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.
Ragamuffin
Silversun Pickups Lyrics
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Tears down the mountain side
Waves, crashing over the roads
And down to bury our home
Enough to bury our home
Then, as the years flew by
And all the water dried
On everything we own
Dancing alone
Hey, you sing in youthful notes
You're wearing different clothes
Should we hesitate?
When you shake the ground
With our voices so loud
It's how we operate
Hey, you sing in youthful notes
You're wearing different clothes
Should we hesitate?
We can shake the ground
With our voices so loud
It's how we operate
Fighting fires with water guns
This ragamuffin has swallowed enough
(enough, enough, swallowed enough)
(enough, enough, swallowed enough)
Flags are down, speed trials are done
The engine has failed and there's nowhere to run
(Run, run, nowhere to run)
(Run, run, nowhere to run)
Covered your tracks, so how would you know
This ragamuffin wants to follow you home?
(Home, home, follow you home)
(Home, home, follow you home)
(Home, home, follow you home)
Let's speed away, like it's our lives on the line
Hey, you sing in youthful notes
You're wearing different clothes
Should we hesitate?
We can shake the ground
With our voices so loud
It's how we operate
Should we hesitate
It's how we operate
We operate
We operate
We operate
Hey, they're on the side of the road
You've got a ways to go
The song “Ragamuffin” by Silversun Pickups presents a series of images and metaphors that suggest the transience and fragility of human existence. The opening lines describe a catastrophic event that destroys everything the singer holds dear: “Here, on the summit we cry/Tears down the mountain side/Waves, crashing over the roads/And down to bury our home/Enough to bury our home.” The lyrics convey a sense of overwhelming force and loss, as if the natural world is indifferent to human concerns.
Yet as time passes, the singer discovers a source of hope amidst the ruins. He sees someone “dancing alone/On everything we own,” and her youthful energy and defiance provides a counterpoint to the destruction of the past. The chorus urges the listener to embrace this spirit of resilience and use it to make a difference: “Hey, you sing in youthful notes/You're wearing different clothes/Should we hesitate?/We can shake the ground/With our voices so loud/It's how we operate.”
The metaphor of the “ragamuffin” suggests an underdog or outsider who refuses to be subdued by adversity. The final lines of the song imply that the singer and his companions are in motion, leaving behind the remnants of their former life and pushing forward into the unknown: “Let's speed away, like it's our lives on the line/Hey, they're on the side of the road/You've got a ways to go.”
Line by Line Meaning
Here, on the summit we cry
From this high point, we're devastated.
Tears down the mountain side
Our tears flow down, as if following the slope of the mountain.
Waves, crashing over the roads
The waves wash over the streets, disrupting everything in their path.
And down to bury our home
The waves go so far as to put our homes under water.
Enough to bury our home
The damage is severe; our homes might as well be buried.
Then, as the years flew by
With time, things changed.
And all the water dried
The water that was once so abundant disappeared over time.
There, I saw you dancing alone
Amid all the change, you were the constant, dancing on our remaining possessions.
On everything we own
Your dancing was the only thing we had left.
Dancing alone
You were the only one dancing on our possessions.
Hey, you sing in youthful notes
Your voice is young and full of vigor.
You're wearing different clothes
You're no longer in the same attire as before; you've changed too.
Should we hesitate?
Should we be weary or uncertain?
When you shake the ground
Your voice has power to shake the very earth.
With our voices so loud
We can make our voices heard if we speak up together.
It's how we operate
That's how we make things happen.
Fighting fires with water guns
Our actions are futile; we're trying to put out fires with water guns.
This ragamuffin has swallowed enough
We've endured more than enough.
(enough, enough, swallowed enough)
Flags are down, speed trials are done
We've lost; our efforts were a failure.
The engine has failed and there's nowhere to run
Our vehicle has broken down and we're stranded.
(Run, run, nowhere to run)
Covered your tracks,so how would you know
We've tried to hide from you but you won't be deterred.
This ragamuffin wants to follow you home?
Even after all the setbacks, we want to stick with you.
(Home, home, follow you home)
(Home, home, follow you home)
(Home, home, follow you home)
Let's speed away, like it's our lives on the line
Let's drive away quickly as if our lives depended on it.
Hey, they're on the side of the road
They're watching us as we speed away.
You've got a ways to go
We still have a long journey ahead of us.
Should we hesitate?
Once again, should we pause or be hesitant?
It's how we operate
We know how to make things work.
We operate
Together, we move forward.
We operate
We operate
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brian Aubert, Christopher Guanlao, Garret Lee, Joseph Lester, Nicole Monninger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind