Called “Perhaps the best folk duo our region has to offer” (The Historic So… Read Full Bio ↴Called “Perhaps the best folk duo our region has to offer” (The Historic Southgate House), Shiny and the Spoon give off the warmth and intimacy of the likes of Johnny Cash and June Carter, with transcendent vocals and a vibrant acoustic core, complimented by sprinklings of Ukulele, Guitar, harmonica, and boot-stomping. Their debut and home-recorded EP earned nods from local publications such as CityBeat and the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, as well as the renowned UK webzine “Americana UK” who called it “an accomplished debut that does exactly what an EP should, makes you want more of the same.”

Joined now by Cincinnati music veteran Pete Brown on Upright Bass, the trio has quickly moved from house concerts to bandstands, offering new audiences the same unadorned simplicity as before, as though the couches and tables had only been pushed far enough away from the stage to allow a better view. Shiny and the Spoon offers a sound that is at once lilting and unabashed; troubled songs sung lightly and without pretense, marked by “a deep current of romantic skepticism that runs just beneath the calm surface” (Ric Hickey). Nash and Neff paint an unforgiving backdrop of what is, before launching you to what can be. It is this quality, unusual to such young songwriters, that has quickly made Shiny and the Spoon one of the region’s most acclaimed folk acts.

After launching their latest release and first full-length album, “Ferris Wheel,” to a packed ballroom at the Historic Southgate House, the trio has received a flurry of attention and acclaim. Produced by John Curley of Ultrasuede Studios, and recorded in numerous locations –from aging shag-lined studios to living rooms and elementary schools- Shiny and the Spoon’s 2011 album “Ferris Wheel” has left a mark on the tri-state region the breadth of which has yet to be seen.

I Don't Like It
Shiny and the Spoon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bet you got it all planned right
Bet you never worry never even feel a fright
Bet you got it all planned right
Never think to worry never even feel a fright

Single sleeps alone and I know you don't really mind
Five years by your side so I know you really don't mind

But don't you never be down
I said don't ever
Because it's gonna keep em hangin around
Never be down
I said don't ever
Because it's gonna keep em hangin around

Bet you never think it's right
Bet you think you have to but it doesn't feel right
Bet you never think it feels right
Famous sounding words make your head feel light

Petals getting picked with the love-yous and the love-you-nots
Five years going by everyone is staying on their side

Mmmmm but don't you never be down
I said don't ever
Because it gonna keep em hangin around
Never be down
I said don't ever
Because it's gonna keep em hangin around

[The next 2 stanzas are recited at the same time]
don't you never be down
I said don't ever
Because it gonna keep em hangin around
Never be down
I said don't ever
Because it's gonna keep em hangin around

Bet you got it all planned right
Bet you never worry never even feel a fright

Bet you got it all planned right
Never think to worry never even feel a fright

Overall Meaning

The song "I Don't Like It" by Shiny and the Spoon is about the pressure to conform to societal expectations, especially in regards to relationships. The lyrics suggest that someone (possibly the singer's partner) has a perfect plan for their life and never experiences fear or doubt. However, the singer encourages them to not suppress their emotions because it will only attract people who continually cling onto them. The song suggests that pretending to be happy and content may attract the wrong people and lead to unhappy relationships.

The imagery used in the song is also significant. The singer mentions "petals getting picked with the love-yous and the love-you-nots," which symbolizes the fragility of relationships and the pain that comes with rejection. The line "famous-sounding words make your head feel light" could be a reference to empty and trivial romances that lack substance and genuine emotion.

Overall, "I Don't Like It" is a commentary on the pressures of maintaining a perfect facade and the importance of being true to oneself. The song encourages listeners to not be afraid of vulnerability and to not hide their true emotions in order to attract genuine and fulfilling relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Bet you got it all planned right
I think you have everything figured out perfectly

Bet you never worry never even feel a fright
You don't worry or fear anything

Single sleeps alone and I know you don't really mind
Being alone doesn't bother you much

Five years by your side so I know you really don't mind
We have been together for a while and you are still content

But don't you never be down
Never be sad or upset

Because it's gonna keep em hangin around
People will stay around if you are happy and fun to be with

Bet you never think it's right
You believe you have to do something even though it doesn't feel right

Petals getting picked with the love-yous and the love-you-nots
Picking apart petals to determine if love is reciprocated

Five years going by everyone is staying on their side
We have been together for five years, but we seem to be growing apart

Mmmmm but don't you never be down
But don't be sad or upset

Because it gonna keep em hangin around
People will stick around if you are happy and positive