Galia Durant’s story began in a household running amok with records, art and books. Galia’s mum collected protest songs while her dad is a professorial art historian with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Indian classical music. Galia “loved it all,” finding no real distinction between Woody Guthrie peacenik anthems, Sarangi etudes and her elder brother’s acid jazz albums. After struggling to learn violin and piano (she preferred her 1988 vintage Casio SK-8 sampling keyboard, which the band still use), at 8, Galia graduated from a more-ideas-than-action ‘band’, “GO”, formed with her brother.
Carim Clasmann’s musical youth was spent in German recording studios learning the alchemical business of faders, compressors and microphones. A self-professed failure at the school recorder and a frustrated guitarist, he dabbled in music-making while cutting demos for other people. Quickly rising through the Cologne studio ranks, Carim learned his chops recording bands like Einstürzende Neubauten and Die Toten Hosen and even worked at Can’s famous Inner Space studio, always dallying with music of his own on the side. He moved to London at the close of the ‘90s, working and then taking up residence at the King’s Cross studio/house he and Psapp currently call home.
Carim met Galia through mutual, musically-inclined friends who would often gather at the studio. For a year or so the duo experimented, united by an eclectic taste for Tom Waits, the Cure, Erik Satie, Duke Ellington and “anything that’s silly and uses stupid noises.” Their own ‘silly noises’ married to Galia’s sultry vocals and perspicacious lyrics produced recordings of shimmering originality and nascent charm - an opinion shared by the handful of labels to which Psapp, as they’d by now christened themselves, sent demos toward the end of 2002. A litany of recordings duly followed. Early 2003’s debut EP for Melodic called, instructively, Do Something Wrong was followed by a single, "Difficult Key", the following Autumn. After seeing a live show by Morr Music electronicists ISAN and befriending the band’s Robin Saville, Psapp’s next recordings would appear on Saville’s own Arable imprint, with Winter ‘04’s Buttons And War EP attracting rave notices.
Around this time several Psapp tracks found their way to US music consultants who were universally wowed by the band’s evocative charms. The duo’s music seemed to chime with the TV zeitgeist and their music started to seep into primetime dramas (not to mention a very high profile Volkswagen advert), culminating in the track Cosy In The Rocket being chosen as the theme music to hit ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, which premiered in March 2005. At a stroke, burgeoning inquisitiveness about Psapp turned into an eager US fanbase. Meanwhile, in King’s Cross, dust wasn’t being allowed to settle. A Japanese EP, Northdown appeared in March 2004, swiftly followed by a vinyl-only 4-track nugget, Rear Moth for the discreet Wiaiwya imprint – some tracks from which would appear on the band’s debut album for Arable (also licensed to Leaf for the US and Canada, Third Ear in Japan and Gronland for much of Europe). Released in February 2005, Tiger, My Friend consolidated the burgeoning interest in all things Psapp. MOJO magazine’s four star review – “Arresting, childlike pop confections… effortlessly carved pop sophistication…” was typically hyperbolic. With Psapp duly rising, the major labels soon came a-courting but by autumn 2005 Psapp had spurned their fevered advances, preferring to ink a deal with Domino.
Toward the close of ’05 Psapp embarked on their first live ventures. Translating their records’ layered complexity to the stage was never going to be easy, but with the multi-instrumental Galia and Carim joined by Gwen Cheeseman (violin, floatation toys), Eshan Khadaroo (drums, lumps of wood), and Jim Whelan (bass, keyboards, ashtrays etc), (joined in 2008 by Matt Jones (keyboardist, Ultrasound, Minuteman)), Psapp took to the road around the UK and Europe, eventually honing an exhilarating, ‘in the flesh’ version of their incomparable recorded sound. Initial touring forays successfully completed, Psapp set about buffing their second album to lustrous perfection, pausing only to head down to the Dorchester Hotel to pick up the BMI Award for 2005’s Best TV Theme Tune for ‘Cosy In The Rocket’.
Psapp are known for their humour on stage, throwing cats (hand-made by the band) into the audience and their highly eclectic music videos.
The Words
Psapp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you remember
All the seconds
You are awake
Yes
We take a lantern
And we go back
To your place
I won't abandon
My foolish notion
It's too much fun
Though
You say it's all right
You do not ask me what I've done
Are we
To make an effort
How might I weave it (???)
And count each one
I know
'Cos I can do it
And when I've done it
I will have won
Why
Can't I abandon
I need a random (???)
The wrong idea
I need
To make an edit
I need to change how I appear
I don't doubt
I know you know me
It's about
The words that throw me
Stammer a line
Burn out of change
There's ink on your hands
And a tear on your page
Half-found intentions are met with a frown
The simplest plans can drag you down
I don't doubt
I know you know me
It's about
The words that throw me
I don't doubt
I know you know me
It's about
The words that throw me
Tell me
Why does it matter
If there's no pattern
To what we do
I know
That only logic
When there's magic
Between me and you
All
Of a sudden
Now you are hidden
From my view
How
Do I get you back
And make an old love
New
I don't doubt
I know you know me
It's about
The words that throw me
I don't doubt
I know you know me
It's about
The words that throw me
The song “The Words” by Psapp is a beautiful and complex exploration of communication in relationships. The song’s narrator is struggling to express themselves and connect with their partner, often feeling misunderstood and frustrated. The song begins with reminiscing about shared experiences and the warm feeling of being with someone you care about. But the singer soon reveals that they are struggling with their own doubts and fears, feeling like they need to change themselves to be understood by their partner. They are fixated on words and the way they can convey meaning, though they also seem to recognize that words can be inadequate and even damaging.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the singer’s struggle is not with their partner, but with the words that “throw” them off balance. There’s a sense that the singer is trying to convey something important and sincere, but that they’re getting tripped up in the process. The song ends on a bit of a sad note, with the singer unsure of how to move forward and bring back the connection they’ve lost with their partner.
Overall, “The Words” is a poignant and relatable meditation on love and communication. It captures the ups and downs of relationships, the joys and frustrations of trying to connect with someone, and the power of words to both illuminate and obscure our innermost truths.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh
An exclamation to begin the song.
Do you remember
Asking if the listener remembers something.
All the seconds
Referring to all the moments in time.
You are awake
Addressing the listener's state of consciousness.
Yes
Agreeing with a previous statement.
We take a lantern
Describing an action.
And we go back
Going back in time or to a previous location.
To your place
Going to the listener's home or residence.
Oh
An exclamation to continue the song.
I won't abandon
Refusing to give up on something.
My foolish notion
Admitting to having a silly or impractical idea.
It's too much fun
Claiming that the idea is enjoyable despite being impractical.
Though
Acknowledging a point made by the listener.
You say it's all right
Acknowledging that the listener is not objecting.
You do not ask me what I've done
Not being asked about one's actions, potentially hiding a mistake or wrongdoing.
Are we
Asking about the situation.
To make an effort
Considering the need for exertion or work.
How might I weave it
Considering how to approach the situation or problem.
I know
Confidently claiming to know something.
Cos I can do it
Asserting ability and capability.
And when I've done it
Anticipating completion of a task.
I will have won
Feeling accomplishment or victory after completing a task.
Why
Asking about the reason for something.
Can't I abandon
Questioning one's inability to let go or give up.
I need a random
Desiring something arbitrary or unexpected.
The wrong idea
Referring to a misguided notion or plan.
I need
Expressing necessity.
To make an edit
Describing the need for revision or modification.
I need to change how I appear
Desiring or feeling the need to change one's image or perception.
I don't doubt
Asserting certainty or confidence.
I know you know me
Acknowledging familiarity and understanding between the singer and listener.
It's about
Explaining the subject matter.
The words that throw me
Referring to words or statements that confuse or upset the artist.
Stammer a line
Describing difficulty in speaking or communicating effectively.
Burn out of change
Feeling exhaustion after attempting to make changes.
There's ink on your hands
Describing physical evidence of work that has been done.
And a tear on your page
Describing emotional intensity or attachment to a project or idea.
Half-found intentions are met with a frown
Referring to failed or incomplete attempts at achieving a goal.
The simplest plans can drag you down
Noting that even the simplest of tasks can become burdensome or difficult.
Tell me
Asking for information or clarification.
Why does it matter
Questioning the importance of something.
If there's no pattern
Considering order or structure in something.
To what we do
Referring to the singer and listener's actions or choices.
I know
Linking back to a previous assertion.
That only logic
Hypothesizing that factors beyond reason or logic are at play.
When there's magic
Describing an unexplainable, mystical force or feeling.
Between me and you
Describing the connection or relationship between the singer and listener.
All
Emphasizing inclusivity.
Of a sudden
Suddenly or unexpectedly.
Now you are hidden
Describing a loss or lack of contact or communication.
From my view
Not able to see or perceive something that was once visible or present.
How
Asking how to achieve something.
Do I get you back
Describing the desire to regain contact or communication with someone.
And make an old love
Desiring to rekindle a previous romantic relationship or connection.
New
Describing the wish for a fresh start or a different approach.
Contributed by Samuel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.