Easily the most cynical of the D.C. Dischord bands, Smart Went Crazy combin… Read Full Bio ↴Easily the most cynical of the D.C. Dischord bands, Smart Went Crazy combine the ironic and honest portraits of their surrounding scene with well-orchestrated, edgy, angular post-hardcore punk. The band started as a studio project with Chad Clark (vox, guitar, piano), Abram Goodrich (bass), and Hilary Soldati (vox, cello) and added Tony Dennison on drums to record the Cubbyhole EP released on their own label Cozy Disc. They began playing live shows as a quintet with Jeff Boswell on guitar and farfisa in their native Washington D.C. and Devin Ocampo came in after Dennison late in 1997. Their 1996 full-length, Now We're Even, begins the band's ultra-black humor and noisy brand of art-punk. Con Art shows the band at their best with razor-sharp portraits of old lovers and depraved friends falling over Ocampo's mid-tempo tumult drumming and Soldati/Clark's sing-sneer vocals. The group disbanded shortly after their 1998 tour.

Now We're Even
Smart Went Crazy Lyrics

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A few minutes after I succumbed To the blindness that you wished on me I sat there basking in the glow Of beign proven right And it really isn't such a drag Aside from walking into walls It's a good excuse to learn some braille And I don't miss seeing your face at all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Smart Went Crazy's song "Now We're Even" depict a scene of one party being blinded by another, and then coming to terms with their newfound disability. The singer describes succumbing to the blindness that was wished upon them, and then basking in the glow of being proven right. Despite the challenges that come with not being able to see, the singer finds some solace in the situation - it gives them a good excuse to learn braille and they don't miss seeing the person who blinded them.

The lyrics could be interpreted in a number of ways depending on the listener's perspective. It could be seen as an exploration of the idea that sometimes bad things can lead to positive outcomes, or as a commentary on the power dynamics in certain relationships. The line "A few minutes after I succumbed / To the blindness that you wished on me" hints at a sense of betrayal or malice on the part of the person who caused the blindness, but the singer seems to have come to terms with it and even found a silver lining.

Line by Line Meaning

A few minutes after I succumbed
Shortly after I gave in

To the blindness that you wished on me
To the loss of sight that you wanted for me

I sat there basking in the glow
I sat there enjoying the feeling

Of beign proven right
Of being proven correct

And it really isn't such a drag
And it's not really a burden

Aside from walking into walls
Except for the fact that I run into walls

It's a good excuse to learn some braille
It's a good reason to learn braille

And I don't miss seeing your face at all
And I don't miss looking at your face anymore

Contributed by Benjamin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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