shortstraw started out in 2007 as a two-piece thrash folk band consisting of the enigma that is oliver nathan and what most would call 'sarcastic', alastair thomas. they played a few shows in and around melville, joburg before bringing in the guitar and keyboard skills of jay hartford and the basswork of the esteemed and handsome phil brierley. now a four-piece, slightly less folky outfit, shortstraw aim to hit the gigging circuit with guns blazing, so look out for a show near you... fuck that's boring. apologies. frankie says go fuck yourself.
Stagefright
Shortstraw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put you up to this
Set me up to fail before a crowd
A sporadic ego boost is covered up with lies
I wash my eyes of you and everything you stand for in the way
But the silence in the room
Who
Told you everything
Made me out a fool and misbehaved
Anomaly, now whether to throw in the towel or not
One too many times you have convinced me to go and break the rules
But the silence in the room
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
We won't preform
For anyone that you, not you
Too easy and loyal
We won't preform
For anyone that you, not you
Too easy and loyal
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
But you
Won't tell the world
No, you
Won't tell the world
The lyrics of Shortstraw's "Stagefright" tell the story of someone who has been set up to fail before a crowd by someone they trusted. The song starts with the singer questioning who put the person up to this and made them set him up to fail. He laments the fact that a sporadic ego boost led him to believe in lies and now he wants to wash his eyes of everything that the person stands for in a way. However, despite all of this, the silence in the room is still deafening, which means that there's no escaping the aftermath of the betrayal.
In the second verse, the singer questions who told the person everything that made him out to be a fool and misbehaved. He's now in a dilemma about whether to throw in the towel or not as the person has convinced him to go and break the rules many times. He reiterates the fact that the silence in the room is still deafening. In the chorus, the singer asserts that he and his band won't perform for anyone except themselves and their true fans. They won't be swayed by easy and loyal people who betray their trust. Finally, he addresses the person who set him up and says that he won't tell the world what they did.
Line by Line Meaning
Who
Put you up to this
Set me up to fail before a crowd
Asking the person responsible for sabotaging their performance by setting them up for failure in front of an audience.
A sporadic ego boost is covered up with lies
I wash my eyes of you and everything you stand for in the way
Referring to the deceitful person as someone who falsely praised the performance only to manipulate them. Disassociating from such manipulators.
But the silence in the room
Is deafening
Despite being surrounded by an audience and being in the music industry where sound is such an integral part, the silence in the room signifies hopelessness and fear.
Who
Told you everything
Made me out a fool and misbehaved
Asking the person who revealed their vulnerabilities in front of others leading to humiliation, belittlement and questioning of their behavior.
Anomaly, now whether to throw in the towel or not
One too many times you have convinced me to go and break the rules
Feeling torn amidst the constant pressure to rebel and create something new and fresh, yet being caught in a trap of always having to create something different, to be noticed and appreciated.
We won't preform
For anyone that you, not you
Too easy and loyal
Not being influenced by the manipulative person any longer, refusing to perform for anyone other than the true fans who have always supported them and being an easy target of manipulation due to their loyalty.
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
Its deafening
The silence is so unnerving that even with multiple repetitions of the word, the true intensity of the fear and anxiety felt in that moment cannot be explained completely.
But you
Won't tell the world
No, you
Won't tell the world
The manipulative person will not reveal to the world their role in sabotaging the performance, indicating a lack of accountability and a desire to continue with such behavior in the future.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind