There is more than one artist with this name
1. Self, an alternative roc… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name
1. Self, an alternative rock band from Tennessee
2. Self, a melodic, pop punk band from South Carolina.
3. SELF, a dark ambient project from Brooklyn
4. Self, a black metal band from Belgium
5. Self, a lo-fi acoustic project from Adelaide, Australia.

1. Self, sometimes stylized as sElf, is a rock band that is mostly the brainchild of one Matt Mahaffey from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Mahaffey began his musical career as a drummer, forming his first band at the precocious age of nine or ten with band members twice his age. Having gigged with punk, reggae, and pop bands, and even bluegrass square-dancing bands, Mahaffey went on to produce beats for rap artists out of his college dorm room. His diverse musical tastes would contribute to Self's unique sound. He later founded the indie label Spongebath with his bandmate at the time, Seth Timbs, and manager Rick Williams.

While Mahaffey has received nearly all the attention for the music, he is not the only member of the band, and not the sole songwriter either. Current members of the band include Chris James (keyboards, piano, samplers, guitar, backing vocals), Mac Burrus (bass guitar, keyboards, horns, backing vocals), and Jason Rawlings (drums). Past members include Matt's brother, Mike Mahaffey (lead guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Timm Nobles (bass guitar). Because Matt is proficient in almost all of the instruments that Self uses, he plays most of the instruments on the albums, but the other members do contribute occasional parts on albums, and shine when the band plays live. Seth Timbs has also played a small role in the band's songwriting and contributes vocals to a cover of the song Dizzy, but is not an official member of the band.

Mahaffey's debut Self album, Subliminal Plastic Motives, was released in 1995 on the Spongebath label. It was followed by The Half-Baked Serenade in 1996 and an album released for free via the internet in 1997 called Feels Like Breakin' Shit. An EP titled Brunch (1998) and the album Breakfast with Girls (1999) were co-released by the Spongebath and Dreamworks labels. Back at Spongebath, Self released Gizmodgery in 2000, an album notable for being created entirely with children's toy instruments. That same year, Self released two more free internet-only albums, Self Goes Shopping and Selfafornia.
In 2005, Self again released an album for free on the internet. Porno, Mint, and Grime consists of demos recorded during the 2001-2004 sessions for the unreleased album Ornament and Crime.

Their album Ornament and Crime is fully complete; however, Dreamworks (their record label) has declined to release the album for unknown reasons.
A DVD has also been completed, but due to legal reasons, may or may not be released. The performance includes a cover of AC/DC's hit song Back in Black, which has not yet been approved.
Self also did a cover of Ana Ng, originally done by They Might Be Giants, which is on the album Hello Radio, released July 2006. A new album tentatively entitled Super Fake Nice was announced in 2010 and released in 2014. A single, Could You Love me Now? was released in May 2010 and was later put on the B side for Record Store Day single Monogamy. Later in 2017 their previously never released albumOrnament and Crime was released on CD and vinyl but for legal reasons never put on streaming.

2. Self was a 3 piece melodic pop punk band from Columbia, South Carolina, active in the late 1990s. They released a single album named Codename: Spivey in 1996, which was re-released by Offtime Records in 1998.

3. SELF is the side-project of Brooklyn based True Crime Electronics project SLOGUN, in a dark ambient vein. Released one LP to date, titled The Mind and the Matter in 2004.

4. Self started as a solo project around 1999. Hennix (Demonizer) joined forces for the recordings of Searing Winds but left afterwards (2001-2003). Searing Winds was recorded at the home studio, except for the drums, recorded at Shumcot (http://www.shumcot.be/). Everything mixed and mastered at the home studio. The album never got officially released.
http://www.myspace.com/selfblackmetal

5. Self is an acoustic lo-fi project by Adelaide singer/songwriter Olly Byrne. He released his first album, The Bitter Cold recorded in his bedroom in early 2018.
https://selfselfself.bandcamp.com/releases

Hi My Name's Cindy
Self Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mystery date and you can't be late
Thought it wouldn't go any deeper
Stalling and stalling to the voice of debate
Laugh at her jokes and then leave her
You can't get out
Well maybe she's pretty and maybe she's rich
You got to keep an open mind

hi, my name is cindy and I'm a transistorosexual

now it's all run amuck
For the next five hours you're fucked

fallen in a well and you can't get out
Thought you couldn't fall any deeper
You learned about love and the opposite sex
That there's fucked up people
You try again
Maybe she's pretty and maybe she's rich
You got to keep an open mind

hi, um, my name is cindy
I'm your blind date and I'm really blind

now it's all run amuck

For the rest of your life you're fucked
* repeat *

Overall Meaning

The song "Hi My Name's Cindy" by Self appears to be a cautionary tale about blind dating and the unexpected twists and turns that can come with it. The first verse describes a situation where the singer has a mystery date and can't be late, but initially thinks it won't be too serious. However, as the night progresses, they find themselves stuck with someone they can't get away from and may not be as compatible with as they thought. This is reinforced by the chorus, which repeats the phrase "now it's all run amuck" and suggests that they will be stuck dealing with the consequences for a long time.

The second verse takes a similar tone, but adds a new layer of complexity. The singer falls into a well metaphorically, suggesting that they have become trapped in a situation they didn't intend to be in. They learn about love and the opposite sex, but also that there are "fucked up people" out there. Despite this, they still try again and consider the possibility that their blind date may be pretty or rich, but they need to keep an open mind. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the idea that the situation has gone wrong in a major way and the singer is stuck dealing with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Mystery date and you can't be late
You have a date but you must be on time or something bad can happen.

Thought it wouldn't go any deeper
You didn't think this date could get any worse.

Stalling and stalling to the voice of debate
You're trying to avoid the inevitable argument by stalling.

Laugh at her jokes and then leave her
You're pretending to be interested and amused, but plan to leave her as soon as possible.

You can't get out
You feel stuck in this situation.

Well maybe she's pretty and maybe she's rich
You're trying to convince yourself that there might be something good about your date.

You got to keep an open mind
You need to be receptive to the possibility that your date may surprise you.

hi, my name is cindy and I'm a transistorosexual
A new character named Cindy is introduced who identifies as attracted to electronics and technology rather than humans.

now it's all run amuck
Things have gone completely out of control.

For the next five hours you're fucked
You're in for a terrible five-hour date.

fallen in a well and you can't get out
You feel trapped and unable to escape.

Thought you couldn't fall any deeper
You believed things were as bad as they could get, but it turns out there's still more to come.

You learned about love and the opposite sex
You gained some insight into romantic relationships and the people you're attracted to.

That there's fucked up people
You realize that there are some very dysfunctional and toxic individuals out there.

You try again
You're willing to give dating another chance.

Maybe she's pretty and maybe she's rich
You're still trying to stay positive and keep an open mind about your future dates.

You got to keep an open mind
You need to approach new situations with an open and flexible attitude.

hi, um, my name is cindy
Cindy reintroduces herself, perhaps as a reminder that even though things are chaotic, she is still there.

I'm your blind date and I'm really blind
Cindy reveals that she is actually blind, which adds another layer of complexity to the date.

For the rest of your life you're fucked
The terrible date has left a lasting impact on you, and you feel doomed to a bleak future.