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.
Easy Tiger
Portugal. The Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Livin' for whatever
Tight rope, no chains
Holdin' it together
But it's hard to see clouds
When you're six feet underground
Keep building a house
And it goes on, on
It goes on
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Can't break it open
Easy tiger
You're only sixteen goin' on forever
Take it easy tiger
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy tiger
Only sixteen goin' on forever
Easy tiger
You're only sixteen goin' on forever
No rain, clear skies
At least I got the weather
Bought in, sold out
Finger up to heaven
'Cause I still see your face
Getting lost in the crowd
And I still hear the sound
Of the pack when they howl
And it goes on, on
It goes on
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy tiger
You're only sixteen goin' on forever
Take it easy tiger
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy tiger
Only sixteen goin' on forever
Easy tiger
You're only sixteen goin' on forever
Gasping for air, I'm chokin'
Runnin' with no sign of slowin'
'Til my legs are broken (easy tiger)
Gasping for air, I'm chokin'
Runnin' with no sign of slowin'
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy tiger
You're only sixteen goin' on forever
Take it easy tiger
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy tiger
You're only sixteen goin' on forever
The lyrics to Portugal. The Man's song "Easy Tiger" describe the struggles of being a teenager trying to navigate through life, feeling like you're stuck in a cycle of building yourself up only to tear yourself back down. The line "Good kid, bad brains" suggests that the singer is well-intentioned but constantly fighting against their own inner demons. They feel like they're walking a tightrope without any safety nets, trying to hold it all together. The metaphor of clouds and being six feet underground represents the feeling of being stuck in a rut and unable to see a way out of your problems, even when the solution might be right in front of you.
The chorus of "Easy Tiger" serves as a reminder to take it easy and not get too caught up in the struggles of being a teenager. The singer is only 16, but they feel like they're going on forever, which speaks to the feeling of time moving slowly when you're young and everything feels so intense. The repeated line "Don't call collect, can't break it open, easy tiger" suggests that the singer is looking for a way out but isn't sure how to get there. They're searching for a way to break free but don't know how.
Overall, "Easy Tiger" is a powerful anthem about the struggles of young adulthood, capturing the angst and uncertainty that comes with trying to find your way in the world. It's a reminder to take things one day at a time and not get too caught up in the struggles of today because you never know what might be waiting for you tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Good kid, bad brains
Despite being a good person, they struggle with making good decisions.
Livin' for whatever
Their life lacks direction and purpose, they simply exist.
Tight rope, no chains
They are struggling to keep their life stable without any guidance or support.
Holdin' it together
Despite their struggles, they are managing to keep themselves from falling apart.
But it's hard to see clouds
It is difficult to see any hope or positivity when everything is going wrong.
When you're six feet underground
Their problems are weighing heavy on them and making it difficult to see a way out.
Keep building a house
They are attempting to build a stable life for themselves.
Then tearing it down
But they continue to make poor decisions which destroy the progress they've made.
And it goes on, on
Their struggles continue unending.
Don't call collect
They cannot rely on the help of others.
Can't break it open
They cannot easily escape their problems or find a solution.
Easy tiger
They are being advised to take things easy and not rush into decisions.
You're only sixteen goin' on forever
Despite being young, their problems seem never-ending.
Take it easy tiger
They are being advised to slow down and take a breath.
No rain, clear skies
Despite things looking good, there is something troubling beneath the surface.
At least I got the weather
Despite their troubles, they are thankful for what they do have.
Bought in, sold out
They have given into the pressures of society and lost themself in the process.
Finger up to heaven
They are not afraid to rebel against social norms.
'Cause I still see your face
They are haunted by the memory of someone who is not around anymore.
Getting lost in the crowd
Despite their personal troubles, life keeps moving around them and they feel left behind.
And I still hear the sound
They still feel connected to their past memories and experiences.
Of the pack when they howl
They feel they relate more to outcasts and troublemakers than to mainstream society.
Gasping for air, I'm chokin'
Their problems are suffocating them and they are struggling to breathe.
Runnin' with no sign of slowin'
Despite exhaustion, they feel they cannot stop or slow down their life.
Til' my legs are broken
They are working themselves to the point of collapse trying to fix their life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ajay Bhattacharyya, Ammar Malik, John Gourley, John Hill, Kyle O'quin, Mikey Hart, Thomas Hull, Zachary Carothers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
city kitty
i wanted the lyrics so uh
[Verse 1: John Gourley]
Good kid, bad brains
Livin' for whatever
Tight rope, no chains
Holdin' it together
But it's hard to see clouds
When you're six feet underground
Keep building a house
Then tearing it down
[Pre-Chorus: John Gourley & Zoe Manville]
And it goes on, on
It goes on
[Chorus: John Gourley]
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy, tiger
You're only 16, goin' on forever
Take it easy, tiger
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy, tiger
Only 16, goin' on forever
Easy, tiger
You're only 16, goin' on forever
[Verse 2: John Gourley]
No rain, clear skies
At least I got the weather
Bought in, sold out
Finger up to heaven
'Cause I still see your face
Getting lost in the crowd
And I still hear the sound
Of the pack when they howl
[Pre-Chorus: John Gourley & Zoe Manville]
And it goes on, on
It goes on
[Chorus: John Gourley]
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy, tiger
You're only 16, goin' on forever
Take it easy, tiger
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy, tiger
Only 16, goin' on forever
Easy, tiger
You're only 16, goin' on forever
[Bridge: John Gourley]
Gaspin' for air, I'm chokin'
Runnin' with no sign of slowin'
'Til my legs are broken
Easy tiger
Gaspin' for air, I'm chokin' (tiger)
Running with no sign of slowin'
[Chorus: John Gourley]
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy, tiger
You're only 16, goin' on forever
Take it easy, tiger
Dumb coconut, can't break it open
Easy, tiger
You're only 16, goin' on forever
Mike ADHD
This band never disappoints 🎸
noopt19
Easy Tiger is a disappointment. Listen to Its Complicated being a Wizard instead
noopt19
@M.B. Listen to Its complicated being a wizard. I hate overhyped bands i mean... What the fuck? This shit aint better than the first 2 Albums. Yeah we are P.TM and play our worst song ( Feel it still) twice instead of playing something cool and druggy
noopt19
Why am i annoying?
auchaneI
noopt19 ur not a true fan
Saurav Baloda
The song represents youth exuberance combined with its foolishness. Truly a masterpiece ❤️
Mykola Em
Affirmative
Lucca Rocha
Nao da pra sobreviver sem as musicas da minha banda favorita
legendaryspeech
Every song is simply hit.
Lara Gallavich
NAH CUS FRRRR