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)
I Smell a Rat
Sebadoh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With more rules than a Sunday school
Woke up, took a shower
Now I've got soul power
I smell a rat
I smell a rat
I know I smell a rat, baby
Got a ride on the midnight train
I got drunk, on love
Got stuck in the mud
I smell a rat
I smell a rat
I know I smell a rat, baby
I smell a rat
I smell a rat
Plant the garden on the wall
Paint the ceiling on the floor
Sit back, relax, breathe deep
I smell a rat (X8)
I smell a rat, rat, rat, rat
The lyrics to Sebadoh's "Smell A Rat" tell a story of someone who has been living a tightly controlled, rule-following life for five years. However, the singer wakes up and takes a shower, feeling a newfound sense of empowerment, or "soul power." Suddenly, they smell a rat – they suspect that something is not quite right in their life. They then take a ride on the "midnight train" to the "beauty of the brain," where they get drunk on love and get "stuck in the mud." The smell of a rat persists as they try to plant a garden on the wall and paint the ceiling on the floor. The repetition of the phrase "I smell a rat" drives home the sense of suspicion and mistrust that the singer is experiencing.
The song might be interpreted in a number of ways – perhaps as an indictment of societal pressures to conform, or as a reflection on the difficulties of maintaining control over one's life. Whatever the intended message, the lyrics of "Smell A Rat" paint a vivid picture of someone feeling trapped and restless, struggling to break free from the strictures of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Five years wading in the pool
I have spent five years in a situation that is not moving forward, stagnant
With more rules than a Sunday school
The situation has too many restrictions, like a religious school
Woke up, took a shower
I woke up and started my day with a fresh perspective or a renewed mindset
Now I've got soul power
I feel energized and confident
I smell a rat
I sense something is wrong, deceitful or dishonest
Got a ride on the midnight train
I went on a journey, possibly to escape or find something new
To the beauty of the brain
I went to explore the power and beauty of the human mind
I got drunk, on love
I fell deeply in love, possibly losing my sense of rationality
Got stuck in the mud
I got into a situation that is hard to get out of
I smell a rat
I sense something is amiss
Plant the garden on the wall
Trying to achieve something in an unusual or difficult way
Paint the ceiling on the floor
Doing things differently, breaking norms and taking risks
Sit back, relax, breathe deep
Taking a moment to calm down and reflect on my thoughts and feelings
I smell a rat (X8)
Repeating the phrase to emphasize the suspicion or feeling of deception
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DugKeith
on Smoke a Bowl
Love this. The man.