Portugal. The Man centered on frontman John Gourley’s abstract musical approach and corresponding upbringing. He was raised in a sort of technological isolation: his log cabin home in the winter wasteland of the fringes of Wasilla, Alaska was powered by a generator and had no telephone. Both of his parents helped completely immerse him in the unique lifestyle that comes with a land of seasonal darkness and perpetual cold with their jobs as dog sled mushers. Gourley’s innate curiosity and individual spirit combined with a fascination with science fiction and experiences of homelessness create a distinctly transcendent sound that is always open to interpretation and change.
The band’s debut album, Waiter: “You Vultures!” was released by Fearless Records on January 24th, 2006.
On June 22, 2007 they released their second full length, Church Mouth. The band then set out on a full US tour with support from The Photo Atlas, Play Radio Play, Tera Melos, and The Only Children. They then toured Europe, and followed it up with another US headlining tour with support from Rocky Votolato and Great Depression during September and October. Following this tour, they joined Thursday on a short east coast tour in November alongside Circle Takes the Square.
Portugal. The Man collaborated with the band The Sound of Animals Fighting on the re-release of their first album, “Tiger and the Duke.” Portugal. The Man remixed three of the songs on that album.
On July 30, 2008, it was announced that Portugal. The Man would release Censored Colors under its independent record label, Approaching AIRballoons, with a partnership with EQUAL VISION RECORDS. The album was released September 16, 2008.
On April 9th, 2009, Portugal. The Man announced a fourth studio album, The Satanic Satanist. It was released on July 21, 2009.
As of October 2009, It was announced through Twitter that Portugal. The Man have completed another album entitled “American Ghetto” which combines their progressive rock style from their latter albums with some of the electo style from their “Its Complicated Being A Wizard” release. A listening party was held for a group of 17 fans in Los Angeles CA. The album was released on March 2, 2010.
The Got it All (This Can’t Be Living Now) Songfacts reports the band’s sixth album and first for Atlantic, In the Mountain in the Cloud, was released on July 19, 2011.
On February 8, 2013, Portugal. The Man leaked pictures on Bonnaroo's official Tumblr page which showed that celebrated producer Danger Mouse was producing the band's new record. According to a Q&A Zach did on the band's Tumblr, their new album was influenced by Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album.
On February 25, 2013, Portugal. The Man released the name of their new album, titled Evil Friends, on Instagram. On March 6, the band revealed the album art for Evil Friends using a Tweet-to-reveal mosaic. The next day, the video for the title track from Evil Friends was released on the band's YouTube channel. On June 4, 2013, the album was released in the United States. The album featured backing vocals by Este Haim and Danielle Haim. A music video of "Purple Yellow Red and Blue" followed.
On April 22, 2014, the band announced a partnership with Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to release a limited-edition run of 400 records to raise awareness for critically endangered Sumatran tigers. The track, "Sumatran Tiger" does not officially exist digitally, and the copies were sent to "400 carefully chosen influencers, among them actors, activists, musicians, conservationists, bloggers and journalists," and is, as the band claims, "the first song meant to go extinct unless it's reproduced." The band encouraged fans to "scour the Internet" using the hashtags #EndangeredSong and #SumatranTiger to find recordings of the song.
In November 2014, Portugal. The Man were in the studio recording their eighth album with Mike D from The Beastie Boys producing. The band also posted pictures of themselves in the studio on Instagram, as well as showcasing small teasers of what their new album would sound like. Mac Miller was also shown working with the band as well. In May 2015, the band released teasers on social networks of what appeared to be new music with a Latin twist with huapango guitars, dream synths and drums machines. On May 5, Portugal. The Man released a Spanish version of "Purple Yellow Red and Blue" covered by a Mexican-American band called The Chamanas on their official YouTube channel to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. On December 31, 2015, Portugal. The Man posted to their website that they had completed two records followed by separate hashtags #Gloomin + #Doomin. However, on February 3, 2016, the band tweeted from their official account that the new record would be entitled Gloomin + Doomin. In February 2016 Portugal. the Man were featured on the Yoko Ono collaboration album Yes, I'm A Witch Too performing "Soul Got Out of the Box".
On November 30, 2016, Triple J radio debuted Portugal. The Man's new song "Noise Pollution". It was released as a single on December 2, and featured Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Zoe Manville. On March 3, 2017, the band released a single titled "Feel It Still", which was followed by the release of an accompanying music video three days later. It was revealed that Gloomin + Doomin "failed to complete" and was thrown out after three years. They have since completed another album, titled Woodstock, which is promoted by "Feel It Still". The album's title was inspired by an original 1969 Woodstock music festival ticket stub owned by Gourley's father. It led Gourley to a realization that almost 50 years later, music has the same mission as then – "to comment on societal and political unease." "We worked with so many rad people on this album, but ended up with just the four of us in a basement at 4 a.m. trying to say something that mattered," said Gourley. "Trying to write music that would help people feel they're not alone, even if they're angry or feeling lost." Woodstock was released on June 16, 2017. John Gourley and Zoe Manville married on New Year's Eve 2017.
Children
Portugal. The Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Salt, sugar, water pails
Build me black Jesus ('cause Jesus can't save me)
Shackles pulling at your hair (shine me from roots out)
Shine me from roots out (wash me from the neck down)
Wash me from the neck down (put me in the fat stores)
Put me in the fat stores (take me to the tree line)
Take me to the tree line
I'ma heading down, down, down
Down to the river 'cause I don't believe in medicine
I'll crawl out shaking pale
Always got the answer, I've got ears all around me
(Burn up in black smoke) burn up in black smoke
(Thick and pouring down your throat) thick and pouring down your throat
(Make me of bread walks) make me of bread walks
(Listen up with ears we're diving) listen up with ears we're diving
Bury me in blood oil (bury me in blood oil)
Salt, sugar, water pails (bury me in blood oil, bury me in blood oil)
Build me black Jesus
Shackles pulling at your hair
I'm a written page and a giant man
Never sick in bed so I never needed medicine
Tell your children we've got another year coming
Oil stains the legs of this body
Speaks in tongues and croaks, I'm heading down
I'll walk down to the river where we met our pales
Wisdom spilling like our southern friends
(Bury me in blood oil) metal pail atop the rocks and moss
(Salt, sugar, water pail)
(Bury me in blood oil) grass grips licks about our heels and bends
(Salt, sugar, water pail)
I'ma heading down, down, down
Down to the river 'cause I don't believe in medicine
When I grow out I'll be shaking dirt
Never need the answer, I've got hands all around me
Tell your children we've got another year coming
Oil stains the legs of this body
Speaks in tongues and croaks, I'm heading down
Tell your children we spent a year in this fire
Copper bands and Hell's getting lighter
Among those lines we can only get higher
Tell your children we've got another year coming
The lyrics of Portugal. The Man's song Children are rich in symbolism, alluding to themes of death, rebirth, and the cyclical nature of life. The repeated line "bury me in blood oil" suggests a desire to be immersed in the earth, to return to some primordial state. The addition of "salt, sugar, water pails" conjures up images of a ritualistic preparation, perhaps like embalming. The "black Jesus" reference adds to the ominous atmosphere, suggesting a form of divine power that cannot save the singer from their fate.
The lines "shackles pulling at your hair" and "take me to the tree line" add a sense of tension to the song, as if the singer is being led somewhere against their will. The repeated phrases "down to the river" and "I don't believe in medicine" emphasize a rejection of conventional methods of healing, and a desire to embrace a more primal and instinctual form of living. The final stanza is arguably the most optimistic, suggesting that even in the face of death and destruction, there is always the possibility of rebirth and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Bury me in blood oil
I want to be buried in oil, possibly implying that I want to be remembered or preserved in a unique way
Salt, sugar, water pails
These are materials used to preserve food or other items, possibly representing a desire for preservation or immortality
Build me black Jesus
A request to be memorialized as a powerful religious icon, emphasizing the importance of one's legacy or reputation
('cause Jesus can't save me)
Contrasting the previous line, perhaps highlighting a lack of faith in traditional religion or institutions to provide meaning or salvation
Shackles pulling at your hair
A metaphor for feeling trapped or oppressed by external forces
Shine me from roots out
A desire for inner beauty or radiance that begins at one's core
Wash me from the neck down
A plea for cleansing, possibly to remove past sins or impurities
Put me in the fat stores
A request to be remembered or preserved in a place of abundance and plenty, possibly to signify wealth or status
Take me to the tree line
A desire to be in touch with nature or the natural world, possibly representing a search for simplicity or truth
I'm a heading down, down, down
A description of moving towards something, possibly death or oblivion
Down to the river 'cause I don't believe in medicine
An allusion to the healing power of nature, or an assertion that traditional medicine is not effective
I'll crawl out shaking pale
An image of weakness or vulnerability, perhaps signaling a lack of control or power
Always got the answer I got ears all around me
A sense of confidence or self-assurance, perhaps representing a belief in one's own wisdom or intuition
Burn up in black smoke
A description of something being destroyed or consumed, possibly to represent death or transformation
Thick and pouring down your throat
A visceral image of something oppressive or overwhelming
Make me of bread walks
A reference to the biblical story of Jesus walking on water, implying a desire for miraculous abilities or spiritual transcendence
Listen up with ears we're diving
A call to pay attention or focus, perhaps representing a desire for clarity or understanding
Tell your children we got another year coming
An assertion that there is more time or opportunity to achieve something, or a warning to future generations to be aware of potential dangers or challenges
Oil stains the legs of this body
A metaphor for the negative impact of industrialization or capitalism on the environment or society
Speaks in tongues and croaks: I'm heading down
An image of someone struggling to communicate or express themselves, perhaps signaling a sense of isolation or uncertainty
When I grow out I'll be shaking dirt
An image of mortality, emphasizing the inevitability of death and decay
Never need the answer, I've got hands all around me
A sense of security or protection, perhaps representing a belief in the power of community or friendship
Copper bands and Hell's getting lighter
A description of something becoming easier or less intense, possibly representing a victory or achievement
Among those lines we can only get higher
An allusion to musical staff lines or social stratification, perhaps representing a desire to climb the ranks or achieve greater success
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Baldwin Gourley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@a13513513
Words can't describe Portugal. The Man's work.
@docm4544
PTM always make me feel better and uplift me!! Thank you guys!
@kevinarrell7308
one of the best songs ever... eveyones speechless
@naitch5365
underrated song.
@redfordreddington8834
Beautiful
@katbray4947
Bringing it back, bitches.
@christinabriggs7831
I'm a heading down down..down to the river cause I don't believe in medicine.
@JONAHonTHEhill
No comments? well darn, aren't I something!?
@neilvillarreal5719
You ain't shit
@Pattingtinbear
houty touty