Good Boys Don't Make Noise (2006)
Build It Up (2008)
It’s not every day that a beach record is birthed on the tundra. One for the Team’s sophomore release, “Build It Up,” is a record chock full of loud, sunny, sparkling, pop-gems of an alarmingly contagious magnitude with constant dueling male/female vocals and enough harmonies to melt the icicles from the Minnesota winter that created it.
While the record was written by Ian Anderson quietly on an acoustic guitar in his bedroom, it was assembled and shaped by a group of friends who took what once were introverted, gentle songs, to the extroverted, poppers that they now are.
However, the lighthearted exuberance felt on “Build it Up” did not happen overnight. For years, Anderson worked in the shadows, running seemingly endless musical projects from behind the curtain. From starting the tremendously successful Afternoon Records, a publicity firm, a popular music blog all while maintaining his position as patriarch of the youthful Minneapolis music scene, Anderson spent a long time out of the spotlight prior to this release.
One for the Team’s first album, “Good Boys Don’t Make Noise,” was written, performed, and recorded almost entirely by Anderson in the midst of this hubbub. It was a lonesome process of late night weekends involving only a basement, a computer, and perhaps Star Wars playing on mute on a television nearby.
So it may come as somewhat of a surprise to see Anderson letting go of the reins, stepping out from behind the curtain, and embracing the lights head-on. Along with lead singer and keyboard player Grace Fiddler, drummer Elliot Manthey, bassist John Krueger, and lead guitarist Bill Caperton, One for the Team are ready to step out together with their new record, having found a happy vehicle to do so in Long Beach, California record label The Militia Group.
It’s not easy to concede control for someone like Anderson, who is accustomed to steering the whole ship. But then, maybe that’s a lot of what this record is about: growing up, letting go, getting let down, learning from your losses, being happy just to be here with the people you love and admire. That’s all here. And it’s all been done.
But what's different about One for the Team is the way in which they refuse to wallow in their own small private miseries. They would rather blast an enormous ray of sunshine into dark closets, crush the doors down with unruly guitar crunch, and throw a wicked picnic with all their friends afterwards. This record and this band want to bring the party to your house. They want you to step out of whatever shadows you're hiding in, sing tunes, smash guitars, bang on drums, and let it all go.
This band isn't about a posture of cool or seeking credibility through meaningless weirdness. They are taking the music that has always brought them joy and imbuing them with the unique vision that comes from living in the snow for most of the year. Get out your balaclavas and your speedos because One for the Team has been partying since yesterday.
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We Can Work It Out
One For The Team Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And that includes all the people that you listen to
So, don't take what I said and tell them what I said
Cause it won't be the same to you
Don't tell me what they're saying
Cause I don't wanna know, no, I don't wanna know
Don't tell me what they're saying
Lets all get a little more careless
Lets all just lay on the ground
Lets all get a little reacquainted with the feeling of being down
Lets all get a little more careless
Lets all just lay on the ground
Lets all get a little reacquainted with the feeling of being down
Don't tell me what they're saying
Cause I don't wanna know, no, I don't wanna know
Don't tell me what they're saying
Cause I don't wanna know, no, I don't wanna know
Don't tell me what they're saying
Don't tell me what they're saying
Cause I don't wanna know, no, I don't wanna know
But we can work it out
We can work it out
We can work it, we can work it
No, we can't
Oh, we can work it out
We can work it out
We can work it, we can work it
No, we can't
We can work it out
(I know it's hard for you)
We can work it out
(To understand, please understand)
We can work it out
(I know that it's hard for you that I'm not around)
The opening lines of One For The Team's song "We Can Work It Out" set the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer declaring their authenticity and reliability. They claim to be more truthful than anyone else the listener might trust, and caution them against relaying second-hand information without considering that it might not have the same significance or context as when it was originally said. The repeated refrain of "Don't tell me what they're saying" reinforces this idea, with the singer refusing to be influenced by hearsay or gossip.
The song then shifts to a call for carefree abandon, with an invitation to lay on the ground and reconnect with the feeling of being down. The repetition of the lines "Lets all get a little more careless / Lets all just lay on the ground / Lets all get a little reacquainted with the feeling of being down" creates a hypnotic quality and a sense of unity among the listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm the truest true that you ever know
I am the most honest and genuine person you have ever met
And that includes all the people that you listen to
I am more truthful than anyone else you respect and take advice from
So, don't take what I said and tell them what I said
Please don't twist my words or tell others what I said in your own words
Cause it won't be the same to you
It will change the meaning for you and for others if you misrepresent my words
Lets all get a little more careless
Let's try to be less serious and more carefree
Lets all just lay on the ground
Let's take a rest and relax on the ground
Lets all get a little reacquainted with the feeling of being down
Let's reconnect with the feeling of being vulnerable or sad and embrace it for a bit
Don't tell me what they're saying
I prefer not to know or hear gossip or rumors about what others are saying
Cause I don't wanna know, no, I don't wanna know
I am not interested in hearing anything negative or irrelevant about others
But we can work it out
We can still find a way to resolve our differences
No, we can't
Actually, it may not be possible to find a resolution
Oh, we can work it out
I still believe we can work through this and find a solution
I know it's hard for you
I understand that this is difficult for you
To understand, please understand
Please try to understand my point of view as well
I know that it's hard for you that I'm not around
I am aware that it may be challenging for you to deal with this situation without me being present
Contributed by Alaina I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.