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.
Surrounded
Silversun Pickups Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remember when I swallowed you in
Remember the rewards shimmering on the floor
Off the plastic chandelier
Remember when I saw you in orbit
Remember when I pulled you back in
Remember looking on blinking into the dawn
Thinking how this will never end
Surrounded
Let's romanticize
Our beloved memories
Surrounded
Let's demonize
Our soft injuries
Surrounded
Can we get behind
Distortion and liberties
Surrounded
We're surrounded or spiraling
Remember when I played assassin
Remember when my joking turned grim
Remember how we thought if we followed the dots
It would stop all the accidents
Remember when you broke my halo
Remember when I tied your wings in
Remember how we slipped on the lies we equipped
Just to bring back the goods again
Surrounded
Let's romanticize
Our beloved memories
Surrounded
Let's demonize
Our soft injuries
Surrounded
Can we get behind
Distortion and liberties
Surrounded
We're surrounded or spiraling
Is it perfect in our little Hell
Are you dancing or stumbling beside me
Well this might not be
We'll just wait and see
So now that we've stopped hearing echoes
And now that the replay wore thin
Just remember who held you
Remember who held you
Remember who held you
Remember who held you
Remember who held you
Surrounded
Let's romanticize
Our beloved memories
Surrounded
Let's demonize
Our soft injuries
Surrounded
Can we get behind
Distortion and liberties
Surrounded
We're surrounded or spiraling
Is it perfect in our little Hell
"Surrounded" by Silversun Pickups is a song that describes a relationship that is filled with both positive and negative experiences. The lyrics express memories of when the two lovers were "the hunted" and "swallowed" each other in, but also moments of frustration when they "slipped on the lies we equipped". The lines "Let's romanticize our beloved memories" and "Let's demonize our soft injuries" suggest that the couple should focus on the good times, but also acknowledge the pain they have caused each other. The chorus, "surrounded", signifies that their relationship is both all-encompassing and potentially suffocating, and that they are either "surrounded or spiraling".
The bridge, "Is it perfect in our little Hell?", raises the question of whether or not the relationship is worth the struggle. The lyric "are you dancing or stumbling beside me" suggests that the two may have different perspectives on the state of their relationship. The final line, "Remember who held you", may be a plea to remember the love they once had, despite the hardship.
Overall, "Surrounded" is a complex love song that depicts the highs and lows of a relationship. It urges listeners to acknowledge both the good and bad times, and to determine whether or not the love is worth the struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember when you were the hunted
Think back to a time when you were the prey, vulnerable and scared
Remember when I swallowed you in
Remember when I took control and consumed you
Remember the rewards shimmering on the floor
Don't forget the tangible gains we achieved from our past actions
Off the plastic chandelier
The rewards, while beautiful, were temporary and fake
Remember when I saw you in orbit
I felt like you were spinning out of control and I wanted to bring you back down
Remember when I pulled you back in
I helped you regain stability and control
Remember looking on blinking into the dawn
Reflect on a time when you felt lost and unsure about what was to come
Thinking how this will never end
Feeling like the uncertainty and chaos will never cease
Surrounded
We are trapped on all sides
Let's romanticize
Let's look back on our past with fondness and idealism
Our beloved memories
Our recollections of what happened in the past that are dear to us
Let's demonize
Let's view our past mistakes and hurts as evil
Our soft injuries
The psychological and emotional wounds we received in the past
Can we get behind
Can we look past our biases and see the truth
Distortion and liberties
The altered or exaggerated memories we hold on to
We're surrounded or spiraling
We're stuck in the past or stuck in a negative cycle
Remember when I played assassin
Think back to the time when I acted against you
Remember when my joking turned grim
Remember when my jests became harsh and cruel
Remember how we thought if we followed the dots
We believed that if we pursued a certain course of action, it would lead to good things
It would stop all the accidents
It would prevent any negative consequences
Remember when you broke my halo
Think about the time when you ruined my image of being pure and good
Remember when I tied your wings in
Recall the moment when I prevented you from being free and soaring
Remember how we slipped on the lies we equipped
We fell because we trusted and relied on the falsehoods we created
Just to bring back the goods again
We did whatever it took to regain the benefits we had in the past
Is it perfect in our little Hell
Do we truly think our current situation is ideal, despite the pain and turmoil?
Are you dancing or stumbling beside me
Are we moving forward in sync or do we feel off-balance?
Well this might not be
This may not be the best we can get
We'll just wait and see
We'll keep going and see what happens
So now that we've stopped hearing echoes
Now that we've stopped being haunted by the past
And now that the replay wore thin
And now that we've gotten tired of reliving the same events
Just remember who held you
Remember who was there for you during the tough times
Remember who held you
Remember who was your support system
Remember who held you
Remember who cared for you
Remember who held you
Remember who loved you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind