After he went viral with the R&B-inflected "Goodie Bag" in 2017, he continued to release one-off tracks until presenting the Lately EP in 2019. It included another streaming hit, "Habit."
Growing up in Moraga, California, Gamsky began playing the guitar in middle school and recording his own music when he was 13. While in high school, he played guitar and bass in the band Shoot the Roots, which also featured classmates Cole Leksan and Jack Morris. After graduating in 2010, Gamsky played in the indie rock band Feed Me Jack and gave guitar lessons while attending the University of California, Santa Cruz. As a music major, he studied classical guitar while minoring in electronic music. He completed his degree in 2015, and Feed Me Jack called it quits the following year.
Gamsky debuted his solo project, Still Woozy, with the warped and jazzy "Vacation" in April 2017, following it weeks later with "Cooks," which proved to be a streaming breakthrough. Later the same year, the highly stylized soul of "Goodie Bag" became an even bigger online hit, amassing tens of millions of streams. He released periodic singles over the next year-and-a-half until landing a distribution deal with Interscope for his label Still Woozy Productions. They released the debut EP Lately EP in May 2019. It contained "Habit," which became his biggest hit since "Goodie Bag."
Still Woozy returned with more original material in 2020, including "Window" and "Cheesin'," the latter a collaborative track for Republic Records with artists including Cautious Clay, Remi Wolf, and Claud. Back on his own, he kicked off 2021 with "Rocky."
Vacation
Still Woozy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reifications right up the road, my dear
Its hot as hell, licking my elbow
But you know I sing like a bird, my love, the cage
Oh what- oh what the hell can I say
Syncopate the way it turned out
I syncopate the way it turned out
Resolute with god on my side I synthesized
Oh no I can tell the impasse is real
Theres no need to find the key
Oh no I can tell the impasse is real
There's no hand in this world that can cure
The peace of mind to render slowly
Was dullin' my sense of time and urgency
To reify was still my goal
But I don't rush the long haul, babe, babe, babe
Oh no I can tell
No hand in this world
No hand in this world
Oh no I can tell
No hand in this world
No hand in this world
Oh no I can tell the impasse is real
There's no need to find the key
Oh no I can tell the impasse is real
There's no hand in this world that can cure me
The first line of the first verse of "Vacation" by Still Woozy reads "I was compressed into a pixel." This line is a metaphor that suggests that the singer feels like he has been compressed, reduced or minimized to a simple digital image, suggesting a loss of identity or individuality. The following line says "Reifications right up the road, my dear." This line seems to suggest that what is real and true is not always what is immediately visible. The lyric "Its hot as hell, licking my elbow, But you know I sing like a bird, my love, the cage" talks about the singer being in a tough or uncomfortable situation, but still maintaining a hopeful and positive attitude.
In the second verse, the singer sings "The peace of mind to render slowly, Was dullin' my sense of time and urgency." This lyric is about how the struggle to find inner peace and balance can cause a loss of focus or purpose. The line "But I don't rush the long haul, babe, babe, babe" seems to suggest that although the singer may be struggling, he believes in taking his time and not rushing the process. The overall theme of the song seems to be about the struggle for inner peace and acceptance of oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
I was compressed into a pixel
I felt confined and trapped, reduced to a small, digital representation of myself
Reifications right up the road, my dear
The things we've created and made real are everywhere around us, my love
Its hot as hell, licking my elbow
The temperature is so high that even my own body feels uncomfortable, but my singing remains smooth and effortless
But you know I sing like a bird, my love, the cage
Despite feeling trapped and limited, I am able to express myself beautifully and creatively
Oh what- oh what the hell can I say
I am at a loss for words to describe the situation
Syncopate the way it turned out
I find a rhythm in the unexpected twists and turns of life
I syncopate the way it turned out
I adapt and find a new groove in response to unexpected circumstances
Resolute with god on my side I synthesized
I am determined and confident, relying on my faith to create something new
Oh no I can tell the impasse is real
I recognize that I am facing a real and significant obstacle
Theres no need to find the key
I don't need to search for a solution to my problem
There's no hand in this world that can cure
No outside force or person can fix the situation for me
The peace of mind to render slowly
I am starting to find a sense of calm and clarity
Was dullin' my sense of time and urgency
Feeling too content and at ease was making me lose my sense of time and the need to take action
To reify was still my goal
I still aim to make abstract ideas and concepts into concrete reality
But I don't rush the long haul, babe, babe, babe
I know that achieving my goals takes time and patience, but I am willing to stay the course
Oh no I can tell, No hand in this world, No hand in this world
I am certain that I am on my own in this situation, with no external help available
Oh no I can tell the impasse is real
Once again, I recognize that I am facing a true obstacle
There's no need to find the key
I don't need to actively search for a solution, it will come in time
There's no hand in this world that can cure me
I know that relying on others to solve my problems is unlikely to succeed, so I must look within to find my own cure
Writer(s): Still Woozy
Contributed by Sophie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fil_is_weird1936
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
I was compressed into a pixel
Reifications right up the road, my dear
It's hot as hell, lickin' my elbow
But you know I sing like a bird, my love, the cage
[Bridge 1]
Oh, what— Oh, what the hell can I say?
T-T-Tyncopate the way it turned out
T-T-Tyncopate the way, take the—
I syncopate the way it turned out
Resolute with God on my side, I synthesized
[Chorus]
Oh no, I can tell
The impasse is real
There's no need to find the key
Oh no, I can tell
The impasse is real
There's no hand in this world that can cure
[Verse 2]
The peace of mind to render slowly
Was dullin' my sense of time and urgency
To reify was still my goal
But I don't rush the long haul, baby
[Bridge 2]
Oh no, I can tell
No hand in this world
No hand in this world
Oh no, I can tell
No hand in this world
No hand in this world
[Chorus]
Oh no, I can tell
The impasse is real
There's no need to find the key
Oh no, I can tell
The impasse is real
There's no hand in this world that can cure me
@sebastianbreitenbach6282
I haven’t ever found an artist where I love all of their songs. Thanks for breaking the mould man!
@aliamcdonald5106
Agree 100%
@allison8786
This song makes me feel like I’m floating around in a little bubble
@Fruityfruitcat
Honestly! I feel so safe when I hear it
@sKiiTs8
I miss this era of the wooz
@fil_is_weird1936
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
I was compressed into a pixel
Reifications right up the road, my dear
It's hot as hell, lickin' my elbow
But you know I sing like a bird, my love, the cage
[Bridge 1]
Oh, what— Oh, what the hell can I say?
T-T-Tyncopate the way it turned out
T-T-Tyncopate the way, take the—
I syncopate the way it turned out
Resolute with God on my side, I synthesized
[Chorus]
Oh no, I can tell
The impasse is real
There's no need to find the key
Oh no, I can tell
The impasse is real
There's no hand in this world that can cure
[Verse 2]
The peace of mind to render slowly
Was dullin' my sense of time and urgency
To reify was still my goal
But I don't rush the long haul, baby
[Bridge 2]
Oh no, I can tell
No hand in this world
No hand in this world
Oh no, I can tell
No hand in this world
No hand in this world
[Chorus]
Oh no, I can tell
The impasse is real
There's no need to find the key
Oh no, I can tell
The impasse is real
There's no hand in this world that can cure me
@isabelaestrada8355
Closing my eyes and just vibing to your music is the only time I'm truly thriving
@blackcat-vr7nh
Ikr
@lestopia
this 👏🏽
@_mani2653
truth