What can be said about OAG?
Genius..mad..outta control..best indie-pop … Read Full Bio ↴What can be said about OAG?
Genius..mad..outta control..best indie-pop ever? All the above?
OAG's story is the story of writer/singer/frontman Radhi. Even he wouldn't be able to tell you how many lineup changes the group has had..:)

OAG's 1994 debut album on the Positive Tone label was industry changing, a watershed. Old Automatic Garbage gave birth to 'Crunchy Pop Fuzz'. Officially it sold triple platinum, but that was before the official distributor was found to be pirating copies into shops! The big hit was the song 60's TV.

Then came 1997s Melody Mocker, a new lineup, and a commercial disappointment despite the wonderfully 'Knocked Silly' and 'Creepy Crawlies'
Lyrics like "creepy crawlies, flowing my viens..creepy crawlies, stuck in my brain..when i don't get no full attention..." should give u an idea, but when sung to hooky, heavenly guitar-pop, the result is startling.

Opera-Radhio-Friendly in 2001 (once again a new lineup)started the comeback for OAG with a significant number of Malay language tracks..a new commercial hit 'Slumber' the action packed 'Stanza' and beautiful indie-pop 'For Whatever' - penned by Alim

Satellite.ink in 2003 saw the band with a more polished production and arrangement...and yet as Daryl Goh in The STAR wrote...

"The whole “crunchy pop fuzz” phenomenon ensued and also tragically imploded as the early chaotic OAG machine crashed. Today OAG is nearly a VH1-style story waiting to be told – and there are some true sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll tales to be unleashed here. But hold the rock history bit. There is still plenty of life kicking about in the bones of this “veteran” guitar-slinging band. That’s certain.

The fresh blood and bounce breathe vibrancy in the music. But it’s Radhi’s honeyed tunes that drive this band home. The infectious new and energised cuts, mostly with tongues placed firmly in cheeks, are still catchy, winsome and simply too exuberant to resist.
Radhi’s present ongoing renaissance continues but the main change is that he’s slowed things down. Tracks like Nowwhy2 and Konspirasi Bising Internasional could have easily been overpowering indie-rockers in the vein of Knocked Silly or Slumber, but there’s a velvety sparkle to them and you get more soul in the layers, and possibility more reality, by the entire band spreading the pace."

The new 2006 album is...for someone else to review..i haven't got a copy yet:) For sure though, it'll be worth picking up, and there'll be hidden gems inside, that most people will never get to hear.

Also look out for the limited edition "Best of.." from around 1999..2 new tracks, unreleased tracks and all the best versions of early OAG.

My favourite early track is Creepy Crawlies - the best of OAG in one song, and absolutely no-one knows it!..i still don't understand:)

For Whatever
Oag Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Say you'll stay forever
You were so wonderful
Forever for whatever...
Ooo...

I move closer
I stare with desire
Your eyes glimpse are searching for me

You were so beautiful
You're so wonderful
Delightful colourful
When you smile
Your smile makes me cry
My heart whispers i don't know why
Why you stay here
In my room

Chorus:
Say you'll stay forever
You were so wonderful
Forever for whatever
Say you'll stay together with me baby
Forever for whatever with me baby... it's you... you... oooh

Tu tu tu... tu tu tu... tu tu tu tuu...
Tu tu tu... tu tu tu... tu tu tu tuu...

My heart whispers i don't know why
Why you stay here
In my room

Say you'll stay forever
You were so wonderful
Forever for whatever
Say you'll stay together with me baby
Forever for whatever with me baby
Say you'll stay forever
You were so wonderful
Forever for whatever
Say you'll stay together

Forever for whatever with me baby... it's you... you... oooh
You... oooh... say that you'll stay forever... oooh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Oag's song For Whatever express the yearning for a love that will last forever. The singer is deeply moved by the person in front of them, who is described in loving, even obsessive terms: "You were so beautiful/ You're so wonderful/ Delightful colourful." The desire to be with this person is palpable in the repetitions of "Say you'll stay together with me baby/Forever for whatever with me baby... it's you..."

The singer's emotional response to their love is so intense that it moves them to tears: "When you smile/ Your smile makes me cry." However, there is also a sense of insecurity, as the singer wonders why this person is in their room, and why they would choose to stay with them forever. The song captures the sense of vulnerability that comes with falling deeply in love, and the hope that it can be reciprocated.

Overall, For Whatever is a passionate and desperate plea for a love that is all-consuming and eternal. The lyricism of the song is simple and repetitive, emphasizing the intensity of the singer's emotional state. Through its urgent sense of longing, it offers a powerful representation of the universal human desire for connection and understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

Say you'll stay forever
Asking the person to stay with you permanently

You were so wonderful
Expressing admiration and appreciation for the person's character and actions

Forever for whatever...
Committing to the person for any circumstance or situation

I move closer
Physically approaching the person with intent

I stare with desire
Looking at the person with a strong feeling of wanting

Your eyes glimpse are searching for me
Observing the person's eyes scanning the surroundings hoping to see the singer

You were so beautiful
Complimenting the person's physical appearance

You're so wonderful
Expressing admiration for the person's qualities

Delightful colourful
Praising the person for the joy and liveliness they bring

When you smile
Noticing and appreciating the person's facial expression

Your smile makes me cry
Feeling overwhelmed with emotion due to the person's smile