The Sugarplum Fairies draw influence from French cultural icons such as Françoise Hardy, Anna Karina, and Jean-Luc Godard, as well as the Velvet Underground, John Lennon, and Lee Hazlewood. Frequently mentioned as a point of comparison by critics, Mazzy Star, a similarly styled female-singer, male-guitarist duo from the 1990s, are also cited as an influence.
Sugarplum Fairies’ upcoming release “Chinese Leftovers” veers from sleepy shoegaze pop to bouncy D.I.Y. indie rock, all with a subtle infusion of country-noir and the occasional hint of eclectic Vaudeville.
For “Chinese Leftovers” Sugarplum Fairies have teamed up with Joey Waronker (Beck, REM) on drums, Gus Seyffert (The Bird And The Bee, Sia) on bass, Jebin Bruni (P.I.L., Aimee Mann) on keyboards and Martin Tillman (Dark Knight, Rickie Lee Jones) on cello.
The CD was mixed by Todd Burke (Belle & Sebastian, Ben Harper) and mastered by 3 time Grammy winner Gavin Lurssen (T Bone Burnett).
ABC featured the song “Hold On To Me” on the season finale episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” on May 14.
Discography
Flake (Starfish Records, 1999)
Introspective Raincoat Student Music (Starfish Records, 2003)
Country International Records (Starfish Records, 2006)
Chinese Leftovers (Starfish Records, 2009)
Geek
Sugarplum Fairies Lyrics
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You acted way uncool trading dates for school
And all day we read in bed
And we pulled the phone plug dead
And all your easy friends
Are giving you the bends
You say you study hard for the leading part
But nothing's good enough when you choose to lose
And all day we read in bed
And we pulled the phone plug dead
And all your easy friends
Are giving you the bends
You fake what it takes
The lyrics to Sugarplum Fairies' song "Geek" describe the relationship between two people who met in 1988. The singer reminisces about the early days of their relationship, where they would read in bed all day and disconnect the phone. The other person in the relationship seems to be struggling with trying to fit in with their "easy friends" and is pretending to be someone they're not in order to impress them. Despite claiming to study hard for the leading part, this person is still choosing to lose and is not achieving what they set out to accomplish.
The lyrics have a sense of nostalgia and melancholy, with a hint of frustration or disappointment in the other person's behavior. It's possible that the singer feels like they have grown apart or that their partner is not being true to themselves. The use of the word "geek" suggests that perhaps the other person was considered an outsider or not part of the cool crowd in the past.
Overall, the lyrics to "Geek" convey a sense of longing for a simpler time and a connection with someone who may be struggling to find their place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember when we met back in '88
Let's reminisce about the year we first met - 1988.
You acted way uncool trading dates for school
You were not cool when you chose school over going on dates.
And all day we read in bed
We spent a lot of time reading books in bed all day.
And we pulled the phone plug dead
We unplugged the telephone so we wouldn't be disturbed.
And all your easy friends
Your friends who take the easy road in life...
Are giving you the bends
...are causing you anxiety and stress.
You fake what it takes
You pretend to have what it takes to succeed.
You say you study hard for the leading part
You claim to work hard to earn the main role in something.
But nothing's good enough when you choose to lose
But you can't seem to find success because you choose to fail.
And all day we read in bed
Again, we spent a lot of time reading books in bed all day.
And we pulled the phone plug dead
Again, we unplugged the telephone so we wouldn't be disturbed.
And all your easy friends
Again, your friends who take the easy road in life...
Are giving you the bends
...are still causing you anxiety and stress.
You fake what it takes
You still pretend to have what it takes to succeed.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BENEDIKT BOHM, SILVIA RYDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind