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
Monogamy
Self Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hopin' that she don't come rob me of curiosities
And I'm hopin' that she'll just come
Hopin' that she'll just come clean
Well, I'm sittin' in a hotel lobby readin' magazines
What part of you's not sure enough?
What part of me's not measurin' up?
Oh, Oh, monogamy
Sittin' in a hotel bar observin' from afar
Yea, I'm watchin' this woman flirt while her boyfriend gets the car
And I'm watchin' all the boys try one by wonder heart
Well, I'm watchin' this woman work while her boyfriend steals her car
What part of him' so dangerous?
What part of her says, "he is enough?"
What makes a love work based on trust?
Oh, oh, monogamy
I've been so wrong
Fallen apart
Life could be long
If you just realize
That love is an art
I'm watchin' all the boys fall one by one come clean
While I'm standin' in the hotel lobby with an empty magazine
Some things were meant to be
It's high-time I finally see
There's one me for you
And one you for me
Oh, oh, monogamy
The song Monogamy by Self is a narrative about the complexities and confusions of love and relationships. The first verse describes the singer sitting in a hotel lobby reading magazines, waiting for a woman he desires to come clean to him about her feelings. The second verse finds him observing a woman flirting with other men while her boyfriend waits in the car. He wonders about the dangerous parts of the relationship and what makes a love that is based on trust work. The chorus, repeating the word "monogamy," highlights the central theme of the song.
The lyrics are both vivid and vague, presenting a scene that is familiar yet ambiguous, reflecting the universal experience of wanting what we cannot have, and the desire for answers to questions of the heart. The singer questions himself and others, seeking clarity and understanding, battling the moral and emotional contradictions of desire, hope, and love. The closing lines of the song suggest a shift in attitude, as he declares, "Some things were meant to be, It's high-time I finally see, There's one me for you, And one you for me," indicating a possible resolution to the conflicts that have been plaguing his mind.
Overall, Monogamy is a thoughtful and introspective song that asks more questions than it answers, reflecting the complexities of human relationships and the contradictory nature of human emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' in a hotel lobby with a magazine
I am sitting in a lonely place, waiting for something to happen
Hopin' that she don't come rob me of curiosities
I'm afraid that someone might harm me or deprive me of my interests
And I'm hopin' that she'll just come
Hopin' that she'll just come clean
I'm hoping that someone will approach me and be honest
What part of you's not sure enough?
What is it that you're not certain about?
What part of me's not measurin' up?
What aspect of me is not sufficient?
What makes yourself so sure about us?
Oh, Oh, monogamy
What is the reason for your confidence in our exclusive relationship?
Sittin' in a hotel bar observin' from afar
I am watching people from a distance
Yea, I'm watchin' this woman flirt while her boyfriend gets the car
I'm observing a woman being unfaithful while her partner is away
What part of him' so dangerous?
What factor makes him bad for her?
What part of her says, "he is enough?"
What aspect of her character makes her believe that he is sufficient for her?
What makes a love work based on trust?
Oh, oh, monogamy
What factor contributes to the success of a mutually exclusive love based on faith?
I've been so wrong
Fallen apart
Life could be long
If you just realize
That love is an art
I've been mistaken and suffered, but if you recognize that love is an artistic creation, life can be meaningful and rewarding
I'm watchin' all the boys fall one by one come clean
While I'm standin' in the hotel lobby with an empty magazine
I'm watching men confess to their mistakes while remaining alone and empty-handed
Some things were meant to be
It's high-time I finally see
There's one me for you
And one you for me
Oh, oh, monogamy
Some things are destined, and now I understand that we are meant for each other, exclusively
Contributed by Madison B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.