
The sensation of feeling lost, confused, and disoriented is noticeable and palpable
Don't know where your eyes are
There is a disconnect between one's perception and reality, leading to a sense of uncertainty and confusion
But they're not doin' what you said
One's sense of control is compromised, leaving them feeling helpless and confused
Don't know where your mind is baby
There is a feeling of mental disarray and confusion, making it difficult to focus and think straight
But you're better off without it
In some ways, detaching from one's own thoughts and feelings may provide relief, even if only temporary
Don't stop
Even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, it's important to keep moving forward
Can't stop
Sometimes, external forces are so powerful that one cannot stop even if they wanted to
It's like an airplane goin' down
The feeling is similar to being in a free-fall or imminent danger, leaving one with a sense of dread and panic
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
There is a lack of communication and understanding, leading to a sense of regret and loss
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
Even though it seems impossible to change, the sense of being pulled down by external forces may be more a state of mind than actual reality
So when you met the new you
When encountering a new version of oneself or discovering differences in identity
Were you scared?
Feeling afraid or anxious about changes in oneself
Were you cold?
Feeling distant, isolated, or disconnected from oneself
Were you kind?
Being compassionate and understanding towards oneself during times of change and self-discovery
Yeah when you met the new you
Reiterating the idea of discovering a new version of oneself or changes in identity
Did someone die inside?
The sense of loss or mourning when discovering changes in oneself or losing old identities
Looks like it's time to decide
Acknowledging the need to make a choice or take action in response to changes and self-discovery
Are you here?
Questioning one's presence in the current moment or reality
Are you now?
Questioning one's actions and decisions in response to changes and self-discovery
Is this it?
Reflecting on whether the current state of being is satisfactory or a change is needed
All of those selves that you tried
Referencing the multiple versions of oneself that have been experienced or attempted
Wasn't one of 'em good enough?
Questioning whether the versions of oneself that have been experienced or attempted have been satisfactory, highlighting the struggle of finding the right identity
Until you feel it goin' down
The need to fully experience and acknowledge the sensations of change and self-discovery
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDY ROSS, DAMIAN KULASH, DAN KONOPKA, TIMOTHY NORDWIND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brianwurzburg1318
Can we give props to the EDITOR here?! This is the kind of project where if the editor does their job right, no one should notice the editor.
I don’t think many people understand that this kind of editing is not just splicing takes together. Each portion of the frame with a moving part has to be edited separately.
For ex. The ideal time to cut the video on the right side of the screen might be different from the ideal time to cut on the left side. And in the same shot, the balls flying through the air may need to be edited separately from everything going on behind them.
In fact, if you pay REALLY close attention, at around 2:46 you can see the guy in red accidentally land on a ball. He then throws it aside and, JUST before it lands, it vanishes. This is probably bc he and the ball and the seats etc. are only one layer of many here. The pile of balls (which MUST have moved between takes) is another layer that is playing ON TOP OF the video of him throwing the ball. So basically, the video in front covered up the ball about one frame too early. (If u spotted that u might want to go into video editing lol)
But I only noticed that one imperfection in this edit, and I only spotted it cuz I’ve been editing video for 14 years!
@NeekkeKayla
[Intro]
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it, feel it
[Verse 1]
Don't know where your eyes are
But they're not doin' what you said
Don't know where your mind is, baby
But you're better off without it
[Chorus]
Inside down and upside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop, can't stop
It's like an airplane goin' down
[Post-Chorus]
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
[Pre-Chorus 1]
So when you met the new you
Were you scared? Were you cold? Were you kind?
Yeah when you met the new you
Did someone die inside?
[Chorus]
Don't stop, can't stop
It's like a freight train
Don't stop, can't stop
It's like an airplane goin' down
[Verse 1]
Don't know where your eyes are
But they're not doin' what you said
Don't know where your mind is, baby
But you're better off without it
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Looks like it's time to decide
Are you here? Are you now? Is this it?
All of those selves that you tried
Wasn't one of 'em good enough?
[Bridge]
'Cause you're upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Inside down and upside out
And you can feel it, feel it
[Chorus]
Don't stop, can't stop
It's like a freight train
Don't stop, can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
[Post-Chorus]
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
(Are you scared? Are you cold? Were you kind?)
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
(Are you here? Are you now? Is this it?)
[Outro]
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop, can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop, can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
@ThisFeatureisPointlessLmao
0:25 [Intro]
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it, feel it
0:36 [Verse 1]
Don't know where your eyes are
But they're not doin' what you said
Don't know where your mind is, baby
But you're better off without it
0:46 [Chorus]
Inside down and upside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop, can't stop
It's like an airplane goin' down
0:57 [Post-Chorus]
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
1:08 [Pre-Chorus 1]
So when you met the new you
Were you scared? Were you cold? Were you kind?
Yeah when you met the new you
Did someone die inside?
1:28 [Chorus]
Don't stop, can't stop
It's like a freight train
Don't stop, can't stop
It's like an airplane goin' down
1:38 [Verse 1]
Don’t know where your eyes are
But they’re not doin’ what you said
Don’t know where your mind is, baby
But you’re better off without it
2:00 [Pre-Chorus 2]
Looks like it's time to decide
Are you here? Are you now? Is this it?
All of those selves that you tried
Wasn't one of 'em good enough?
2:19 [Bridge]
'Cause you're upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Inside down and upside out
And you can feel it, feel it
2:30 [Chorus]
Don't stop, can't stop
It's like a freight train
Don't stop, can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
2:40 [Post-Chorus]
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
(Are you scared? Are you cold? Were you kind?)
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
(Are you here? Are you now? Is this it?)
2:51 [Thunderdome]
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop, can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop, can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
@BrunaSilva-uz1dy
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it, feel it
Don't know where your eyes are
But they're not doin' what you said
Don't know where your mind is baby
But you're better off without it
Inside down and upside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop
Can't stop
It's like an airplane goin' down
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
So when you met the new you
Were you scared?
Were you cold?
Were you kind?
Yeah when you met the new you
Did someone die inside?
Don't stop
Can't stop
It's like a freight train
Don't stop
Can't stop
It's like an airplane goin' down
Don't know where your eyes are
But they're not doin' what you said
Don't know where your mind is baby
But you're better off without it
Looks like it's time to decide
Are you here?
Are you now?
Is this it?
All of those selves that you tried
Wasn't one of 'em good enough?
'Cause you're upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Inside down and upside out
And you can feel it, feel it
Don't stop
Can't stop
It's like a freight train
Don't stop
Can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
I wish I had said the things you thought that I had said
Gravity's just a habit that you're really sure you can't break
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop
Can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
Upside down and inside out
And you can feel it
Don't stop
Can't stop
Until you feel it goin' down
@YMS
You guys consistently make the best music videos. This is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Thank you!
@artart2038
THERE HE IS!
@Exogenesys
+YourMovieSucksDOTorg Yeah it was hella cool
@MrLCGO
Last video left me wondering how would they top it off... well, this is how. Hopefully they will surprise me again next time!
@moxxy3565
+MrLCGO Their next music video will probably involve time travel.
@NotPeteMcCabe
I love how every OK Go video basically ends with them all looking at each other, thinking "Thank god we don't have to do that again."
@ethanhoward389
"Did we get it"
"We got it"
Lol
@jasonkatz4430
In the BTS for this video, they really didn’t want to have this final take and only did since paint got on the camera in the take they thought was perfect
@moe1195
In the famous words of chris pontious "that was fun lets never do it again"
@toastymal
Hi, Pete.