Along with such bands as Pavement and Guided By Voices, Sebadoh helped pioneer lo-fi, a style of indie-rock characterized by low-fidelity recording techniques, often on four-track machines. The band's early output, such as Weed Forestin (1990) and III (1992), was typical of this style, and wavered between Barlow's wry, introspective folk and Gaffney's psychedelic noise-rock experiments.
Following 1993's Bubble and Scrape, Gaffney left the band. His replacement, Bob Fay, appeared on the band's most acclaimed and consistent effort, 1994's Bakesale, which saw the emergence of the songwriting talents of multi-instrumentalist Jason Loewenstein, and the follow-up Harmacy in 1996.
Fay left the band before the sessions for The Sebadoh (1999), to be replaced by Russ Pollard. Following the tour to promote this album (2000), the band went on hiatus, with Barlow concentrating on his other project, the Folk Implosion, and Loewenstein working on material for his debut solo album At Sixes and Sevens, released in 2002. The two reunited to play concerts in late 2003 and the spring of 2004.
In 2006, III was reissued with a bonus disc and expanded liner notes. In 2007, the band (reunited with Eric Gaffney) was touring.
In 2013, Defend Yourself was released followed by Act Surprised in 2019.
Discography:
* The Freed Man (1989)
* Weed Forestin' (1990)
* The Freed Weed (1990)
* III (1992)
* Rocking The Forest (1992)
* Sebadoh vs. Helmet (1990)
* Smash Your Head On The Punk Rock (1992)
* Bubble and Scrape (1993)
* 4 Song CD (1994)
* Bakesale (1994)
* Harmacy (1996)
* The Sebadoh (1999)
* Defend Yourself (2013)
* Act Surprised (2019)
Careful
Sebadoh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Simon says it's time to move
And God only knows I think about you
‘Cuz its never time to show and prove
It's never time to show and prove
Hiding all the time destroys me
Never know what's right to do
I only needed to feel a balance
Sitting safe beside the truth
Beside you
Watch out for my bullshit
Everybody's got it
Careful as a soldier we're so strong
Begging my new teacher
Thought you'd never reach her
She's standing there in front of you
It's twice as hard to fool us
It's twice as hard to fool us
Careful as a soldier we're so strong
Careful as a soldier we're so strong
The song "Careful" by Sebadoh is a complex reflection on the difficulties of opening up to someone, and the constant struggle to keep your guard up versus taking chances on relationships. The opening verse "Drop your guard, I'll get to know you, Simon says it's time to move" speaks to the hesitancy and fear that comes with opening up to someone new. The line "And God only knows I think about you" further emphasizes this fear, as the singer is unable to fully express their feelings due to fear of being judged or rejected. Instead, they continue to hide their true intentions, leading to a sense of self-destruction.
The chorus "Careful as a soldier we're so strong" is a call to caution, a reminder that while the fear of opening up is real, it's important to not let that fear consume you. The line "Everybody's got it" acknowledges that everyone has their own internal struggles and fears, but it's important to push through them in order to form connections with others.
The second verse "I only needed to feel a balance, I just want to do right by you" highlights the desire to find equilibrium in a relationship, to give and receive equally without endangering oneself. The line "Sitting safe beside the truth, beside you" speaks to the importance of honesty in a relationship, and the comfort that comes with being able to be honest with someone else.
Overall, "Careful" is a song that speaks to the fear, hesitation, and vulnerability that comes with forming relationships, but emphasizes the importance of pushing through those fears in order to form lasting and meaningful connections with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Drop your guard, I'll get to know you
I want to get to know you better, but you need to let down your guard in order for that to happen.
Simon says it's time to move
There's a sense of urgency here that we need to act on something soon.
And God only knows I think about you
I think about you all the time, but it feels like showing that to you isn't the right thing right now.
‘Cuz its never time to show and prove
It never feels like the right time to show my feelings or prove myself to you.
It's never time to show and prove
Repeating it here is meant to emphasize that it really never feels like the right time to show your feelings or prove yourself to others.
Hiding all the time destroys me
Constantly hiding my true feelings and self is damaging to me emotionally.
Never know what's right to do
I'm unsure of what the right thing to do is in this situation.
I only needed to feel a balance
I'm searching for a balance between my emotions and actions towards you.
I just want to do right by you
I want to make sure that I am treating you in the right way and not causing harm to you.
Sitting safe beside the truth
I am comfortable with what I know to be true despite the uncertainty of the situation.
Beside you
I am hoping to stand beside you, despite the challenges we face.
Watch out for my bullshit
Be aware of the mistakes I may make or irrational behavior I may exhibit.
Everybody's got it
Everyone has their own problems, mistakes, or moments of irrational behavior.
Careful as a soldier we're so strong
We need to be careful in how we approach this, just like a soldier in battle, because we are strong and must use our strength wisely.
Begging my new teacher
I am asking for guidance, like a student with a new teacher.
Thought you'd never reach her
I was uncertain that I would find someone who could guide me in this situation.
She's standing there in front of you
This person who can guide me is right in front of me, and I need to take advantage of that.
It's twice as hard to fool us
We are not naive and we will not easily be tricked or taken advantage of.
It's twice as hard to fool us
Repeating this emphasizes that we are not easily tricked.
Careful as a soldier we're so strong
Repeating this again emphasizes that we need to be careful and wise in our actions, just like a strong soldier in battle.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JASON LEARY LOEWENSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Willbert 07
This is my favourite song of all time.
Alen Mecan
Truly astonishing, amazing voice - who ever sings in Sebadoh does a good job but this is a festival of 2nd and 3rd harmonics and pure joy - a voice that just sits in the mix with authority!
Suuri Lind
You can't even imagine how i love them
Vajman Petter
Amazing! Saw them live yesterday and it's clear the fact that they enjoy playing
Ethan Emory
this is like the only live version of this song i can find, thanks guys!
Wagner Barbosa
"Watch out for my pulpit"! And Bob holding his laughter. Oh the great live moments.
GM
Bob left the band years before this recording.
Zachary Newman
different Bob
Nic Sheds
That is one interesting looking bass! And yes, great song and great mix kexp. Not too harsh. Sweet ear candy. :)
Alen Mecan
EEstrike yes, their performances are few and far in between, I wish I could find any version of "Nick of time", but this takes the cake, the original Bakesale "Careful" was tamer, this sure makes up for it!