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.
Syracuse
Pinback Lyrics
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Water carries us from here
I'm fightin' this assignment
I'm wishin' we fall into the well.
I'm wishin' we fall into the world.
I missed your Monotone
I missed you... Far Away...
Set you off and down again.
Until he's spared no reason.
What he doesn't know
Could fit inside a thimble.
The opening two lines of Pinback's Syracuse paint a picture of someone stepping down into sand, perhaps suggesting a beach setting, with water carrying them away. The singer seems to be struggling with some sort of assignment or task, perhaps feeling weighed down or burdened by it, and expressing a desire to fall into a well or the wider world. The line about missing someone's monotone and being far away suggests a sense of distance or separation from someone important to the singer.
The second stanza continues with a sense of turmoil, as the singer speaks of something triggering an adverse reaction in someone, causing them to be set off and down again. The third line suggests that the cause is someone else, possibly a third party who has acted in a way that the person reacting doesn't understand or can't handle. The final line is particularly striking, with the image of something that virtually fits inside a thimble - something small and insignificant - being all that someone else needs to be ignorant or blind to something important.
Line by Line Meaning
I step down into sand
I feel like I am gradually sinking into something unstable or uncertain.
Water carries us from here
We are moving to a different place, both physically and emotionally.
I'm fightin' this assignment
I am struggling to complete a task or responsibility.
I'm wishin' we fall into the well.
I am hoping for a change, even if it means taking a plunge.
I'm wishin' we fall into the world.
I am longing for an escape from my current reality and to explore something new.
I missed your Monotone
I yearn for the familiarity and consistency of your presence.
I missed you... Far Away...
I miss you, even if we are physically far apart.
Whatever the thing that set you up
Whatever caused you distress or discomfort.
Set you off and down again.
Pushed you back into a negative state or place.
Until he's spared no reason.
Someone or something has continuously caused you grief or pain.
What he doesn't know
The lack of understanding or knowledge about a certain person or situation.
Could fit inside a thimble.
Is very small and limited in scope.
Contributed by Ellie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.