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
My Only Friend
Phantogram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I had enough
I will wait outside
As long as you are alright
I will know to die
You are beloved
You are beloved
I will wait outside
As long as you arrive
I will wait outside
You were cold last night
So cold
My god
So cold
Hide your broken bones
In my hands
You've lost your battle
And I
I had it all
We had it all
And we don't have to ask why
Believe the lies
That people tell you
You've lost your battle
And vines and tiny thorns
Inside your wound
You're all I have
My only friend
You're all I have
My only friend
You're all I have
My only friend
I had all the stars with you
The lyrics of Phantogram's song "My Only Friend" are quite poignant and deep. The song talks about a person's unconditional love for someone who is their only friend, someone who has lost their battle and is wounded. The phrase "I had all the stars with you" speaks of a time when things were perfect and the two of them had everything they wanted. However, the use of the past tense indicates that this happiness is no longer there. The singer, though, is still there for their friend, waiting outside as long as they are alright. This shows the strength of their relationship and their commitment to each other.
The line "Hide your broken bones in my hands" is a powerful metaphor for the support and comfort one person can provide to another. The singer wants to be there for their friend, to help them through their suffering, and be a safe place they can always turn to. The line "You’ve lost your battle, and I, I had it all" again harks back to a time of happiness, but now the friend is struggling with something that the singer cannot understand. Despite this, they still believe in and love their friend. The final repetition of the phrase "you're all I have, my only friend" reiterates the depth of their connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I had all the stars with you
Together we had everything we could have dreamed of, like the stars in the sky were ours to keep.
And I had enough
I was content and fulfilled with what we had together.
I will wait outside
I'll be there for you as long as you need me, even if it means waiting outside forever.
As long as you are alright
I'll wait until you're okay, no matter how long it takes.
I will know to die
I'll go to any lengths to be there for you, even if it means risking my own life.
You are beloved
You are loved, treasured and adored by me.
You are
Simply put, I love you.
You were cold last night
Something was bothering you last night, you seemed emotionally distressed or upset.
So cold
Your emotional state was almost unbearable, intensely painful and lonely.
My god
I was shocked by how much you were hurting and I felt a sense of painful empathy.
Hide your broken bones
You're trying to hide your pain and suffering from others, but I can see how broken and hurt you really are.
In my hands
I'll be there to support you, to hold your pain and help you heal.
You've lost your battle
You've been struggling with something for a while now and it seems like you're losing the fight.
And I had it all
I had the perfect life, everything I ever wanted before this moment wasn't enough without you in my life.
We had it all
We were an unbreakable team, nothing could touch us until now.
And we don't have to ask why
We don't need to question what went wrong and why, all we know is that we're going to be there for each other.
Believe the lies
People will tell you all sorts of things, but hold on to the truth that we share as a team.
That people tell you
People can't always be trusted and will often lie to you, so it's important to remember what we know to be true.
Vines and tiny thorns inside your wound
Your pain goes so deep that it's like it has grown around your insides and has become a part of who you are. Painful to the touch but something that we can heal together.
You're all I have
You are everything to me, the most important person in my life.
My only friend
Not just a friend but someone I treasure and cherish beyond words.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: SARAH BARTHEL, JOSHUA CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind