The band tour the U.S. frequently in a renovated vintage Green Tortoise bus, and their live performances have featured puppet shows, pseudo-scientific scholarly presentations, and performances by members of the Butoh group inkBoat. SGM's music has been categorized as anything from avant-prog to art rock to experimental metal to RIO (Rock In Opposition). Many reviewers have remarked that the group is altogether unclassifiable.
The band uses many homemade devices as instruments, such as the viking row-boat and the spring-nail guitar. Rathbun plays a stringed bass instrument of his own construction called The Log which uses piano strings and is perhaps 7 feet long; it is played with two sticks: one in the left hand generally used as a fret, another in the right hand striking the strings. Mellender's percussion instruments consist of restaurant kitchen equipment, trash can lids, and other "found" metal objects, in addition to traditional percussion instruments.
They've announced their imminent end, as their last concerts will be held early April around California. But 2011 will still see a new album, a movie and a live DVD.
More Time
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A pearl in your mother's tongue
I hear you calling
Incomplete mind
A pearl in your mother's tongue
I hear you calling
For more time
More time
More time
One possible interpretation of these lyrics is that they express a desire for more time to understand oneself and the world. The reference to an "incomplete mind" suggests a sense of incompleteness or inadequacy in one's mental faculties, possibly related to the limitations of language ("a pearl in your mother's tongue"). This feeling of constraint then leads to a longing for more time to explore and expand one's understanding, as indicated by the repetition of the phrase "more time".
Another possible interpretation is that the song addresses the fleeting nature of existence and the yearning for immortality. The "incomplete mind" may represent the limited scope of human consciousness, while the pearl in one's mother's tongue could imply an essential and valuable part of one's being. The phrase "I hear you calling" could be seen as a metaphor for the call of the afterlife or of a higher power, and the repeated plea for more time could reflect a desire to postpone or avoid death.
Line by Line Meaning
Incomplete mind
Your thoughts and ideas are still in development and you're not entirely sure of them.
A pearl in your mother's tongue
Your thoughts are precious and of value, influenced strongly by your upbringing
I hear you calling
These thoughts are constantly on your mind, almost like a call or a beckoning
For more time
You wish you had more time to develop these thoughts and give them the attention they deserve
More time
This desire for more time to develop ideas is important and worth repeating.
More time
Again, emphasizing the need for more time.
More time
Once more for emphasis - the need for more time to fully realize one's thoughts and ideas.
Contributed by Stella W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.