Formed in the winter of 2003 at Carleton College, Tapes 'n Tapes gained popularity after a series of write-ups on music blogs, first on EAR FARM then on sites such as Music For Robots and Gorilla vs. Bear, leading some to cite them as the most recognizable examples of a "blog band". However, it wasn't until The Loon received a favorable review from Pitchfork Media, including a "best new music" commendation, that the band started to find success. Tapes 'n Tapes have been compared to such alternative bands as Pixies and Pavement, or the recent alt-pop phenomenon Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. After release of their self-titled EP, the band played with more well-known acts such as The Futureheads, The Streets, Metric, Calvin Johnson, and I Am the World Trade Center. The band made its American television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman on July 25, 2006, performing the song "Insistor." In 2006 the band did a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon. They also performed at the Siren Music Festival in July of that same year. Tapes 'n Tapes performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2007, along with bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Björk.
Tapes 'n Tapes' musical style varies in tempo and in influence, ranging from fast-paced polka renditions to the slower, more blues-influenced songs. The publication Music Week described the band's song "Insistor" as "Part country, part rock...possess[ing] an emotional urgency that rivals Arcade Fire. This is promising stuff."
Freak Out
Tapes 'n Tapes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the light upon your face,
I look up and show the motions I use.
I can hear you breathing,
I feel the space and I
Oh, I,
I'll be the one you never know.
The wildest man,
I never known,
If you want the other side,
On your own,
I'll go, I'll go in the place you'll never know.
Waite until your wedding day,
Then you'll know!
Take it for your medicine,
Take what you saw!
Freak out, freak out, freak out!
I've been sure,
Will you look me in the eyes?
Will you run from what you see?
Will you see me in the light?
Hope you do, I hope you stay!
And I believe,
Once it's never, nothing,
I heard you say,
Once it's never, nothing,
Take all you can!
Freak out, freak out, freak out!
I've been sure,
Will you look me in the eyes?
Will you run from what you see?
Will you see me in the light?
Hope you do, I hope you stay!
Even in the morning,
Even inside,
I come on over,
And woke you in the night.
I feel you trembling,
I hear you call,
I'll be waiting
Up inside the moment
I thought you knew,
I see you walking,
You're turning blue,
And hear me say,
I'll be holding on for a day!
Will you look me in the eyes?
Will you run from what you see?
Will you see me in the light?
Hope you do, I hope you stay!
Don't go running from the light,
Don't go running to the sea!
Inside my mind,
I hope you go there, stay there,
Hide there, wait there!
The lyrics of Tapes 'n Tapes's "Freak Out" depict a person who is in love with someone who is not reciprocating their feelings. The song speaks about the emotions that arise when the person is in the presence of the one they love - even in the morning, they show the motions they use, but the other person never knows. The singer hears their breathing, feels the space, and longs to be known by them, but fears it won't happen. The chorus "freak out" emphasizes this sense of desperation and frustration.
Later in the song, there is a plea for the loved one to look them in the eyes, not to run from what they see, and to stay with them. The singer hears the loved one call out to them in the night and waits for the day when the other person will see them in the light. The song ends with a hope that the person will stay and hide inside the singer's mind.
Overall, the lyrics of "Freak Out" touch on the themes of unrequited love, longing, and fear of rejection.
Line by Line Meaning
Even in the morning
Even in the morning
With the light upon your face,
With the light upon your face, I see you clearly.
I look up and show the motions I use.
I show you my emotions.
I can hear you breathing,
I am aware of your presence.
I feel the space and I
I feel the energy around us.
Oh, I,
Oh, I,
I'll be the one you never know.
I will be the mystery you can't solve.
The wildest man,
The craziest guy,
I never known,
I have never met,
If you want the other side,
If you want something different,
On your own,
By yourself,
I'll go, I'll go in the place you'll never know.
I'll go somewhere you can't follow.
Wait until your wedding day,
Wait until you get married,
Then you'll know!
Then you'll understand!
Take it for your medicine,
Accept it as it is,
Take what you saw!
Take what you witnessed!
Freak out, freak out, freak out!
Get excited, get crazy, go wild!
I've been sure,
I'm positive,
Will you look me in the eyes?
Will you stare into my eyes?
Will you run from what you see?
Will you be afraid of what you see?
Will you see me in the light?
Will you see the real me?
Hope you do, I hope you stay!
I hope you do and I hope you stick around!
And I believe,
And I trust,
Once it's never, nothing,
Once is never enough,
I heard you say,
I remember you saying,
Take all you can!
Take everything you can get!
Even in the morning,
Even in the morning,
Even inside,
Even when I'm inside,
I come on over,
I come to see you,
And woke you in the night.
And I woke you up at night.
I feel you trembling,
I sense that you're shaking.
I hear you call,
I hear you shouting.
I'll be waiting
I will wait
Up inside the moment
In this precise moment
I thought you knew,
I thought you were aware,
I see you walking,
I see you wandering.
You're turning blue,
You're getting pale,
And hear me say,
And then I say,
I'll be holding on for a day!
I'll hold on for a while!
Don't go running from the light,
Don't be afraid of the truth,
Don't go running to the sea!
Don't try to escape,
Inside my mind,
In my mind,
I hope you go there, stay there,
I hope you find your place and stay there,
Hide there, wait there!
Hide and wait there!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Josh Grier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
captainclayman
this is pretty good, actually! people are super closed minded and have super short attention span these days. this song isnt boring.
Zola
4 lata minęły, a ona wciąż brzmi dobrze.
Jacob
That game of twister just turned into a wrestling match. Classy.
Hooligan 77
I love this song and video!
Shagbark
Can this band please come back.
bartivaspe
FREAKING AWESOME
jonaahthan
i love this song.. <3
Billy E
first time ive ever heard of this band. i kinda like them :)
Julia Sz
I love it ! < 3 < 3 < 3
ohaRega
tapes 'n tapes is a great band and they more viewers/listeners