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.
Gold Fronts
Portugal. The Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They spoke of hell and things they'd never miss
Bridge shelter and the cold creek bed
That breaks backs and leads eyes down
Until faces drag against the dirt and ears living in that muddy sound
Where the white whales roll just once a year
And the arm feeds the hatchet with an African appetite
Matched machetes sparkle shine
I've been getting pretty sleeping in these boxes
With those blackened mule faces outside my door
Shouting
Oooohhhhh
The club met the seal and the seal met the dog
That carried the man to the end of the trail
Where they walked down the streets pavement
Was black beneath their feet
I have been having a little trouble with these black glass lungs
And dealing in the man with the gold tooth grin
In "Gold Fronts" by Portugal. The Man, the lyrics portray a dark and twisted world where the sun becomes personified and engages in conversation with the last person on earth, discussing the depths of hell and the things that they regret not having done. This conversation takes place in the context of a desolate landscape where people are struggling to survive. The bridge and the cold creek bed are symbols of this struggle, as they represent the harsh conditions that people face. The imagery in the lyrics is dark and disturbing, painting a picture of despair and hopelessness.
The lyrics continue to explore the desperation and suffering of the characters in the song. The singer is living in a box, surrounded by poverty and blackened mule faces. The chorus of the song features haunting shouts, adding to the eerie atmosphere. As the song progresses, new characters are introduced, including a seal, a dog, and a man with a gold tooth. These are all symbols of the harsh reality that the characters are facing. The black glass lungs are another symbol of the damage that has been done to them, most likely as a result of the harsh environment.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun bent down and spoke with the last of the lips
As the sun was setting, it appeared to speak to the singer with the final rays of light.
They spoke of hell and things they'd never miss
The sun's last words were about the terrible aspects of life and things that it would not regret leaving behind.
Bridge shelter and the cold creek bed
The singer references a bridge shelter and a cold creek bed as places of refuge.
That breaks backs and leads eyes down
These places are difficult and dangerous, causing people to look downward and struggle physically.
Until faces drag against the dirt and ears living in that muddy sound
The difficult conditions force people's faces into the dirt and make it hard for them to hear anything but the sound of mud and water around them.
Where the white whales roll just once a year
The singer references a place where rare events occur, such as the sighting of white whales once a year.
And the arm feeds the hatchet with an African appetite
The singer describes a violent act with a metaphorical comparison to the intense hunger of Africa.
Matched machetes sparkle shine
The sharp blades of the machetes reflect the light and suggest the violent nature of the scene.
And shape that small-scale guillotine
The machetes are being used to create a smaller version of a guillotine, indicating that someone is about to be executed.
I've been getting pretty sleeping in these boxes
The artist is tired of sleeping in small spaces.
With those blackened mule faces outside my door
The singer is uncomfortable with the presence of unknown people or animals outside their sleeping area.
Shouting Oooohhhhh
The shouting outside is loud and disruptive to the artist's rest.
The club met the seal and the seal met the dog
The singer describes a meeting between three different animals.
That carried the man to the end of the trail
These animals were involved in transporting someone to the end of a journey.
Where they walked down the streets pavement
At the end of their journey, the group makes their way down a paved street.
Was black beneath their feet
The color of the pavement is black and noticeable beneath their feet.
I have been having a little trouble with these black glass lungs
The artist is experiencing respiratory issues brought on by inhaling something, which they describe as black glass lungs.
And dealing in the man with the gold tooth grin
The singer has been interacting with someone who has an unsettling gold tooth grin.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN BALDWIN GOURLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrDrakeulah
My favorite album... prolly cuz it was the first time I heard perfection.
@JacobStevens13
I used to talk to them on the phone years ago when they did Office Hours....sometimes i talked to the same member twice because i was a kid and just kept calling but they were really cool about it. All these years later and this music is still legitimately great.
@nisuarez99
This barely has any views even though portugal. the man is awesome! You deserve so many more PTM!
@sladeb6036
10 year old comment but you're still right unfortunately.
@Up2Eight
I am so glad you guys are putting up some of your old music now finally
@SilverAlex92
Wow this song goes hard! I love it
@sickkswaga
Saw these guys on the tour for this album in philly and the next album in reading great live show
@antler9927
This song just makes me feel so strange and I dont know why
@yes-wo7qn
Genius
@dromendus
This should have more views...... goodness these guys should be more popular. I mean their collab with Danger Mouse got Evil Friends some popularity, but what about their 7 other albums?