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.
Non Photo-Blue
Pinback Lyrics
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It's a burnt-out building.
He's spending all his time on his back,
Staring at the ceiling.
They spend themselves that way.
I'm with that, I'm with them.
You aren't. You are alive, dammit.
I think about you some.
Where to put you?
All the backed up data for a raining time.
Insulate a fragile mind.
Capsulize a broken find.
Don't do this man
There's another one off behind
Breaking down the door without warning.
She just ignores the time the boards came down.
It's a numbed out feeling.
He just accepts that pain with a hate mantra.
A spiritual killing.
They just relax that way.
I'm with that, I'm with them.
You aren't. You are alive, dammit.
Crayons past line. Stay after school.
Crossword filled in non-photo blue.
So they'll never find you.
I get the same result.
We get the same effect.
Can't go through this now.
I'm leaving a message,
Stapled on your head.
Don't do this man
There's another one off behind
Breaking down the door without warning.
The lyrics to Pinback's "Non Photo-Blue" are written in a way that provokes a deep sense of introspection. They paint a picture of two people who are so deeply entrenched in a world of their own, that they are completely oblivious to the outside world. The first two lines of the song suggests that there is a person who is constantly posting on message boards but is unaware that the boards are down. Similarly, the second line suggests that another person is spending all his time lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. These people are trapped within their own minds and seem to be living in a state of numbness.
The lyrics then mention the act of "gnawing on the prey," which is a metaphor for being consumed by one's own thoughts or worries. The singer then thinks about someone, possibly a love interest, and contemplates where to put them, insulate their fragile mind, and capsule a broken find. This is a cleaver use of words to express the emotional complexity that the singer is feeling.
The song ends with the line "Don't do this man, there's another one off behind breaking down the door without warning." This phrase may be interpreted as a warning against getting lost within oneself and ignoring the world outside. It is a call for the listener to shake off their own apathy and to become more engaged with the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
She's posting all the time, but the boards are down.
She's constantly trying to communicate, but can't because the platform is unavailable.
It's a burnt-out building.
The platform is like a run-down, useless building.
He's spending all his time on his back,
Staring at the ceiling.
He's unproductively wasting away by stagnating.
They spend themselves that way.
They accept their unproductive state by wasting themselves away.
I'm with that, I'm with them.
The artist agrees with the unproductive lifestyle.
You aren't. You are alive, dammit.
The singer asserts that the listener isn't just wasting away but is, in fact, alive.
Gnawing on the prey,
I think about you some.
The singer is preoccupied with thoughts of the subject.
Where to put you?
All the backed-up data for a raining time.
The artist is considering how to save and store memories of the subject.
Insulate a fragile mind.
Capsulize a broken find.
The artist is trying to protect themselves from potential pain and sadness.
She just ignores the time the boards came down.
Despite the platform outage, she seems unfazed.
It's a numbed out feeling.
The situation has numbed her out.
He just accepts that pain with a hate mantra.
A spiritual killing.
He copes with pain through hateful and soul-destroying means.
They just relax that way.
They relax in unproductive ways.
Crayons past line. Stay after school.
Crossword filled in non-photo blue.
The singer suggests engaging in activities in stealth or secrecy.
So they'll never find you.
I get the same result.
We get the same effect.
The singer wants to avoid being found, and the listener agrees.
Can't go through this now.
I'm leaving a message,
Stapled on your head.
The artist can't handle things currently, so leaving a message seems best.
Don't do this man
There's another one off behind
Breaking down the door without warning.
The artist warns against a perceived threat or danger.
Contributed by Ellie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.