A guy named Henning (that's his first name) writes and sings the songs in School for the Dead. That's primarily what one needs to know about this band. In fact, Henning, just recently won the WRSI (one of Rollingstone's Top 10 Radio Stations) Singer Songwriter Contest. Yay.
Members of School for the Dead have been in bands with and/or recorded with such luminaries as Mark Mulcahy (Miracle Legion), Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Lloyd Cole, Joe Pernice (Scud Mountains Boys, The Pernice Brothers) and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.
Bands that members of SFTD have been part of include The Maggies, New Radiant Storm King, The Aloha Steamtrain, The Mammals, The Gay Potatoes, Lo Fine, The Figments, King Radio, Spanish for Hitchhiking, The Tea Lights, and Humbert.
With that information, the savvy reader will have discerned that SFTD is based in the Northeast. Yes, that is the case.
School for the Dead has shared the stage with World Party, Robyn Hitchcock, Evan Dando, Freedy Johnston, Mates of State, Of Montreal, J. Mascis, Jane Siberry (Issa), Fountains of Wayne, Martin Sexton, Harry and the Potters, Naked Eyes, and Ivy among many others.
Here's what some people have said about School for the Dead:
"For about four or five years now, I've been playing Henning's songs for people and saying they were my own. Please don't tell him that. Brief, romantic and simple, in a why-didn't-I-think-of-that way, his stories and melodies touch people without resorting to attitude or pretense. If his name weren't so hard to pronounce, he'd be Yngwie Malmsteen by now."
-- Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne)
"an intriguingly bright disc...rich in verbal color...Listening to "Henning's School for the Dead," I was struck by a simple truth: I like contemporary rock a lot more than I used to....loud or not, intelligible lyrics really are art, and, by the way, there's still a lot to be said for melody."
-- John Stiffler, Daily Hampshire Gazette
***1/2 - "retro sensibilities and comfortable pop songwriting clever imagery and arrangements"
-- James Heflin, Valley Advocate
"Henning's School for the Dead" is the cleanest piece of pop music to come out of Northampton in a while. While he'd also make it in the lands of R.E.M. and Husker Dü, Ohlenbusch is a model of Western Massachusetts pop... (he) has a penchant for saying things how they really are."
-- Josh Shear, Chicopee Herald
THUG
School for the Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pilot new where to land 'cause she's a search light
She's got a notion that something isn't right
When the neighbors shut their shudders
And the kids stay out of sight
She's going down to the beach from her bungalow
She hears a sound in the street that she doesn't know
Suzy's still choosy and it's sometimes absurd
She still doesn't know what that noise was that she heard
A farm boy wagers he can tame a lady bird
She said put up your dukes those letters sound like a word
She's gonna drown in that wave if she doesn't run
She's looking down at her name and she's almost done
She's not a thug, she's not my drug
She's not a desert island
She's not my book, she's not a rook
She's not a pitcher plant, a super hero, a scissor fingers
She says, "Don't make it so complicated."
Suzy says a doozy's when you step out and see
Hardly anybody even notices me
She says she doesn't have any respect for that street
It's a miniature sun but she can still feel the heat from it
She's looking down at the town from her secret place
She's hears a sound in the ground and she starts to pace.
She's not a thug, she's not my drug
She's not a desert island
She's not my book, she's not a rook
She's not a pitcher plant, a super hero, a scissor fingers
She says, "Dear God, don't make it so complicated."
The lyrics of School for the Dead's song Thug expresses the confusion and insecurity of the titular character Suzy. At the start of the song, Suzy is recovering from a helicopter flight and is already suspicious of her surroundings. She notices that her neighbors are avoiding her, making her feel like something is wrong. Suzy then heads to the beach where she hears a sound that she can't identify. Despite her confusion, Suzy still holds on to her judgment, and she's not easily swayed by others. When a farm boy tries to impress her, she calls the bluff by saying that the words he's using sound like a word. Throughout the song, Suzy is seen in battle mode, constantly fighting to stay sane and in control.
Suzy comes across as a misunderstood character who is struggling to navigate her surroundings. She's someone who is always on edge and is very particular about everything around her. Suzy wants everything to be black and white, but she realizes that life can be complicated. She's not a 'thug' or someone who can be easily manipulated. She doesn't want anything too complicated, and every decision she makes is well-thought-out. The lyrics and the instrumentation of Thug make it a thought-provoking song that dives deep into the character's psyche, reflecting on her fears and concerns.
Line by Line Meaning
Suzy's still woozy from the helicopter flight
Suzy is still feeling dizzy from her helicopter ride
Pilot new where to land 'cause she's a search light
The pilot knew where to land because Suzy had a spotlight
She's got a notion that something isn't right When the neighbors shut their shudders And the kids stay out of sight
Suzy thinks something is wrong when the neighbors close their shutters and the children hide
She's going down to the beach from her bungalow She hears a sound in the street that she doesn't know
Suzy is going to the beach from her house and hears an unfamiliar noise on the street
Suzy's still choosy and it's sometimes absurd She still doesn't know what that noise was that she heard A farm boy wagers he can tame a lady bird She said put up your dukes those letters sound like a word
Suzy is still picky and it's sometimes silly. She doesn't know what the noise was and when a boy tries to charm her, she responds aggressively.
She's gonna drown in that wave if she doesn't run She's looking down at her name and she's almost done
Suzy is at risk of drowning in a wave and is staring at her name, feeling like she's nearing the end.
She's not a thug, she's not my drug She's not a desert island She's not my book, she's not a rook She's not a pitcher plant, a super hero, a scissor fingers She says, "Don't make it so complicated."
Suzy isn't a criminal or intoxicating substance. She's not isolated, a favorite book, a chess piece, or anything else that might be assumed. She just wants things to be simple.
Suzy says a doozy's when you step out and see Hardly anybody even notices me She says she doesn't have any respect for that street It's a miniature sun but she can still feel the heat from it
Suzy thinks it's a rude awakening when no one notices her. She doesn't have respect for the street because it's too hot.
She's looking down at the town from her secret place She's hears a sound in the ground and she starts to pace.
Suzy is gazing down at the town from her hidden spot and hears a noise in the earth, getting anxious.
She's not a thug, she's not my drug She's not a desert island She's not my book, she's not a rook She's not a pitcher plant, a super hero, a scissor fingers She says, "Dear God, don't make it so complicated."
Suzy isn't a violent person or anything else people might mistake her for. She asks God to keep everything simple.
Contributed by Brayden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.