Robert Pollard (born October 31, 1957) is a Dayton, Ohio singer-songwriter,… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Pollard (born October 31, 1957) is a Dayton, Ohio singer-songwriter, who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices. During his high school years, he was a successful basketball and baseball player. Pollard was a fourth grade schoolteacher until 1994, when Guided by Voices first broke into the national consciousness with the release of the album Bee Thousand. With over 1300 songs registered to his name with BMI, Pollard is among the most prolific songwriters of his time. In 2006 Paste Magazine listed him at the 78th greatest living songwriter.

Pollard began releasing solo records in 1996, alongside regular releases from Guided by Voices. These albums were typically recorded with a small group consisting of current or former Guided by Voices members, and they were generally considered to informally be part of the Guided by Voices canon, as that band would regularly perform selections from the solo releases in concert.
After the dissolution of Guided by Voices in 2004, Robert Pollard launched his official solo career with the release of From a Compound Eye in February 2006. Pollard's recent studio work has eschewed the live-band format, instead relying on the multi-instrumental talents of Todd Tobias, who produced several Guided by Voices albums. In 2006, he resumed touring with a new band informally dubbed "The Ascended Masters", which featured Tommy Keene on lead guitar and keyboards, Dave Phillips on guitar, Jon Wurster on drums, and Jason Narducy on bass. After Normal Happiness was released, the band returned to the road but subsequent to the cancellation of some 2006 dates due to a leg injury, Pollard announced his retirement from touring. Pollard, however, has since toured with Boston Spaceships.

Pollard resides just outside of Dayton, OH. with his wife, Sarah.

Island Crimes
Robert Pollard Lyrics

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Read my pictures
Distribute the newsworth, oaf
Try on my crime
Bedazzlement made affordable
Life crimes
Island crimes
Bottled offspring
Life in a minute

All these I bring to you
To you and what's more
Anyone can finger a target
Frame a brick sky and be off
An assignment of models
And also atrocities
Believe in me as I see you
See my story on the spot
Wolfing the creamskin for all the right stuff
Read my pictures

Distribute the newsworth, oaf
Try on my crime

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Island Crimes" by Robert Pollard reflect the idea of a person who brings a collection of experiences, perspectives, and emotions to others. The title itself can be interpreted as a metaphor for the ways people commit and experience different types of crimes on the island of life. The line "Read my pictures, Distribute the newsworth, oaf," can be seen as an invitation to the listener to become interested in the events and stories that the singer is sharing.

The line "Try on my crime, bedazzlement made affordable, life crimes, island crimes, bottled offspring," is interesting because it shows how we can experience different types of crimes and emotions in our lives, but at the same time, we shouldn't ignore them. These are bottled offspring we carry within us, and it's essential to share them with others. The singer acknowledges that he brings all these experiences to the audience, and it's up to them to believe in him and to see his story on the spot.

The main idea of the song is that everyone has a story to tell and experiences to share, even if they're not perfect or happy all the time, and these experiences should be embraced, shared, and learned from. The singer sees himself as a writer or creator of these stories, and his job is to share them with others, even if they may not be comfortable with them. The song's tone is inviting and inviting people to be open to new experiences, perspectives, and emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

Read my pictures
View my artwork and understand my perspective

Distribute the newsworth, oaf
Share the latest information with those who are unaware

Try on my crime
Imitate my behavior and actions

Bedazzlement made affordable
The price of being impressed by something has decreased

Life crimes
The wrongdoings committed during one's lifetime

Island crimes
Crimes committed on a remote, isolated landmass

Bottled offspring
Artificial, manufactured children

Life in a minute
A quick and fleeting existence

All these I bring to you
I present all these things to you

To you and what's more
In addition to what has already been presented to you

Anyone can finger a target
Anyone can identify and blame someone