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.
Men Who Create Fright
Robert Pollard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always in the undertow
Begging at best
Hollow culture
When you exist
Are you observable?
When you resist
Are you approachable?
Are you unreadable?
The unspeakable must settle
On your spy frame mind
The reason you came here
Is the reason you flee
Always to the same place
The lyrics of Robert Pollard's song "Men Who Create Fright" portray the constant struggle of an individual to exist in a society that values conformity over individuality. The first few lines of the song deal with the idea of being overlooked, stuck in the undertow of society with no way of escaping. The lyrics "When you exist, are you observable?" and "When you resist, are you approachable?" question whether one's presence is acknowledged or rejected by society.
The lyrics go on to explore the concept of pretending, and how it affects one's identity. The line "When you pretend, are you unreadable?" addresses the question of whether someone can truly be themselves if they are constantly putting on a facade. The final lines of the song "The reason you came here is the reason you flee, always to the same place" suggest that no matter where one goes or what they do, they are inevitably drawn back to the same struggles and problems they were trying to escape.
Overall, "Men Who Create Fright" is a deeply introspective song about the struggle to maintain individuality in a conformist society. The lyrics highlight the difficulty of being true to oneself while also trying to fit into society's norms and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a place
A particular location or state of being.
Always in the undertow
Incessantly being pulled under by forces outside of one's control.
Begging at best
A situation that is subpar or unsatisfactory.
Hollow culture
A society or environment that lacks depth or substance.
When you exist
Acknowledgement of one's existence in the world.
Are you observable?
Can others perceive and understand who you are?
When you resist
Pushing back against societal norms or outside forces.
Are you approachable?
Do others feel comfortable connecting with you?
When you pretend
Putting on a facade or falsifying oneself to fit in or protect oneself.
Are you unreadable?
Are others unable to decipher who you truly are and what you truly want?
The unspeakable must settle
Uncomfortable truths or emotions that must be accepted and internalized.
On your spy frame mind
The idea that one's mind is constantly collecting and analyzing information like a spy would.
The reason you came here
The initial purpose or goal for arriving in a particular location or state of being.
Is the reason you flee
The reason for leaving or moving on from a particular location or state of being.
Always to the same place
Despite changing locations or situations, one's struggles and challenges persist.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Robert Pollard Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BeardofZaius
Kid Marine's a great Pollard LP. Thanks for this!
Oscar Travis
Each track on this album is a gem
kim wilmoth
My pleasure...I can't believe that YouTube has such a minimal amount of Pollard...I've posted 3 and I'll be posting a lot more in the near future...
Méchant Manu
Kim, you now owe me 90$, watching your Kid Marine videos forced me to go on Discogs to buy me a used copy from friggin Japan !But you're off the hook this time, I will let it slide...
Jeffrey Black
Thanks, man...This is Kim, I think I'm on my brother's account, haven't been able to access my account in friggin' years! No clue what happened there...But that's super cool that my little YT Pollard uploads forced you to buy Kid Marine, haha...I wish I could get on my account, I'd upload more shit. The man is still blasting out gems...He's a nonstop writing machine :)
gergsar
thanks for posting!
kim wilmoth
No problem...Always happy to share great music