In 1990, Coomes, Weiss, and Brad Pedinov formed the band Motorgoat. The band released two self-released cassettes and one 7" single before dissolving in 1993. Quasi started recording as a duo in 1993. They played with various additional musicians in early live appearances, but eventually settled on playing live as a duo as well. They self-recorded and self-released a cassette and a CD in 1993. They recorded R&B Transmogrification in the Portland band Pond's basement recording studio and released it on Up Records in 1997. They released two more albums with Up: Featuring "Birds" in 1998 and Field Studies in 1999; both albums were recorded at Jackpot Studios in Portland, Oregon.
In 1998 and 1999 they toured the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Japan opening for and serving as the backup band for Elliott Smith (who Coomes had played with in Heatmiser) as well as touring on their own in the U.S. and Europe. In 2001 They home-recorded The Sword of God and released it on Touch & Go. Quasi had been somewhat political since its inception, but their opposition to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq showed through in a straight-forward way with the release of Hot Shit! in 2003, particularly in the songs "White Devil's Dream" and "Master and Dog." When the Going Gets Dark followed in 2006, released on Touch & Go in the U.S. and Domino Records in Europe, as with Hot Shit!.
In Spring 2009, the band announced that they had signed to the Kill Rock Stars label, and were due to release their already recorded next album in the latter half of the year. That album, entitled American Gong, was released February 23, 2010 to generally favorable reviews. It was their first and only album to feature third member Joanna Bolme. Following a tour of Japan, Europe, and the United States in support of the full length, Bolme left the band. A duo again, Sam and Janet are recording material for a new album.
Two by Two
Quasi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew you could,
Leaving nothing to remember you by
Except how to be happy
& how not to care anymore.
Two by two - these things weren't meant for you.
Your call never came,
I wish that it would,
Besides the way we fell to pieces
& how not to feel anything.
Two by two - these things weren't meant for you.
It rains today, or are those tears?
Falling from the moon above
That bell in my head
It'll ring till I'm dead.
The lyrics of Quasi's Two by Two touch upon the idea of a relationship that has come to an end. The song highlights the point in time where one person has moved on and the other is still holding onto the past. The opening lines "You've left at last, I knew you could, leaving nothing to remember you by except how to be happy and how not to care anymore" suggests that the person who has left has left no lasting memory for the other person. However, what they have left behind is a lesson on how to move on and find happiness. The chorus "Two by two - these things weren't meant for you" emphasizes that despite the meaning that the relationship may have had, it was not meant to be.
The second verse of the song reflects the feeling of wanting to keep something, anything, from the relationship that once was. The line "Your call never came, I wish that it would, so I could have something to remember you by besides the way we fell to pieces and how not to feel anything" highlights the desperation to hold onto something that once was. The phrase "Two by two - these things weren't meant for you" reinforces the idea that the relationship has ended, and what was thought to be an everlasting connection, was never meant to be.
The rain and tears mentioned in the last lines "It rains today, or are those tears? Falling from the moon above, that bell in my head, it'll ring till I'm dead" bring a sense of finality to the song. The image of the rain being tears almost brings the emotions of the song full circle, from wanting to remember the person, to accepting the end and moving on. The final line, "that bell in my head, it'll ring till I'm dead" represents the idea of not being able to forget the memories and feelings even when the relationship is over.
Line by Line Meaning
You've left at last,
You have departed finally,
I knew you could,
I always believed that you could leave,
Leaving nothing to remember you by
You left without a trace,
Except how to be happy
But you did leave me with a valuable lesson on how to be content,
& how not to care anymore.
And how to detach myself from caring too much,
Two by two - these things weren't meant for you.
Certain things are just not meant for you,
Your call never came,
But I never received a call from you,
I wish that it would,
I still have a desire to hear from you,
So I could have something to remember you by
Just something to hold onto,
Besides the way we fell to pieces
Apart from the way our relationship ended,
& how not to feel anything.
And how to keep my emotions buried,
Two by two - these things weren't meant for you.
Some things were not meant for us to have,
It rains today, or are those tears?
It's pouring today, or maybe it's just my tears,
Falling from the moon above
Falling from the heavens,
That bell in my head
The constant ringing in my mind,
It'll ring till I'm dead.
It will never stop, even in death,
Contributed by Lincoln P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.