A gritty and melodic Nevada-bred guitar-and-drum duo who later became a fix… Read Full Bio ↴A gritty and melodic Nevada-bred guitar-and-drum duo who later became a fixture of Los Angeles' D.I.Y. garage and punk scenes, Surf Curse aligned themselves with the artist-run Danger Collective label where they released albums like 2017's Nothing Yet and 2019's Heaven Surrounds You. The sudden viral success of "Freaks," a song they'd released years earlier, earned them a deal with Atlantic, which issued the band's fourth album, Magic Hour, in 2022.

The project of drummer and singer Nick Rattigan and guitarist Jacob Rubeck, Surf Curse formed in Reno in 2013, issuing their first album, Buds, later that June. An EP, Sad Boys, appeared in October, after which the band relocated to L.A., where they began to establish themselves in the city's vibrant underground scene. By 2017, they'd reemerged as part of the Danger Collective and released their second album, Nothing Yet. An update on the simplistic style of their debut, Surf Curse's sound began to soften somewhat as they explored new tones and slightly more complex song structures. This trend carried over to their third LP, 2019's Heaven Surrounds You, which was inspired by Rattigan and Rubeck's favorite cult movies.

Skullder
Surf Curse Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There were times
When I knew
That I could
Be with you
But I always
played it cool
Its been hard
Keeping it from you

Is it a mistake
Or is it my fault
That the words
Came out of my mouth
I know the truth
Is out there

Just wanted to say
That I've always cared

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Surf Curse's song Skullder delve into the inner turmoil of a person who has always had feelings for someone but has suppressed them for various reasons. The opening lines demonstrate that the person knew that they could be with the other person, but never expressed their feelings, always playing it cool. The constant suppression of their emotions has taken a toll on them, making it hard to keep it from the other person.

The second stanza raises a question regarding whether the suppression of their feelings is a mistake or their fault. The singer is conflicted and unsure about what to do with their emotions. They finally let the truth out, but the lines “Is it a mistake, or is it my fault” hint at the fear of rejection and the consequences that may arise from expressing their feelings. In the end, the singer wants to let the other person know that they have always cared.

Line by Line Meaning

There were times
I remember certain moments in the past

When I knew
I was aware

That I could
I had the potential to

Be with you
Develop a close relationship with you

But I always
However, consistently

played it cool
I acted nonchalant or uninterested

Its been hard
Difficult has been my experience

Keeping it from you
Hiding my true feelings from you

Is it a mistake
Did I make an error

Or is it my fault
Am I to blame

That the words
My spoken expression