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)
Oxygen
Sebadoh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could've related before it all went wrong
Spoken, I might have understood
Type's no good
I think we're over-thinking gone
This is how we waste our time
On all this anger redefined
Leave it deprived oxygen
Leave it screen blind
Drowning numb
I won't be the first to let it go
I can hold on if I think you're holding on
Think of the things that we could do
Lungs full breaking air in two
Then, then we're over-thinking gone
This is how we waste our time
Oh all this anger we define
Bottled up and dead on-line
Leave it deprived oxygen
Leave it screen blind
Drowning numb
Hard and fragile
Lost in space
Where there's no air
No human grace
The lyrics to Sebadoh's song "Oxygen" express a sense of frustration and disconnection caused by technology and communication barriers. The singer suggests that a simple phone call could have prevented the breakdown of a relationship, but instead, they rely on typing and messaging, which proves ineffective in conveying emotions and understanding. The singer acknowledges their own role in overthinking and wasting time on anger and negative emotions, which only suffocate their relationship and drain them emotionally. The repeated phrase "leave it deprived oxygen" reinforces the idea that their communication patterns are suffocating and damaging their connection.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more assertive, insisting that they won't be the first to let go, but they also recognize that they can't hold on forever if the other person doesn't reciprocate. They yearn for a deeper connection that transcends technology and allows them to breathe freely and experience life fully. The final lines capture the sense of desolation and isolation that comes with technological disconnect, where "there's no air, no human grace" - a haunting image that underscores the need for human connection and empathy.
Overall, "Oxygen" is a poignant commentary on the impact of technology on our relationships and the importance of genuine communication and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
A phone call could have stopped this song
If we had spoken on the phone before, maybe we could have avoided this whole situation
Could've related before it all went wrong
If we had communicated better earlier, perhaps things wouldn't have gotten so bad
Spoken, I might have understood
If we had talked openly, I could have comprehended your point of view
Type's no good
Texting or messaging is not the best way to resolve a problem
I think we're over-thinking gone
I think we are overthinking things and complicating the situation
This is how we waste our time
We waste our time by dwelling on negativity
On all this anger redefined
We channel our anger into a new, unhealthy form
Bottled up and dead on-line
Our bottled-up emotions are expressed through online communication in a way that's not healthy
Leave it deprived oxygen
We need to let go of our negativity and let it die out
Leave it screen blind
Looking at a screen all day is blinding us to the world around us
Drowning numb
We are overwhelmed and unable to express our emotions in a healthy way
I won't be the first to let it go
I won't let go until I see a sign that you're willing to let go too
I can hold on if I think you're holding on
If I sense that you're also trying to make it work, I'll keep trying too
Think of the things that we could do
Let's focus on the positive possibilities instead of dwelling on what's gone wrong
Lungs full breaking air in two
Let's take a deep breath and work through our problems together
This is how we waste our time
We spend our time arguing instead of enjoying life
Oh all this anger we define
Our anger defines us and our relationship in negative ways
Hard and fragile
Our relationship is both strong and easily breakable
Lost in space
Our problems are isolating us from each other and from the world around us
Where there's no air
Our communication is suffocating and unproductive
No human grace
We're not treating each other with the kindness and respect that we both deserve
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fear hater
still fresh forever this band