Their debut EP Taking Abalonia was released in 2007. It was re-released with seven new songs on June 3, 2008, in Canada as a full-length LP under the name Howe Sounds / Taking Abalonia.
On July 1, 2009, Said the Whale released the EP The Magician to drum up anticipation for the release of their second full-length album Islands Disappear on October 13, 2009.
In the spring of 2011, Said the Whale toured the U.S. for the first time. During this time they were the subject of the CBC documentary "Winning America" directed by Brent Hodge and Thomas Buchan. The movie documented the band's trip and performances along the West Coast of North America on their way to and from Austin, Texas' SXSW Music Festival and culminated when Said the Whale won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards. The documentary aired on July 23, 2011, in British Columbia, and on April 7, 2012, across Canada.
They released their EP New Brighton on November 8, 2011, in preparation for their third full-length album, Little Mountain, released internationally on March 6, 2012.
In early 2012, the band was awarded a spot on the Canadian music magazine Rockstar Weekly's list of the "Top 12 RockStars to Watch in 2012". The list also included Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, and Rush. The band performed at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in 2012 and 2013.
Said the Whale released their fourth studio album, titled hawaiii, on September 17, 2013.
On January 4, 2017, they announced their fifth album, As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide. At the same time, they announced the departure of Spencer Schoening, and that they would move forward as a trio. The album was released March 31, 2017. The first single was "Step Into The Darkness."
On March 5, 2017, they posted an Instagram video with an email address which fans could contact in order to listen to the whole album for free before its release. Fans could stream the whole album on a personalized, private SoundCloud account from the 10th until the 15th of March without leaking or sharing the link. From the 15th until the 26th of March, the fans could invite their friends to listen to the album in a "listening party" in order to promote it but still not sharing the link to the album, keeping it strictly limited to those who were sent the link.
In September 2018, Said the Whale signed to Canadian indie label Arts & Crafts, and announced a new record to be released in early 2019. The band released a new single "UnAmerican" on October 12, 2018. They released their sixth studio album, Cascadia, on February 8, 2019.
Throughout 2021, Said the Whale released a number of singles and music videos from their upcoming album, including "Honey Lungs," "Everything She Touches is Gold to Me," "Show Me Everything," and "99 to the Moon." In May, Bancroft announced he was launching a new record label called EVERYTHING FOREVER. Said the Whale's seventh studio album, Dandelion, was released on October 22, 2021, via that label.
Camilo
Said the Whale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you like to keep a mystery
But there's this girl I know who's sad, you see
And I'd like to show her life is ain't always real
Camilo that's where you come in, my friend
Show me your secrets, show me all of them
I promise I wont say a word again
I'll be the best that I can be
Ca-Ca-Ca-Camilo!
I need to see where you made that combo
'Cause I got some questions about the world I know
And to find the difference between real and show
Camilo
Watch my eyes
Put a coin your hand, now, and squeeze real tight
I'll make both sides and so when you decide
You'll have complete control of your whole life
Camilo, that's where you come in
Be my assistant, be my right-hand man
We'll find a place between fact and fiction
And as long as they don't know,
We'll be the masters of pretend
Ca-Ca-Ca-Camilo!
I need to see where you made that combo
'Cause I got some questions about the world I know
And to find the difference between real and show
Camilo
Caroline, I saw your disbelief,
You're mystified, and so am I
Let's make like enemies and disappear
Camilo!
I need to see where you made that combo
'Cause I got some questions about the world I know
And to find the difference between real and show
Camilo!
The lyrics to Said the Whale's song "Camilo" explore the idea of truth and illusion in life. The singer asks Camilo, a mysterious figure, to share his secrets and show him the difference between what is real and what is just for show. The verses focus on the singer's desire to help a sad girl and gain control over his life, while the chorus repeats the plea to Camilo to provide answers.
The song's title is likely a reference to Camilo Cienfuegos, a revolutionary leader in Cuba in the 1950s. This association with revolution and change adds to the idea of seeking truth and taking control of one's life. The lyrics also feature a reference to magician's coin tricks, which further emphasizes the theme of illusion versus reality.
Overall, the lyrics to "Camilo" are thought-provoking and suggest a desire to break through the surface of life to find deeper truths. The repetition of the chorus adds to the sense of urgency in the singer's quest for answers.
Line by Line Meaning
Honestly,
To be frank,
I know you like to keep a mystery
I understand your preference for ambiguity,
But there's this girl I know who's sad, you see
I am aware of a despondent girl,
And I'd like to show her life is ain't always real
I desire to illustrate that reality is not always what it seems for her
Camilo that's where you come in, my friend
This is where you come into the picture, Camilo,
Show me your secrets, show me all of them
Display your secrets to me, share all of them,
I promise I wont say a word again
I pledge to stay silent forever,
And as long as I'm alive,
As long as I remain alive,
I'll be the best that I can be
I will be the best version of myself
Ca-Ca-Ca-Camilo!
Camilo!
I need to see where you made that combo
I want to know where you created that combination
'Cause I got some questions about the world I know
Since I have some inquiries about the world I comprehend
And to find the difference between real and show
To differentiate between actuality and pretense,
Camilo
Camilo
Watch my eyes
Observe my eyes
Put a coin your hand, now, and squeeze real tight
Place a coin in your hand and clutch it firmly
I'll make both sides and so when you decide
I will show you both possibilities, therefore enabling you to choose
You'll have complete control of your whole life
You will possess complete authority over your existence
Camilo, that's where you come in
That's where you play a role, Camilo
Be my assistant, be my right-hand man
Act as my assistant, be my predominant supporter
We'll find a place between fact and fiction
We will discover a space between truth and fantasy
And as long as they don't know,
As long as they remain unaware,
We'll be the masters of pretend
We shall become the master of imitation
Caroline, I saw your disbelief,
Caroline, I observed your skepticism,
You're mystified, and so am I
You are bewildered, and I feel the same
Let's make like enemies and disappear
Let us vanish like foes
Camilo!
Camilo!
I need to see where you made that combo
I want to know where you created that combination
'Cause I got some questions about the world I know
Since I have some inquiries about the world I comprehend
And to find the difference between real and show
To differentiate between actuality and pretense,
Camilo!
Camilo!
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Gun Hyung Yoo, Jai Sang Park
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@keenanhamilton9851
The real Camilo the Magician - and indeed who this song is written about - is Camilo Dominquez, a magician who currently resides in Vancouver where Said The Whale is from, and knows full well that this song is about him! It is not about the soccer player Camilo Sanvezzo as commonly believed.
@rastazorastra1772
Yeah I also hope you know the pop culture reference of this song. Saed the whale is from Vancouver and the Whitecaps use to have a player named Camillo. He was our greatest player at the time, Brazilian magacian we dubbed him.. Everytime he scored we would sing this song. Saed almost made it for him. Until Camillo decided to snub us and go back to Brazil.
@kylestenger15
I went to school with Camilo in Victoria!
@ruzzodac
know his cousin in vic!
@DavidNicholasNewland
Found this band today randomly on spotify. How could I have missed them for so long ? 1 cd ordered and will grab the rest ASAP.
Amazing stuff \m/
@picklethepepper
Probably because they're a Canadian band that stayed fairly local.
@willbennett47
This is a fantastic song
@shadowknight244
This is my cousins old band and I'm so glad that there doing so well !
@soundofsolitude6803
How does this not have millions of views yet? amazing song
@jasonmarshall4966
Sadly, a lot of Canadian musicians and bands don't get the appreciation deserved