A turning point in Piebald's career came when they recorded seven tracks, and put them on the CD that came to be known as Sometimes Friends Fight. Their musical sound had greatly matured, and Travis' lyrical ability was finally brought to the forefront of the band's music. Another two seven-inches later, Piebald was ready for another metamorphosis.
Eleven tracks recorded at Salad Days became the first record to showcase Piebald's signature sound and wry jokes. Traditionally the most sought-after Piebald recording (before it was immortalized in its entirety on All Ages), When Life Hands You Lemons was considered to be Piebald's best music yet. This release furthered the lyrical style that had been growing within the band, and also showcased the first lead vocals by lead guitarist Aaron Stuart, and a piano track by Shettel.
Following If it Weren't for Venetian Blinds, It Would Be Curtains for Us All, Piebald released their most popular album to date, We Are the Only Friends We Have. It featured the single "American Hearts" which achieved a modicum of success, garnering some mention on MTV and college radio. This, together with the band's signing to respected indie label Big Wheel Recreation brought Piebald their most mainstream attention to that date. This trend was continued when the band signed to the very popular Side One Dummy label and released their next album, and when Piebald was chosen to play 2004's Warped Tour.
The following album, All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time, features noticeably improved vocals by singer Travis Shettel and continues their evolutionary progress toward the piano-driven fare they've tended towards over the last couple of releases, and features such additions as horn sections, increased use of vocal harmonies, and extremely catchy hand-claps.
Piebald's latest album, Accidental Gentleman was released in late January of 2007. Its mix of raw rock and roll and perfected lyricism, which has always set Piebald apart, shows the band at a peak for themselves and the rest of the music industry. With cover songs like the Kinks' "Strangers", front man Travis Shettel brings a whole new generation the universal truths famously broken down by the legendary Ray Davies into three minute pop songs.
Lead singer Travis Shettel has released solo recordrings under the name Totally Travis. Shettel is also a member of LA based The Was.
The band generally only tours during the summer due to lead singer Travis Shettel's day job as an elementary school teacher.
Piebald announced they would be breaking up following the end of their US tour with The Format, Limbeck, Steel Train and Reubens Accomplice. Piebald played their farewell tour in April 2008 with one stop in New York city and two in Cambridge, MA.
The Monkey Versus the Robot
Piebald Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He says he's tired a lot
He says there should be five days of weekend
Instead of five days of work
And I remind him we get old and retire
Too old to do anything but golf
When you're young you're in school
Let's make old people work
That's a joke
We got a job to do and this is it
I know a girl who works in an office
She says she has no time for herself
She says other than that everything is fine,
Everything is fine
I remind her everything's not quite fine
Maybe it's OK or even worse
Work should not control our every minute
Eat to work
Sleep to work
Live to work, work
We have the best job ever
Yeah we really got lucky
We're nobody's robot
We're nobody's monkey.
Piebald's "The Monkey Versus the Robot" is a song about the modern day grind and the pressures of work. The opening lines of the song introduce us to a man who only looks forward to the weekends and wishes there were more days of leisure. It highlights how we always seem to be working towards a future that may not be guaranteed. The lyrics highlight how we could be working towards our retirement, but by then we would be too old to enjoy our freedom. This is a common predicament people face and the song points out how we can find ourselves stuck in a cycle of school, work, and retirement, without much time for anything else. The song encourages the listener to live life fully, without letting work consume our every minute because we deserve to enjoy our present and not just the future.
The second verse of the song includes lyrics about a woman who works in an office, and how she feels like she has no time to enjoy her life apart from her work. It is a situation like this that the song warns us against, where the daily grind can become so overwhelming that enjoying life becomes an afterthought. The song hints towards an idea that life is not meant to be spent living for work and it’s essential that we strike a balance between our work and our personal lives.
In conclusion, the song is a commentary on the modern working system and how it affects people. It emphasizes the importance of not letting work consume our lives and taking time to enjoy the present moment. It is the perfect reminder that life is too short, and we must find a balance between our work and our personal lives. The song encourages us not to become anyone’s monkey or robot but instead live our lives freely and happily.
Line by Line Meaning
I know a guy who lives just for the weekends
I am acquainted with an individual who only values Saturdays and Sundays of the week.
He says he's tired a lot
This person claims that he is frequently fatigued.
He says there should be five days of weekend
According to him, the weekend should be extended to last for five days instead of two.
Instead of five days of work
He believes that working for five consecutive days should be replaced with a longer weekend.
And I remind him we get old and retire
I tell him that all of us age and eventually cease working.
Too old to do anything but golf
Seniors become incapable of doing anything except playing golf.
When you're young you're in school
Young people are either studying or learning.
Or in the workforce
Or they are employed in a job.
Let's make old people work
This is a sarcastic statement suggesting that seniors should work even when they are too old to do so.
That's a joke
The previous comment was meant as a form of humor.
We got a job to do and this is it
We have a task to perform and this is what we were chosen to do.
I know a girl who works in an office
I know a lady who is employed in an office setting.
She says she has no time for herself
This individual claims that she doesn't have personal time for herself.
She says other than that everything is fine
Besides that issue, everything in her life seems to be acceptable.
Everything is fine
This is a repetition of her earlier comment.
I remind her everything's not quite fine
I imply that her life is lacking something despite her positive outlook.
Maybe it's OK or even worse
It is possible that things are acceptable or may even be worse than expected.
Work should not control our every minute
Employment should not dominate all of our time.
Eat to work
Dining only to nourish ourselves for work is not ideal.
Sleep to work
Sleeping only to recover for work is not desirable.
Live to work, work
Existing solely for the purpose of working is not healthy or fulfilling.
We have the best job ever
Contrary to the above opinions, we think that our job is the greatest occupation of all time.
Yeah we really got lucky
We truly feel fortunate to have our current position.
We're nobody's robot
We refuse to be seen as an unwavering machine controlled by others.
We're nobody's monkey
We refuse to be like a monkey or animal that does tricks for others.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind