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.
stables and chairs
Portugal. The Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That shaped folded banks inside,
As he shivered out thoughts.
They went: "golden and pale, wind whispers, breathe New Orleans",
Through basements and racetracks met hollowed out from stretching mouths.
All these thoughts were rolled onto needles,
That spilled from heads, tumble like apples,
Where rubies turned diamonds.
Like textures, like sunshine,
Behind hands arms lift into its own.
Behind hands arms lift into its own.
As the stadium sheds out the crowd into the streets,
And out of their throats pours, tongues licking down,
"What will we become?"
Rhythms fed gently in vacuums perspired
Will stay where it's warm,
Where it's safe from the down beating drums.
They went: "golden and pale, wind whispers, breathe New Orleans",
Behind hands arms lift into its own.
Behind hands arms lift into its own.
As the stadium sheds out the crowd into the streets,
And out of their throats pours, tongues licking down,
"What will we become?"
As habits pull the sleep out,
Covered in the sheets that harbor rest and sunshine.
As habits pull the sleep out,
Covered in the sheets that harbor rest and sunshine.
As the stadium sheds out the crowd into the streets,
And out of their throats pours, tongues licking down,
"What will we become?"
Into its own.
Into its own.
Into its own.
The lyrics of "Stables and Chairs" by Portugal. The Man convey an overarching theme of confusion and uncertainty about the future. The song begins with a vivid description of a face with "ring-rounded pocket eyes," which sets the tone for the rest of the song as one of surreality and dream-like confusion. The lines "All these thoughts were rolled onto needles, that spilled from heads, tumble like apples, fell into the sky, that’s where they hide, where rubies turned diamonds" suggest a sense of disorientation and a struggle to make sense of one's thoughts.
The mention of New Orleans is interesting because it can serve as a metaphor for change and rebirth. The city was heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and underwent a massive rebuilding and revival process. The line "Rhythms fed gently in vacuums perspired" could be seen as a way of describing the way that new life can rise up from destruction.
The repeated lines "Behind hands arms lift into its own" seem somewhat cryptic at first, but they can be interpreted as a way of describing the process of becoming lost in thought or daydreaming. The repetition adds to the sense of being lost in a dream world, and the repeated mentions of the stadium shedding out the crowd into the streets suggest a sense of coming back to reality or waking up from a dream.
Overall, "Stables and Chairs" is a song with a lot of abstract imagery and wordplay that can be interpreted in many different ways. At its core, it seems to be a reflection on the uncertainty and confusion that comes with being human and trying to make sense of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a face with ring rounded pocket eyes
I saw someone with small eyes that were surrounded by dark circles
That shaped folded banks inside,
Their eyes seemed to have deep creases around them, like folded paper
As he shivered out thoughts.
They were nervous and spoke hesitantly
They went: "golden and pale, wind whispers, breathe New Orleans",
Their thoughts were poetic and dreamlike, evoking a sense of New Orleans
Through basements and racetracks met hollowed out from stretching mouths.
Their words painted vivid images of underground spaces and wide-open mouths
All these thoughts were rolled onto needles,
Their ideas felt sharp and pointed
That spilled from heads, tumble like apples,
Their thoughts flowed out of their mind, tumbling like fruit from a tree
Fell into the sky, that’s where they hide,
Their thoughts disappeared into the vast open sky
Where rubies turned diamonds.
The colors of their thoughts were rich and sparkling
Like textures, like sunshine,
Their ideas had a tangible quality, like the feeling of sunlight on your skin
Behind hands arms lift into its own.
Their gestures were expressive and created a sense of something rising up
As the stadium sheds out the crowd into the streets,
After a concert, people spill out of the stadium and into the surrounding area
And out of their throats pours, tongues licking down,
The concertgoers speak excitedly and rapidly
"What will we become?"
They are contemplating their future
Rhythms fed gently in vacuums perspired
Music is created in a peaceful, yet intense environment
Will stay where it's warm,
The music will remain with those who feel it deeply
Where it's safe from the down beating drums.
The music offers a sense of safety and refuge from harsh realities
As habits pull the sleep out,
Upon waking up, old routines and patterns take over
Covered in the sheets that harbor rest and sunshine.
The comfort of the bed and the warm sunlight create a peaceful environment
Into its own.
Everything blends together to create something unique and individual
Contributed by Leo M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Blair Cambeul
Lyrics.
I met a face ring rounded pocket eyes
That shaped folded banks inside
As he shivered out thoughts
They went: "golden and pale wind whispers breathe New Orleans"
Through basements and racetracks met hollowed out from stretching mouths
All these thoughts rolled onto needles
They spilled from heads tumble like apples fell into the sky,
That's where they hide,
Where rubies turned diamonds
Like textures like sunshine
Behind hands arms lift into its own
Behind hands arms lift into its own
As the stadium sheds out the crowd into the streets
Out of their throats pours tongues licking down
"What will we become?"
Rhythms fed gently in vacuums perspired
Will stay where it's warm,
Where it's safe from the down beating drums
They went: "golden and pale wind whispers breathe New Orleans"
Behind hands arms lift into its own
Behind hands arms lift into its own
Pull the sleep out covered in the sheets that harbor rest and sunshine
Pull the sleep out covered in the sheets that harbor rest and sunshine
As the stadium sheds out the crowd into the streets
Out of their throats pours tongues licking down
"What will we become?"
Into its own
Into its own
Into its own
DocM
So beautiful and harmonizing and simply mesmerizing!!! A spiritual awakening!!
Blair Cambeul
Lyrics.
I met a face ring rounded pocket eyes
That shaped folded banks inside
As he shivered out thoughts
They went: "golden and pale wind whispers breathe New Orleans"
Through basements and racetracks met hollowed out from stretching mouths
All these thoughts rolled onto needles
They spilled from heads tumble like apples fell into the sky,
That's where they hide,
Where rubies turned diamonds
Like textures like sunshine
Behind hands arms lift into its own
Behind hands arms lift into its own
As the stadium sheds out the crowd into the streets
Out of their throats pours tongues licking down
"What will we become?"
Rhythms fed gently in vacuums perspired
Will stay where it's warm,
Where it's safe from the down beating drums
They went: "golden and pale wind whispers breathe New Orleans"
Behind hands arms lift into its own
Behind hands arms lift into its own
Pull the sleep out covered in the sheets that harbor rest and sunshine
Pull the sleep out covered in the sheets that harbor rest and sunshine
As the stadium sheds out the crowd into the streets
Out of their throats pours tongues licking down
"What will we become?"
Into its own
Into its own
Into its own
MsBeatlejoos
🙏
coverkillernation
my introduction to you guys as a band. Never looked back ever since. Loving Evil Friends, and looking forward to more, more, MORE!
Jake deWyn
This has more than a hint of The Mars Volta in it, but is awesome enough that it doesn't come across as a rip-off. 2:03 onward is pure magic!
jon Sqze
omg love the upload. i use to own this but i left it on my car when i sold it. You guys rock and are moving true music forward, i thank you.
monkooo
This is Portugal. the man!
Loudsoda
This has a hint of "And I" in it
Loner Link
My fav. This songs about heroin btw
JayConnor1989
All I understand was Jägermeister! :D