Long time friends and frequent creative collaborators, Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil (Jimmy Abegg, guitar; John Mark Painter, bass; Peter Furler, drums) is a natural assemblage of diverse talents with a common drive - to rediscover the thrill of creating music unencumbered by the confines of industry limitations and reins.
Supported by a major marketing and promotional push at media and radio this fall, Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil are poised to share their intelligent yet primal indie rock sound for those with discriminating tastes and a deep appreciation for independent thinking, razor-sharp lyrics, and white noise distortion.
Double Negative
Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is this our stop?
I'd leave the stage
But the curtain won't drop
The chemicals took my nerve
I've given up what the saints preserve
The push pull
I can't play a lick
But I'm strumming along
Sing it with me
You look uptight
Now is that a yawn
Or are you ready to bite?
Don't you come near me now
Don't you come through the wall
I can't let go of the scene
I can't stop hollering unclean
Been a nice trip
As hinterlands go
I took the hint
And I swallowed it whole
The chemicals color the facts
On your mark, get set, relax
The negatives double
Double that again
I did the math, I need a bath
Sing it with me
The widows might
Now is that a yawn
Or are you ready to bite?
Don't you come near me now
Don't you come through the wall
I can't let go of the scene
I can't stop hollering unclean
Don't you come near me now
I've never not needed you more
Cursed with a sense of place
I wanna see the look on the old man's face
Bells are ringing
In the town of the terminal heartache
Bells are ringing
Is it Easter
Or the start of an earthquake?
Bells are ringing
In the town of the terminal heartache
Bells are ringing
Is it Easter
Or the start of an earthquake?
Been a long trip
The hinterlands know
You took the hit
Then I quit
Now I'm sick as a dog
But ll still fetchI
You won't make it stop
But you pity the retch
And how do you love?
We both know
What your kids are made of
60 parts water, 40 parts guile
I've been found
I wanna drown
Cursed with a sense of place
I left this town in disgrace
Don't you come near me now
I've never not needed you more
But I can't let go of the scene
I can't stop hollering unclean
Bells are ringing
In the town of the terminal heartache
Bells are ringing
Is it Easter
Or the start of an earthquake?
The song "Double Negative" by Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil is a song that talks about giving up and losing control over oneself. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is struggling with addiction and the internal conflict that comes with it. The phrase "The chemicals took my nerve" is a clear indication of the destructive power of addiction. Even though the person in the song realizes that they need to stop, they are unable to do so. They are "sick as a dog" but still continue to "fetch."
The song also touches on the public's perception of addiction. The lines "I can't let go of the scene, I can't stop hollering unclean" and "cursed with a sense of place, I left this town in disgrace" talk about the shame and guilt that comes with addiction. The person in the song feels like a social outcast and is unable to move on from their addiction. However, the song ends on an ambiguous note with the line "bells are ringing, is it Easter or the start of an earthquake?" which can be interpreted in many ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Been a nice trip
This journey has been pleasant
Is this our stop?
Are we supposed to exit here?
I'd leave the stage
I want to leave
But the curtain won't drop
The situation won't end
The chemicals took my nerve
Substances have affected my confidence
I've given up what the saints preserve
I have abandoned what is sacred
The push pull
The struggle
The sturm and the drang
The chaos
I can't play a lick
I am not skilled
But I'm strumming along
I'm still trying
Sing it with me
Join me in this chorus
You look uptight
You seem anxious
Now is that a yawn
Are you bored?
Or are you ready to bite?
Or do you have something to say?
Don't you come near me now
Stay away from me
Don't you come through the wall
Don't invade my space
I can't let go of the scene
I can't leave the situation
I can't stop hollering unclean
I can't stop expressing my guilt
As hinterlands go
Compared to other places
I took the hint
I understood the suggestion
And I swallowed it whole
And I accepted it completely
The chemicals color the facts
Substances affect the perception of reality
On your mark, get set, relax
Prepare to calm down
The negatives double
The bad things increase
Double that again
Multiply the negatives
I did the math, I need a bath
I calculated the consequences and now I feel dirty
The widow's might
The strength of the vulnerable
Now is that a yawn
Are you still bored?
Or are you ready to bite?
Do you have something important to say?
I've never not needed you more
I need you now more than ever
Cursed with a sense of place
Feeling trapped in a location
I wanna see the look on the old man's face
I want to provoke a reaction
Bells are ringing
There is an alert
In the town of the terminal heartache
In a place of sadness
Is it Easter
Is it a celebration or a tragedy?
Or the start of an earthquake?
Or the beginning of a disaster?
Been a long trip
This journey has been arduous
You took the hit
You endured the pain
Then I quit
But I gave up
Now I'm sick as a dog
Now I'm extremely ill
But I'll still fetch
But I'll still try to please you
You won't make it stop
You won't end this cycle
But you pity the retch
But you have compassion for my sickness
And how do you love?
What is love like?
We both know
We understand
What your kids are made of
What your offspring are like
60 parts water, 40 parts guile
Mostly pure, but with a hint of deceit
I've been found
I've been discovered
I wanna drown
I want to escape through submersion
I left this town in disgrace
I departed due to shame
Contributed by Miles L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.