The band originally consisted of Damon Tutunjian (vocals, guitar), Seana Carmody (vocals, guitar), Andy Bernick (bass) and Ben Drucker (drums), with second bassist Morgan Andrews joining in 1992. Andrews and Drucker left in 1993, and Carmody left to form Syrup USA in 1994.
Currently, the band consists of Tutunjian, Bernick, Rob Laakso (guitar), Deborah Warfield (vocals) and Adam Pierce (drums).
The band has released four albums since their formation: "Blonder Tongue Audio Baton" (1993), "They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons" (1996), "The Yes Girls" (2000) and "Cats of the Wild, Volume 2" (2003).
Jeremy Parker
Swirlies Lyrics
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A basement hall
A broken jaw
The empire clock hangs up over there
Wettish window sill
Drying shell
On sleeping pills
He's downstairs
The lyrics to Swirlies' song "Jeremy Parker" are rich with metaphor and suggest a story of familial tension and artistic yearning. The opening lines introduce us to a character, perhaps the singer, who works as a "Christmas stevedore" and has experience in loading and unloading cargo from ships. The reference to Christmas may suggest that this is a seasonal job, and the term "stevedore" has a blue-collar, working-class connotation. The second line, "A basement hall," sets the stage for the next few lines that describe a domestic space in disrepair. The "broken jaw" alludes to a painful injury, while the "wettish window sill" and "drying shell" suggest a damp and musty environment. The lyrics then shift to describe someone else who is "downstairs," presumably in the same house or building. The line "On sleeping pills" indicates that this person is struggling with some kind of mental or emotional distress.
The final line of the verse "She dreamed of artistic freedom" is an interesting juxtaposition with the rest of the lyrics. It suggests that the singer is not the only one in this bleak environment who yearns for something better in life. The identity of "she" is ambiguous, but it could refer to a wife, sister, daughter, or even the singer themselves. The dream of "artistic freedom" suggests a desire for self-expression and creativity, perhaps in a way that is not possible in the current setting. Overall, the lyrics to "Jeremy Parker" paint a picture of a dreary and oppressive living situation, punctuated by moments of fleeting hope and longing for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
Christmas stevedore
The holiday season brought in a person who loads and unloads cargo from ships
A basement hall
A room underground with a large open area
A broken jaw
A fracture to the bone in the face
The empire clock hangs up over there
A grand timepiece is suspended on the nearby wall
Wettish window sill
The edge of the window frame is damp
Drying shell
A casement is becoming dry and hard
On sleeping pills
While taking medication to induce slumber
He's downstairs
The male character is present on a lower level of the building
She dreamed of artistic freedom
The female character yearned for the ability to express herself creatively without restraint
Contributed by Alaina T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.