Within the alternative world, Seven Mary Three have often been compared to … Read Full Bio ↴Within the alternative world, Seven Mary Three have often been compared to the mainstream-sounding, garage/arena rock of post-Ten Pearl Jam, but the group insists that their refusal to alienate themselves from the rest of the world makes them different. Instead, Seven Mary Three offer songs concerning self-discovery and true outsiders isolated from society. Based in Virginia (where the bandmates attended the College of William and Mary), Seven Mary Three signed to the Mammoth label after releasing a self-produced album, Churn, in 1994. The album -- particularly its gritty lead single, "Cumbersome" -- generated a healthy buzz in Florida, and radio stations in Orlando began devoting significant airtime to the band. Seven Mary Three relocated to the Orlando area and re-recorded their old songs, which were packaged alongside two new cuts to round out the band's proper debut, 1995's American Standard. With "Cumbersome" enjoying national success, the album went platinum and won the group a contract with Atlantic Records. Rock Crown followed in 1997, and a year later Seven Mary Three returned with their third LP, Orange Ave. Neither record enjoyed as much recognition as American Standard, but the band continued to release albums into the following decade, issuing The Economy of Sound in 2001 and Dis/Location three years later. Seven Mary Three signed with New York's Icon Records in late 2007, and the following year saw the release of their sixth effort, DAY&NIGHTDRIVING. Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Player Piano
Seven Mary Three Lyrics

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Play me like a player piano
Roll me from the corners
Of your dark and dusty shadows

Like a player piano
I sit useless
Most of the time

The bar gets darker
It swallows up the scarlet
The barkeep's looking thin
We sit together
Until only the piano
Of the player remains

Tell me why you won't keep it
Tie me up in a shoestring box
She don't keep it if she don't need it

Get me out of the deep end
My legs are dangling over the roof

The room gets brighter
When I can see inside her
When I can turn the switch
But she's so together

I can do the damage and
She can manage the flames

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Seven Mary Three's song "Player Piano" reflect feelings of vulnerability and helplessness, as the singer compares himself to a player piano - a machine that can only create music when someone else controls it. He asks to be played like a player piano, rolled out of the corners of darkness and used, as he feels "useless most of the time". The bar setting of the song and the metaphor of the piano further emphasize the singer's feeling of being controlled by external forces.

The second stanza describes a darker turn in the song, as the bar gets darker and scarier. The singer and the barkeep sit together until only the piano remains, highlighting the power of music to bring people together and create a sense of community. However, the following lines suggest a struggle for control as the singer questions why the other person won't keep him and asks to be tied up in a shoestring box. The final lines describe a desire for connection with the other person, but also a fear that they are more in control than him.

Overall, "Player Piano" explores themes of power dynamics and control, highlighting the ways in which we can feel like machines or instruments in someone else's grasp.

Line by Line Meaning

Play me like a player piano
Treat me like a programmed machine, without considering my feelings and emotions.

Roll me from the corners
Remove me from the dark and hidden places, where I've been hidden away from the rest of the world.

Of your dark and dusty shadows
Of your deepest and most hidden emotions and secrets, which you keep locked away from others.

Like a player piano
Like a device which can be automated to play music without any involvement from the musician.

I sit useless
I feel worthless, since I am not being put to use or given a purpose.

The bar gets darker
The situation becomes more depressing and gloomy.

It swallows up the scarlet
The darkness consumes the red hues and excitement of life.

The barkeep's looking thin
The person who is supposed to be taking care of others is himself struggling and not doing well.

We sit together
We're trying to hold on to what little we have left, and supporting each other during tough times.

Until only the piano
Until all fades away and the only thing that remains is the machine, reflecting the emptiness of the situation.

Of the player remains
Of the only thing that can make music, since we have lost our ability to do so ourselves.

Tell me why you won't keep it
Explain to me why you don't hold on to what you have and let go so easily.

Tie me up in a shoestring box
Keep me trapped and restrained, like an object that is of no worth or value.

She don't keep it if she don't need it
If something is not deemed necessary, it will not be kept and will be easily discarded.

Get me out of the deep end
Pull me back from the edge of danger, preventing me from falling into the depths of despair.

My legs are dangling over the roof
I am on the verge of losing control and falling from great heights.

The room gets brighter
The atmosphere becomes more hopeful and joyous.

When I can see inside her
When I am allowed to see her true nature and understand who she truly is.

When I can turn the switch
When I have the power to change the situation and make things better.

But she's so together
She seems to have everything figured out and under control, making it difficult for me to make any real impact in her life.

I can do the damage
I can make things worse with my actions, since I am not entirely sure what she really wants or how to help her.

And she can manage the flames
She can handle the difficult situations and emotions that I struggle with, and prevent them from getting out of control.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JASON ROSS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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