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)
Listen
Sebadoh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are things I can't change that I hate
Slurring and mean
Like a broken machine
Repeating itself on and on
I'll try, I'll ask you again
To slow down but you won't listen
When I'm under the gun and I'm drinking too much
If I'm laughing a lot, I don't care
If we're doing it wrong, the money is gone
And everything's up in the air
Still I'm wanting a love that is capable of
Rearranging me year after year
And my words are, heard
And change occurs, that isn't happening here
I'll try, I'll ask you again
To slow down but you don't listen
I need to change
So I will change
Without you knowing I'll change
I know you care
But you don't care
Enough to notice me leave
The lyrics to Sebadoh's song "Listen" convey a sense of frustration and stagnation in a relationship. The singer is aware of their partner's negative qualities, which they feel are unchangeable, yet they remain in the relationship. The partner is described as slurring and mean, like a broken machine stuck in a repetitive cycle. The singer tries to get their partner to slow down and listen to them, but they are met with indifference.
Despite the chaos of their lives – excessive drinking, financial instability, and uncertainty – the singer desires a love that can transform them. They want a love that can rearrange them every year, a love that can inspire change. However, the current relationship is not capable of this transformative power.
The song ends with the singer expressing their intention to change without their partner's notice, illustrating a desire for independence and a break from the stagnant relationship.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of frustration, the desire for change, and the difficulty of breaking free from a negative relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I hung around even after I found
I stayed in this relationship even after realizing there are aspects of it that I despise
There are things I can't change that I hate
I am bothered by certain things which I cannot alter
Slurring and mean
Using drunken behavior to insult and belittle others
Like a broken machine
Persistently repeating unpleasant behavior, like an apparatus that is broken and can't be stopped
Repeating itself on and on
Continuing the cycle of negative behavior without any positive change
I'll try, I'll ask you again
I will make an effort to talk to you about this issue once more
To slow down but you won't listen
Asking them to change their behavior, but they choose to ignore my pleas
When I'm under the gun and I'm drinking too much
When I'm stressed and I resort to drinking excessively
If I'm laughing a lot, I don't care
I tend to become carefree when I am deeply involved in enjoying myself
If we're doing it wrong, the money is gone
If we make bad decisions, it results in monetary loss
And everything's up in the air
All the choices and results are uncertain at this point in time
Still I'm wanting a love that is capable of
However, what I truly want is a love that has the potential to
Rearranging me year after year
Transform me in some way each and every year
And my words are, heard
My words are received and acknowledged
And change occurs, that isn't happening here
Yet, the desired transformation is not taking place within this relationship
I need to change
I must change in order to move forward
So I will change
I will transform myself in some way
Without you knowing I'll change
I will change without your knowledge or awareness
I know you care
I understand that you do have feelings for me
But you don't care
However, you don't truly care or pay attention
Enough to notice me leave
To even notice my departure from this relationship
Contributed by Annabelle P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manue Sophie
Superbe ❤️❤️