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
You Are the Ocean
Phantogram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I can't live without you
When a song is about you
Then you know you've got problems
That you can choose
There's a hole in my conscience
There's a hole in my country
Like a hose that won't stop flowing
And I know that it's coming
It's coming
It's coming
It's coming soon
Here's why
'Cause you are the ocean
And I'm good at drowning
(You should be looking out)
The morning will follow
And I wont remember
(You should be looking out)
It feels like I've been here
I've been here forever
(You should be looking out)
You should be looking out
In the fall I get lonely
In the winter I'm still lonely
Come the knives of the springtime
In the summer I go crazy
'Cause you are the ocean
And I'm good at drowning
(You should be looking out)
The morning will follow
And I wont remember
(You should be looking out)
It feels like I've been here
I've been here forever
(You should be looking out)
You should be looking out
Phantogram's song "You Are the Ocean" is an emotionally-charged plea to a loved one. The first lines of the song state that it is about the listener, as the singer cannot live without them. However, the rest of the song makes clear that this is a problematic relationship that the singer is stuck in. The metaphor of the ocean is used throughout the song to represent the overwhelming feeling of being submerged in this situation. The singer acknowledges that they are "good at drowning" in the ocean of the relationship.
The song paints a bleak picture of the singer's mental state: there's a hole in their conscience and a hole in their country. The imagery of a nose that won't stop running and a hose that won't stop flowing emphasizes the idea of a constant, uncontainable chaos. The singer knows that something will happen soon, likely because they can't keep up with the immense pressure of the relationship. The lines "the morning will follow and I won't remember" indicate a feeling of detachment or dissociation that the singer experiences as a coping mechanism to survive.
One interesting aspect of the song is that it is unclear who the singer is addressing. It could be a lover, a friend, or even the listener themselves. This ambiguity allows for a broad interpretation of the lyrics. Another interesting fact is that the song was co-written by Dan Wilson, who is known for his work with Adele and the Dixie Chicks. Finally, the music video for the song features Sarah Barthel, one half of Phantogram, walking through surreal landscapes, which adds to the dreamlike quality of the song.
Chords:
Unfortunately, the chords for this song are not available on the internet.
Line by Line Meaning
This song is about you
The lyrics are addressing the listener directly
'Cause I can't live without you
The singer needs the listener to survive
When a song is about you
The listener is directly involved in the creation of the lyrics
Then you know you've got problems
The listener is aware of their own personal issues
That you can choose
The listener has control over their own fate
There's a hole in my conscience
The singer feels guilty about something in their past
There's a hole in my country
The singer sees flaws in their homeland
Like a nose that keeps running
An annoying problem that won't go away
Like a hose that won't stop flowing
An endless stream of unwanted thoughts or emotions
And I know that it's coming
The artist is anticipating something bad happening
It's coming
This bad thing is inevitable
It's coming
The artist is trying to prepare themselves mentally
It's coming soon
This bad thing is happening imminently
Here's why
The singer is about to explain why they feel the way they do
'Cause you are the ocean
The listener is compared to the vastness and power of the ocean
And I'm good at drowning
The artist is helpless when it comes to dealing with the listener
(You should be looking out)
The artist is warning the listener to be careful
The morning will follow
The singer is predicting a new day will begin after a difficult night
And I wont remember
The singer will forget this pain eventually
It feels like I've been here
The artist is stuck in a painful cycle
I've been here forever
The artist feels like their pain will never end
You should be looking out
The artist is urging the listener to stay vigilant
In the fall I get lonely
The singer experiences loneliness during autumn
In the winter I'm still lonely
The artist remains lonely during winter as well
Come the knives of the springtime
The season of rebirth and new beginnings is still painful for the singer
In the summer I go crazy
The season of warmth and sunshine is overwhelming for the singer
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSHUA CARTER, SARAH BARTHEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-bk1ow7ws1z
This song is about you
'Cause I can't live without you
When a song is about you
Then you know you've got problems
That you can choose
There's a hole in my conscience
There's a hole in my country
Like a nose that keeps running
Like a hose that won't stop flowing
And I know that it's coming
It's coming
It's coming
It's coming soon
Here's why
'Cause you are the ocean
And I'm good at drowning
The morning will follow
And I wont remember
It feels like I've been here
I've been here forever
You should be looking out
In the fall I get lonely
In the winter I'm still lonely
Come the knives of the springtime
In the summer I go crazy
'Cause you are the ocean
And I'm good at drowning
The morning will follow
And I wont remember
It feels like I've been here
I've been here forever
You should be looking out
@commonsenseisntcommon1576
I could listen to Phantogram all day. Thank you for writing and producing such amazing music.
@rachaelkaydonna
Agreed 🔥🎸
@crystalsomekat7172
Absolutely. I listen to it on Pandora all day. 💜
@ryanleclaire3948
One of the greatest songs I've ever heard. Been with me for all these years. Eyelid Movies is such a beautiful album..
@PureExpression
Back here revisiting memories for like 15 years ago. Bittersweet ❤
@Sharon-lz3fq
Only 7 comments?! 7 of the best people I never met, listening to one of the best songs.
@user-bk1ow7ws1z
2 of them are mine so does that mean I'm 2x better?
@Mellonpopr
my fav Phantogram song
@ashleybailey5513
Love running from the cops too
@kealohareef6388
Epic tune... enough said!