Barthel and Carter were friends since junior high school. Barthel pursued a visual arts degree while Carter formed the experimental band Grand Habit. In the summer of 2007 they reunited and worked on finishing some beat ideas Carter made earlier. The duo was originally called Charlie Everywhere when performing around the Saratoga Springs area on the local label Sub-Bombin Records. When they signed to BBE Records they changed the name to Phantogram, to avoid legal issues.
In March 2009, they self-released a five song EP, Phantogram EP, which featured four songs that ended up being on the full length. In the same year they released another EP, Running From the Cops on BBE Records.
The band's debut album Eyelid Movies was released in September 2009, on BBE Records in Europe, and in February 2010, on Barsuk Records in the US. The album received generally favorable reviews. The singles "Mouthful of Diamonds", "When I'm Small" and "As Fas As I Can See" supported the album.
Phantogram have supported acts such as Metric, The xx, J-Live, Brazilian Girls and have toured with The Slip, Zero 7 and Minus the Bear.
Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter were inspired by artists like J Dilla, Serge Gainsbourg, My Bloody Valentine, Madlib, Sonic Youth, The Beatles and David Bowie.
In 1 November 2011, the band issued the EP Nightlife. This EP includes the single "Don't Move".
The duo collaborated with Big Boi from OutKast on three songs from his second studio album, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors: "Objectum Sexuality (feat. Phantogram)", "CPU (feat. Phantogram)" and "Lines (feat. A$AP Rocky & Phantogram)". Phantogram are also credited as producers for the song "Objectum Sexuality".
Official site: http://www.phantogram.net
10000 Claps
Phantogram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
10,000 claps for me
10,000 cats
10,000 cats for me
Seasonal change, stars rearrange
Kissing my grave
Why are you bothering me?
10,000 rats to meet
Standing in line
One at a time, for me
Sparkling night
Sharpening knives
Parallel lines
Taking up all of my time
Wishing away
Robbing my stones
Kissing my grave
When can you take me back home?
The lyrics to Phantogram's song "10000 Claps" are full of cryptic and abstract imagery that seems deliberately designed to keep the listener confused and off balance. The repeated refrain of "10,000 claps for me" and "10,000 cats for me" creates a sense of obsessive fixation or entitlement, as if the singer is demanding praise or adulation from an invisible audience. The inclusion of seasonal changes and stars rearranging suggests a sense of cosmic upheaval or existential uncertainty, as if the singer is struggling to understand their place in the universe. The line "kissing my grave" hints at a looming sense of mortality or finality, while the final question "why are you bothering me?" suggests a sense of annoyance or frustration with some external force that is intruding on the singer's private world.
The second verse introduces a new set of animal imagery, with "10,000 rats" standing in line to meet the singer. The use of "sparkling night" and "sharpening knives" continues the sense of danger or foreboding that pervades the song, while the reference to "parallel lines" suggests a sense of inevitability or inescapability. The repetition of the line "robbing my stones" is oblique and open to interpretation, but it could be read as a metaphor for some kind of theft or violation. The final line "when can you take me back home?" adds a sense of longing or homesickness, as if the singer is trapped in a strange or hostile environment and yearns for familiar comforts.
Line by Line Meaning
10,000 claps
Receiving a lot of applause, possibly for an achievement.
10,000 claps for me
Acknowledging the appreciation and recognition received.
10,000 cats
Having a lot of cats, or possibly referring to cat-like qualities such as agility, energy, and curiosity.
10,000 cats for me
Appreciating the personality traits of cats, and possibly aiming at acquiring them.
Seasonal change, stars rearrange
Observing the cyclic pattern of nature and its cosmic implications.
Kissing my grave
Being close to death or anticipating it.
Why are you bothering me?
Feeling disturbed or intruded upon.
10,000 rats
Encountering a lot of unpleasant experiences, possibly referring to people or conditions.
10,000 rats to meet
Being surrounded by negative stimuli that need to be addressed.
Standing in line
Waiting to attend to something that requires patience.
One at a time, for me
Preferring things to be processed in sequence and not all at once.
Sparkling night
Experiencing a beautiful or lively atmosphere during night-time.
Sharpening knives
Preparing for a dangerous or challenging situation.
Parallel lines
Reflecting on aspects of life that are intended to run smoothly.
Taking up all of my time
Being preoccupied or overwhelmed by something that requires attention.
Wishing away
Feeling discontent or wanting to escape from reality.
Robbing my stones
Feeling like one's personal resources are being depleted or wasted.
Kissing my grave
Revisiting the theme of being close to death or anticipating it.
When can you take me back home?
Expressing a desire to return to a place of comfort or safety.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cat Mom Shop
I was flying after a breakup on a solo vacation. fell asleep listening to this album and woke up just as this song came on, right when the plane was approaching the sunset over the ocean. magical moment I'll never forget
FLCL Kellman
My favorite song still
Curt Jones
I bet it was a great feeling. I found this 2 days ago. I was listening to a random alt mix. Staring out the window watching it rain. I instantly knew it was something. I said hey she said 10,000 cats! My wife just bought 2 cats last week. Great vibes
Sebastian Kalhoefer
Thank you for sharing this moment in this way... After reading your comment, and letting it act on me, I somehow consider the other answer to your comment with the "staring out the window and it's raining" as "wrong situation"... #BiasedForEver...
MUSIC LOVER
Phantogram is so amazing! With all the generic BS and no talent artists on the charts today, listening to PHANTOGRAM cleanses the musical palette and reminds us that there is still true artistry in music today! LOVE THEM!
jimena
real
Qarcon
This is my favorite Phantogram track of all time.
Marc Soren
Can we talk about the ending? That little part where Josh says yay all sad-like gets me every time
jimena
i think i need to write about how much music like this made an impact on my life growing up, thankful to my sisters for playing music like this as i grew into my teenage years i definitely think it did something to me, not being able to understand this music as a kid but knowing it sounded sad, playing video games while my sisters would blast music like this, getting picked up from school. i’m just thankful, now being a little older and being able to comprehend the lyrics and what they mean, but also it still having a connection to my childhood, it’s just makes it all that much better.
Jennifer Prince
You have some awesome sisters!
I have the same feeling towards songs my oldest brother would play, clearly by your comment I think I’m quite older so those songs I listened to as a kid my brother played were Ah-ha…OMG, Oingo Boingo etc lol