The name Silversun Pickups refers to a liquor store across the road L.A. rock-scene hang Silverlake Lounge. One of the band’s friends would often arrive at the store late at night to buy liquor, and would be as such making the "Silversun Pickup".
The band is signed to Dangerbird Records. They released their debut EP "Pikul" in July of 2005. The band has released four albums, 2006's "Carnavas", 2009's "Swoon", 2012's "Neck of the Woods" and 2015's "Better Nature". The band managed two Top 10 singles on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2007: "Lazy Eye" (#5) and "Well Thought Out Twinkles" (#9). In 2009, they managed their third top 10 on the chart, "Panic Switch" (#1) and a fourth song "Substitution" was also on that chart (#23).
Silversun Pickups have been compared to The Smashing Pumpkins (possibly due in part to Brian Aubert's vocal style) and 90's shoegazing bands like My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Ride, and Slowdive. Silversun Pickups claim they have been heavily influenced by Modest Mouse and The Velvet Underground as well as other lesser-known acts.
Their first break came when a friend mailed a boombox demo to CMJ and they were accepted. They got their start in many of the most important L.A. clubs and began to draw a strong following upon the release of the Pikul EP. This culminated in frequent touring, including a co-headlining stint with Viva Voce.
The band finished a three-week tour opening for Australian rockers Wolfmother on December 9, 2006, and have toured with OK Go and Snow Patrol on their U.S. spring tour, which ended on April 10, 2007. The Pickups played at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California on April 27, 2007.
The band supported Foo Fighters, along with Nine Inch Nails on August 21st 2007 as part of the 'T on the Fringe' music festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, and then on the 22nd in Marley Park, Dublin, Ireland. They also performed at the Carling Reading and Leeds festivals on the 25th/26th August 2007 and supported Kaiser Chiefs on their Autumn European tour and Snow Patrol on their tour of Australia (with Paolo from Snow Patrol joining them regularly to play guitar on Lazy Eye and Nikki guesting on vocals for Snow Patrol's Set The Fire To The Third Bar onstage). On some of these dates the band have been covering Joy Division's Shadowplay and Bjork's Big Time Sensuality, both of which have been recorded for web or radio sessions.
The second full studio album, entitled "Swoon", was released 14th April 2009 in both the US and UK.
The band was also part of Lollapalooza 2009 in Chicago, IL, Voodoo Fest 2009 and 2012 in New Orleans, and the 2009 Sasquatch! Festival.
In early 2010, they supported the UK anthem-rock superstars Muse for several of their North American dates for The Resistance tour.
Little Lover's So Polite
Silversun Pickups Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pissing on while pissing off
Sucking in a smokescreen
Selling of a loose knit dream
Folding up the skyline
Agreeing on a steep decline
Can't control this airplane
Headed for a lowlife
Little lover's so polite
Waking up the core needs
With smelling salts and faulty means
Did the bones collide?
Who let the bones collide?
Why did the bones collide?
It's always the same way for me
Ending in the same way
So much for the showdown
Keeping up while keeping off
Choking on the cold feet
Rolling up the plastic sleeves
Can't control the slow ride
Little lover's so polite
Turning off the low light
Tell me did the bones collide?
The bones collide
The bones collide
Little lover's so polite
So polite
So polite
Turning off the low light
It's always the same way for me
Blue turns soft with time
Broke remains, an everyday disguise
Ending in the same way, the same way
Tell me did the bones collide?
The bones collide
The bones collide
Little lover's so polite
So polite
So polite
The song "Little Lover's So Polite" by Silversun Pickups is a haunting and introspective piece that explores themes of control, powerlessness, and the cyclical nature of life. The opening lines of "So much for the light show, Pissing on while pissing off" suggests a disillusionment with the showy and superficial aspects of life. The lyrics suggest that these distractions and illusions are just smokescreens and dreams that are easily sold to the masses.
The singer of the song seems to be struggling with a sense of powerlessness, suggesting that they are caught in a plane they can't control and headed for a lowlife. The line "Can't control this airplane, Being caught is just the same" further emphasizes this feeling of powerlessness that the singer is experiencing. The repeated refrain of "little lover's so polite" suggests that everyone is playing a role and trying to maintain a polite façade, even while their bones are colliding.
The song's chorus of "Tell me did the bones collide?" seems to be a metaphorical representation of the clashes and conflicts that people experience in life. The repeated question of "why did the bones collide?" suggests that these collisions are inexplicable and may be out of our control. The cyclical nature of life is also a recurring theme in the song, as the singer laments that it always ends the same way for them, suggesting that they are stuck in a pattern of disappointment and disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
So much for the light show
The promise of an amazing spectacle has been broken, much to our disappointment.
Pissing on while pissing off
Acting with reckless abandon and disregard for others, possibly as a way to spite them.
Sucking in a smokescreen
Being deceived by something that appears to be good, but is actually harmful.
Selling of a loose knit dream
Promoting an idea or concept that is not well thought out or structured, and therefore not likely to succeed.
Folding up the skyline
The cityscape is being obscured or destroyed, perhaps as a result of progress or development.
Agreeing on a steep decline
Making a decision that will have negative consequences, even though it may seem like the easy or popular choice at the time.
Can't control this airplane
Feeling like one's life is out of control, and that there is no way to steer oneself in the right direction.
Being caught is just the same
Regardless of whether or not one gets caught for something, the result is still the same.
Headed for a lowlife
Going down a path that is likely to result in failure, struggle, or despair.
Little lover's so polite
Despite the chaos and confusion of life, there are still moments of tenderness and gentleness to be found.
Waking up the core needs
Realizing what is most important in life, and focusing on those things instead of being distracted by superficial wants or desires.
With smelling salts and faulty means
Trying to address a problem using methods that are not entirely reliable or effective, but that may offer some temporary relief or clarity.
Did the bones collide?
Asking whether or not something bad has happened, or whether or not there has been a collision or crash.
Who let the bones collide?
Questioning who or what is responsible for a negative event or outcome.
Why did the bones collide?
Trying to understand the cause or reason behind a negative event or outcome.
It's always the same way for me
Feeling stuck in a rut, without any hope of breaking free from the pattern of one's life.
Ending in the same way
Predicting that something will come to a similar conclusion or end as it has in the past.
So much for the showdown
Expecting a confrontation or battle, only to be let down or disappointed by what actually happens.
Keeping up while keeping off
Trying to maintain a façade or image of being put together, while simultaneously avoiding dealing with one's problems or issues.
Choking on the cold feet
Feeling nervous or frightened about moving forward, and experiencing a sense of paralysis as a result.
Rolling up the plastic sleeves
Getting ready to take on a task or challenge, but doing so in a way that is not authentic or genuine.
Can't control the slow ride
Feeling like one is stuck in a situation that is moving too slowly or not progressing as quickly as one would like.
Turning off the low light
Putting an end to something that is no longer serving a purpose or that does not have a positive impact.
The bones collide
Further emphasizing the idea that something bad has happened, or that there has been a collision or crash of some kind.
Little lover's so polite
Despite the chaos and confusion of life, there are still moments of tenderness and gentleness to be found.
Blue turns soft with time
Things that were once harsh or difficult to face become easier to accept or understand as time passes.
Broke remains, an everyday disguise
Even when things are going poorly, it is often necessary to put on a good face and keep moving forward for the sake of survival.
Ending in the same way, the same way
Repeating the idea that outcomes and results are likely to be similar to what has come before.
Lyrics © Word Collections Publishing
Written by: Brian Nolan Kalei Aubert, Christopher Andrew Guanlao, Joseph C Lester, Nicole Lynn Webber
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bleedlakerspng
Underrated song by an underrated band.
Be happy you're one of the few enjoying this little gem of a song.
@TheCrazyN00b1
im even more happy that ive been knowing about them for about 8 years now
@tonijackson3675
@TheCrazyN00b1 same like 12 years for me
@itachi112059
Is spoken like the degenerate Millennial trash we all are lol
@itachi112059
Stop adding is to my sentences goddamn phone
@florian5560
@Wightcrow gen z here
@pixelsnbits629
That fuzzy guitar sound is the absolute SIGNATURE of this band. I fucking love that sound so much.
@AlexsaurusRex
It sounds crispy/crunchy to me. Like a well built lettuce wrap burger
@kurtaguilera5942
Fuzzy!!!!
@Asterik103
summer of 2010, one of the best summers of my life. I was driving my girlfriend at the time and my little sister home from Disneyland. this song comes on as us 3 were cruising down the freeway. memories.