Wearing a heart-meets-sleeve turtleneck, TGSM has a yen for sunny guitars, anthemic shout-a-longs, & fuzzy, fizzy electric pop. If the most suicidal man in the world was standing on a bridge and Teen Girl Scientist Monthly started playing, he’d get down off the bridge and buy an ice cream cone.
TGSM formed August 2010 in the sunny Brooklyn hamlet of Bushwick. They’ve jangled, stomped and shouted all throughout NYC, recording two EPs of dancey indie pop and videos for their fan favorite tracks RiverStomp, Safari, and Fever.
The band is Matt Berger (vox/guitar), Matt Gliva (bass), Anne Hartung (violin), Morgan Lynch (vox), Cathy Thomas (keyboards) and Hiroyuki Matsuura (drums).
Berger, Gliva and Lynch hail from the NYC post-punk band the Hey!, which clattered and sparked in NYC basements through 2009. They rounded up again in Summer 2010, calling in backup from ex-musical director Thomas, and Matsuura, a popular drummer-for-hire in a number of local bands. With old friend Hartung on board, they set up shop in Berger’s Bed-Stuy bedroom, fiddling with a handful of fractured punk, folk and pop tunes. Teen Girl Scientist Monthly debuted two weeks later at the National Underground on August 30th, 2010.
They’ve built a following playing Brooklyn and Manhattan apartments and basements and headlining places like the Bitter End, Arlene's Grocery, Cake Shop, the Delancey, the Charleston, Legion Bar, Matchless, and Sugarland. Their live shows are loud and sweaty, full of call-and-response sing-alongs and dancing.
They record and release independently, and design and produce their album art by hand. Pioneer Ghost and Hear Boys Talk are available in mp3 form through their website (teengirlscimo.com), and one can pick up the individually stenciled and hand-folded physical releases at their shows. They’ll release their debut full length in Spring 2012.
Hear Boys Talk
Teen Girl Scientist Monthly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleep with the sting of rocks they sling in heat
They think they're wild but not like I
And each dull smile is all it hides
My mother caught me laying so Lord has got a saying for me
Boy the country fields will do you ill
To the sister city chapel, get your proper fill, he say
Dark lost trip, but my bags inside
And I'm out the door, then I realize, that
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
The saints got an eye, say you never can hide from they
But I'm sweeping pews beneath their view all day
And they never pay a thing to say
Bout who I talk to, anyway-
If they did it was hid with a smirk and a showing of faith
And all my family and all my friends
Must think I'm some sort of alien to stay
Well, I'm homesick and I tell ‘em so
But God's got work for an adventurous boy and
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
Hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
The summer's hot but it's getting dark
What you say about Central Park?
Smells like home in just about a hundred ways.
Well, I'm homesick and I tell ‘em so
But God's got work for an adventurous boy and
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
Hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
Hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
Hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
The lyrics of "Hear Boys Talk" by Teen Girl Scientist Monthly describe the feeling of being stuck between two worlds - the high country side and the sister city chapel, both of which bring their own challenges and expectations. The first stanza sets the scene of the summer countryside and the singer's desire to escape it with a partner. However, the rocks which they sling in heat, perhaps symbolizing the harshness of the environment, make it clear that this place is not one that is easy to survive in. The singer's mother catches them there, leading to a warning that the country fields will "do you ill". Consequently, the singer sets off for the sister city chapel, but finds themselves alienated by the gossip and judgement of the people there. In the end, the singer is left homesick and longing for the familiarity of home, but recognizes that God has work for them as an adventurous boy.
The lyrics are steeped in imagery, using the contrasting environments of the high country side and the sister city chapel to symbolize different aspects of life. The harshness and wildness of nature is juxtaposed with the judgmental and gossip-filled atmosphere of the town. The references to saints and God suggest that religion plays a significant role in this world, but it is presented as something that is both stifling and enabling.
Overall, "Hear Boys Talk" is a song that captures the feeling of being caught between two worlds, and the struggle to find a place where one can truly belong.
Line by Line Meaning
High country side won't you lie in the summer with me?
Can we spend lazy summer days together in the countryside?
Sleep with the sting of rocks they sling in heat
Endure the discomfort of harsh conditions while resting in the sun.
They think they're wild but not like I
Others may believe they are wild, but they do not compare to my sense of adventure and freedom.
And each dull smile is all it hides
People may appear happy, but their emotions are actually dull and unexciting.
My mother caught me laying so Lord has got a saying for me
My mother saw me resting and believes it is time for me to heed divine guidance.
Boy the country fields will do you ill
The countryside can bring harm and dangers to boys.
To the sister city chapel, get your proper fill, he say
Go to church in the city to find fulfillment and safety.
Dark lost trip, but my bags inside
Feeling lost and unsure, but one's belongings are secure inside.
And I'm out the door, then I realize, that
I am leaving, but suddenly I understand something important.
You can hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
There is a lot of meaningless chatter from boys.
The saints got an eye, say you never can hide from they
Religious figures watch over you and your actions cannot be hidden.
But I'm sweeping pews beneath their view all day
I am doing menial tasks under their watchful gaze all day.
And they never pay a thing to say
They do not make any contributions or provide any insight.
Bout who I talk to, anyway-
They do not care about who I speak with or associate with.
If they did it was hid with a smirk and a showing of faith
If they were to comment, it would be with a sly smile and a display of their religious beliefs.
And all my family and all my friends
Everyone I know and care about
Must think I'm some sort of alien to stay
They probably view me as strange or different for wanting to stay in this place.
Well, I'm homesick and I tell ‘em so
I feel a longing for home and have expressed this to others.
But God's got work for an adventurous boy and
However, I feel that God has a plan for me and my sense of adventure.
The summer's hot but it's getting dark
The season is changing, and it is becoming darker.
What you say about Central Park?
What is your opinion on Central Park?
Smells like home in just about a hundred ways.
Central Park has a comforting scent that reminds me of home in many ways.
Hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk hear boys talk
Boys continue to chatter and talk, but it is meaningless and not worth listening to.
Contributed by Jayce R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@diamorefamily
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@ritasingh871
I want to thank you
@harvey3449
Led Zeppelin! \m/
@carmely1952
The Di'Amore Family love herr
@nouraattia452
"You're only a kid for a few years but will be an adult forever"
-Christine DiAmore
@sohafarooki8827
Such good advice!
@itspanda8520
Yeah!It's sad.
@kjcruiser7855
Technology you're a kid until the age 18 but yeah after that you'll be an adult forever 🤗
@ioanark6769
This scared me a little bit
@nouraattia452
Thanks for the likes and replies guys❤