On July 16, 2013, 3 days after the band's first show, Smallpools released their eponymous debut EP. The record included Dreaming and 3 new songs, "Mason Jar", "Over & Over" and "No Story Time". Smallpools spent the summer supporting Australian indie popsters, San Cisco, on their first U.S. Headline tour. Later that year, Smallpools toured in support of Cincinnati, Ohio indie popsters and label mates Walk the Moon, and also in support of another Cincinnati indie pop group, twenty one pilots.
The group's debut album, Lovetap!, was released on March 20, 2015.
9 To 5
Smallpools Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And ran before the grizzlies took your life
But you tried to ignore it
The yen that wreathes the corners of your mind
All you said you wanted
Was some time alone to look over the Treaty Of Versailles
But all you really wanted
To pay the bills on time
You dug from the storage
A tapestry they could not weave to scale
Your shoes stuck to the mortgage
Like zebra muscles sticking to the shale
All you said you wanted
Was some time alone to look over the Treaty Of Versailles
But all you really wanted
Was a 9 to 5
To pay the bills on time
To pay the bills on time
All you said you wanted
Was some time alone to reassess your life
All you really wanted
Was a 9 to 5
To pay the bills on time
The lyrics of Smallpools' song "9 to 5" speak to the struggle many people face with the pressure of financial responsibility and the conflict between personal ambitions and practical needs. The lines "you tasted the porridge and ran before the grizzlies took your life" suggest a sense of urgency and danger, as if the singer is trying to escape potential danger of some sort. This is juxtaposed with the desire for "time alone to look over the Treaty Of Versailles," which could be interpreted as the pursuit of individual interests or intellectual curiosity. However, the singer acknowledges that what they truly desire is a stable job, represented by the titular "9 to 5," in order to pay bills and maintain a certain standard of living.
The second verse further reinforces this theme of financial burden, with the mention of a mortgage and the line "your shoes stuck to the mortgage like zebra muscles sticking to the shale." The comparison of the shoes to zebra muscles, which are considered invasive species that can cause harm to aquatic ecosystems, highlights the difficulty of being tied down to financial obligations. Again, the singer acknowledges that what they "really wanted" was not necessarily time alone or greater intellectual pursuits, but rather a job that would allow them to "pay the bills on time."
Line by Line Meaning
You tasted the porridge
You experimented with something, but quickly retreated before facing the consequences of your actions
And ran before the grizzlies took your life
You narrowly escaped danger and made a smart decision to avoid potential harm
But you tried to ignore it
You attempted to deny the reality of a situation instead of facing it head on
The yen that wreathes the corners of your mind
You are consumed by a desire or ambition that is always present in your thoughts
All you said you wanted
Your expressed desire or goal
Was some time alone to look over the Treaty Of Versailles
You wanted solitude to ponder and reflect on a significant historical event
But all you really wanted
Your true, underlying motive
Was a 9 to 5
A stable, predictable job with regular hours
To pay the bills on time
To be financially responsible and avoid debt or late fees
You dug from the storage
You searched through your belongings to find something significant or valuable
A tapestry they could not weave to scale
You possess a unique attribute or skill that others cannot match
Your shoes stuck to the mortgage
You are financially tied down and unable to free yourself from a loan or debt
Like zebra muscles sticking to the shale
You are stuck in a challenging situation that is difficult to escape from
To pay the bills on time
To prioritize financial responsibilities and avoid negative consequences
All you said you wanted
Your stated desire or goal
Was some time alone to reassess your life
You wanted to reflect on your current situation and make changes to improve your overall well-being
All you really wanted
Your true, underlying motive
Was a 9 to 5
A stable, predictable job with regular hours
To pay the bills on time
To prioritize financial responsibilities and avoid negative consequences
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL KAMERMAN, BEAU KUTHER, SEAN SCANLON, JOSEPH INTILE, BENJAMIN TIM BERGER, RYAN MCMAHON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nodexi
I'm Japanese. So I never heard it until I found it on google play music. I love this stylish song. I hope that the small pools will have a concert in Japan.
Rave Daddy
This is my favorite song on the album :)!
Manu52 Dain
Christmas vibes from this song
Martin Ramirez Jr
Sounds like English Mexican Mariachi
Diego Pantoja
Sounds like Vampire Weekend
zimmy fallon
Diego Pantoja that was my first thought, too!
Dean Demetria
Diego Pantoja yeah, sounded like cousins. still like it, though! :)