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)
Sister
Sebadoh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I told you I loved you, I wish that I hadn't
You don't seem the same
I guess I know you too well
I knew I was falling, but I didn't know how low I'd fell
Sister, oh sister, who told you these lies?
I haven't got time to teach you what it could be like
To pull you from this, child
You think I'm all yours and I wish that I were dead
The words were not your own, it was something your mother said
Umbilical bloodline, mind control, by the whiny chat (?)
Sister, oh sister, I thought it'd be nice
That thing I felt when we first met just will not suffice
The glimmer in your eyes
I love you, sister
A bloodline to condescend
I thought so, sister, but I cannot pretend
It's hard to believe this blood, this isn't healthy love
It's hard to believe this love, this isn't healthy blood
Sister, oh sister, you thought you were so wise
But we're still fishing and coming from the blindest eye
A logic you defy
When listening to Sebadoh's song "Sister," it is clear there is a lot of complexity in the lyrics. The song is about a relationship with a sister, a relationship that is strained and complicated. The lyrics suggest that the singer has fallen in love with his sister, although it seems he is aware that it is not a healthy relationship.
The opening lines indicate the singer's feelings of being trapped with no good options. He is aware of his love for his sister but is also aware that this love is wrong. The singer regrets expressing his love and wishes he had not. The next line suggests that his sister has changed, insinuating that she might be aware of his feelings and is avoiding their relationship. The singer continues to express that he knows his sister too well and that he didn't understand the extent of his feelings for her until it was too late.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "Sister, oh sister," suggesting that the singer is talking directly to his sister. He wonders who told her lies, but he doesn't have the time to teach her what it could be like. It seems that the singer is expressing frustration at his sister's narrow-mindedness and her inability to see beyond what she's been told by others. He also acknowledges that his sister doesn't smell the stink of their relationship, but her mind has found the bed. The bed here could represent the tangled web of their relationship, which they are both stuck in.
The rest of the lyrics continue to explore the complicated relationship between the siblings. The singer suggests that his sister is under some kind of mind control, possibly by their mother. He admits that he thought it would be nice to be with his sister, but he cannot pretend that their relationship is healthy or that he loves her in the right way. The song ends with the line "a logic you defy," suggesting that the singer is struggling to understand his sister and her beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
Damned if I do, and damned if I don't
I am in a difficult situation where whatever I do, it will have negative consequences.
I told you I loved you, I wish that I hadn't
I regret confessing my love to you.
You don't seem the same
You have changed, and I have noticed it.
I guess I know you too well
I am familiar with your personality and behavior.
I knew I was falling, but I didn't know how low I'd fell
I was aware of my increasing affection for you, but I did not anticipate how deep it would go.
Sister, oh sister, who told you these lies?
Dear sibling, who has misled you with falsehoods?
I haven't got time to teach you what it could be like
I am not available to educate you about the truth of the situation.
To pull you from this, child
To rescue you from this state of confusion and manipulation.
You don't smell the stink, but your mind has found the bed
You cannot recognize the toxic environment, but your mind has become accustomed to it.
You think I'm all yours and I wish that I were dead
You believe that you possess me entirely while I wish to die rather than be under your control.
The words were not your own, it was something your mother said
The thoughts and statements you express are not original but rather taught to you by your mother or someone else.
Umbilical bloodline, mind control, by the whiny chat (?)
The familial bond and manipulation of one's thinking through constant nagging or complaints.
Sister, oh sister, I thought it'd be nice
I once hoped for a pleasant and loving relationship with you, my dear sister.
That thing I felt when we first met just will not suffice
The initial positive emotions and connection that we had is no longer enough to make up for the problems we face now.
The glimmer in your eyes
The brightness or sparkle in your eyes that I once found endearing.
I love you, sister
Despite our struggles, I still care for you deeply, my sibling.
A bloodline to condescend
Our familial connection causes me to treat you with patronizing superiority at times.
I thought so, sister, but I cannot pretend
I used to believe our relationship was healthy, but now I cannot fake that pretense anymore.
It's hard to believe this blood, this isn't healthy love
Our shared family ties do not equate to genuine, healthy love between us.
It's hard to believe this love, this isn't healthy blood
The love we have for each other is not based on healthy familial ties.
Sister, oh sister, you thought you were so wise
My dear sibling, you once believed yourself to be knowledgeable and intelligent.
But we're still fishing and coming from the blindest eye
Our attempts to fix the problems between us are still misguided and unproductive.
A logic you defy
You continue to resist the rational thinking and problem-solving methods needed to repair our relationship.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JASON LEARY LOEWENSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DugKeith
on Smoke a Bowl
Love this. The man.