Zach Smith is noted for his unique style of bass-playing, as he combines strumming (the most prevalent of his techniques), popping, and slapping. He uses an Alembic Stanley Clarke bass and is currently working on a solo project entitled Systems Officer. Smith tends to write most of the instrumental parts of Pinback's songs while Rob Crow's forte is lyric-writing. At their concerts, they are known for giving away limited edition tour EPs. Both feel strongly about keeping their music in the independent scene, free from excessive media attention and corporate pressures that could affect the band's original sound.
B
Pinback Lyrics
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its down periscope better cover your eyes
they burned down the station so long ago,
that a rotting corpes qualifies as a show.
well play that one later.
they've launched their antenna claws.
called in a favor while you're choking on their tentacles.
don't look behind the curtain.
you're falling asleep.
look in the spinning line.
oh my goodness! oh my goodness!
rumbly in my tumbly and its bad for business.
psycopathetic audio hum.
sich-a-pathic stereo drone.
when you can't put your finger on what's gone wrong,
but you can fall asleep without the television on.
there's a sound in my head that won't go off.
buzzing in my head and it won't turn off.
well play that one later.
they've launched their antenna claws.
called in a favor while you're choking on their tentacles.
you're falling asleep.
don't look behind the curtain.
you're falling asleep.
look in the spinning line.
play that around.
play that around.
play that around.
mommas tell your babies
not to rest inside your will.
kids in refrigerators won't scratch their way at and never will.
it's in their way
it's in the choice you make forced or mistake.
it's in the way you're will
not break.
whether you're right or wrong.
not break.
well play that one later.
they've launched their antenna claws.
called in a favor while you're choking on their tentacles.
you're falling asleep.
don't worry about the curtain.
you're falling asleep.
look in the spinning line.
you're falling asleep.
don't worry about the curtain.
you're falling asleep.
you're look in the spinning line...
In Pinback's "B," the lyrics suggest a sense of chaos and control, as if the singer is being controlled by an external force. The line "upload the sound from the telephone line" implies a technological aspect that is potentially responsible for this control. The lyric "they burned down the station so long ago, that a rotting corpse qualifies as a show" suggests that the singer is observing destruction or the aftermath of destruction. The second verse includes the line "you're falling asleep," implying that the singer is powerless in some way and possibly being drugged or hypnotized.
The chorus repeats the line "well play that one later," which sounds like a directive being given, potentially by those in control. The line "mommas tell your babies not to rest inside your will" suggests that someone, possibly a parent figure, should be warning their children to not fall prey to this kind of control. However, it is ultimately up to the individual to make the choice to resist or not, as seen in the line "whether you're right or wrong, not break."
Line by Line Meaning
upload the sound from the telephone line.
Get ready for a transmission, something is coming from the other end of the phone line.
its down periscope better cover your eyes
Something is happening that requires discretion, cover your eyes to avoid danger.
they burned down the station so long ago, that a rotting corpes qualifies as a show.
Things were done so cruelly in the past that even the dead are put on display, it's a shocking state of affairs.
well play that one later.
We'll address that issue in due course, but not right now.
they've launched their antenna claws.
They are coming for you with their equipment, and it's going to be hard to get away.
called in a favor while you're choking on their tentacles.
They are asking for a favor at a time when you are unable to help and they have ensnared you.
you're falling asleep. don't look behind the curtain.
You're in danger, but it's too late to do anything. Keep moving ahead and don't look back at the threat.
look in the spinning line.
Look for something in the confusion, focus on the one thing that is spinning and try to make a way out.
oh my goodness! oh my goodness!
This is a shocking situation that should not be happening!
rumbly in my tumbly and its bad for business.
This bad feeling in my gut is affecting my work/performance.
psycopathetic audio hum.
An unsettling audio sound is disturbing.
sich-a-pathic stereo drone.
An uncomfortable audio feeling is happening.
when you can't put your finger on what's gone wrong, but you can fall asleep without the television on.
Something feels amiss but it's difficult to pinpoint, to the extent you can't find comfort from basic activities.
there's a sound in my head that won't go off. buzzing in my head and it won't turn off.
A disturbing sound is stuck in my head and it's impossible to get rid of it.
mommas tell your babies not to rest inside your will.
Mothers should teach their children not to be complacent about their values.
kids in refrigerators won't scratch their way at and never will.
Children will not feel inclined to break free from a situation that they find familiar, even if that situation is uncomfortable.
it's in their way it's in the choice you make forced or mistake.
The choice a person makes will determine how they will be treated.
it's in the way you're will not break. whether you're right or wrong. not break.
You should hold on to your will, regardless of whether you are right or wrong, and not give in to intimidation.
you're falling asleep. don't worry about the curtain. you're falling asleep. look in the spinning line.
Even though you have been trapped, you can still look for an escape in the midst of the confusion.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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