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.
Outside
Teen Girl Scientist Monthly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I′m never ever sure when I'll return
And every part of me
Is, at the deepest heart of me, unsure
But when I said I′d never rest
I guess I kept my word
Instrumental
We haunt the same damn rooms
Our fathers haunted, fondly haunting us
We wear our brothers' suits
In hopes the other ghosts won't treat us rough
Pretend we never knew
We know it′s not enough
We saw the changes come
I never felt them
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
The timing′s everything
I've never heard a lie so well rehearsed
And when it′s all the same
You never miss a thing so what's the worth
The second hand is always
Thinking of itself first
If there′s a difference, well
I never feel it
But I, I want to go outside
I've never felt so tired
I′ve needed to get right
And I, I want to go outside
I never found the time
I never needed
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
The ammunition's here
So why not put the fear of God in them?
Like windows stand a chance
'Gainst anything on which we lay our hands
Outside, outside, outside, yeah take me, take me
Outside, outside, outside, yeah take me, take me
Outside, outside, outside, yeah take me, take me
Outside, outside, outside, I wanna go
Outside, outside, outside, yeah take me, take me
Outside, outside, outside, yeah take me, take me
Outside, outside, outside, yeah take me, take me
Outside, outside
But I, I want to go outside
I′ve never felt so tired
I′ve needed to get right
And I, I want to go outside
I never found the time
I never needed
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
No, no no, no no
The lyrics of Teen Girl Scientist Monthly's song "Outside" explore themes of uncertainty, nostalgia, and the longing for change. The opening lines, "Seems I was here before, I'm never ever sure when I'll return," reflect a sense of familiarity with a place or situation, yet also a lack of certainty about its future. The lyrics suggest a deep introspection, as the singer expresses inner doubts and insecurities by stating that "every part of me is, at the deepest heart of me, unsure."
The song delves into the idea of familial influence, as the singer describes haunting the same rooms that their fathers once haunted. Wearing their brothers' suits symbolizes an attempt to blend in with their familial ghosts and avoid rough treatment from other ghosts. However, despite pretending not to know what is happening, they are aware that their efforts are not enough to bring about significant change.
The lyrics also touch upon the concept of time and its impact on our perception of reality. The singer mentions that "the second hand is always thinking of itself first," suggesting a self-centeredness and a lack of awareness of the world around them. Despite the feeling that everything remains the same, the singer desires to go outside, seeking a break from their weariness and a chance to find clarity. However, they confess that they have never found the time or felt the need to do so.
The repetition of the phrase "no, no, no, no" throughout the song adds a sense of frustration and resignation. It reflects the idea that despite acknowledging the desire for change, the singer feels trapped and unable to break free from their current circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems I was here before
It feels like I've experienced this situation or place before
I'm never ever sure when I'll return
I can never predict when I will come back
And every part of me
Every aspect of my being
Is, at the deepest heart of me, unsure
Is uncertain at the core of my being
But when I said I'd never rest
When I claimed I would never take a break
I guess I kept my word
I apparently stayed true to my promise
We haunt the same damn rooms
We frequent the same cursed places
Our fathers haunted, fondly haunting us
Our fathers continue to influence us in haunting and endearing ways
We wear our brothers' suits
We adopt the appearance and behavior of our brothers
In hopes the other ghosts won't treat us rough
Expecting the other spirits to treat us kindly due to this resemblance
Pretend we never knew
Act as if we have no knowledge of the past
We know it's not enough
Deep down, we acknowledge that it falls short
We saw the changes come
We witnessed the arrival of transformations
I never felt them
Personally, I didn't experience their impact
The timing's everything
The precise moment is crucial
I've never heard a lie so well rehearsed
I have never encountered a falsehood that was so thoroughly practiced
And when it's all the same
When every situation is indistinguishable
You never miss a thing so what's the worth
You don't overlook any detail, so what is the value or significance
The second hand is always
The ticking of the clock hand is always
Thinking of itself first
Prioritizing its own movement above all else
If there's a difference, well
In case there is a distinction, well
I never feel it
I never perceive it
But I, I want to go outside
However, I desire to step out of my current environment
I've never felt so tired
I've never experienced such exhaustion
I've needed to get right
I've needed to find the correct path or solution
And I, I want to go outside
And I want to venture beyond my usual boundaries
I never found the time
I never managed to allocate the time
I never needed
I never truly required it
The ammunition's here
The necessary resources are available
So why not put the fear of God in them?
So why not instill immense fear or awe in them?
Like windows stand a chance
As if windows have any possibility
'Gainst anything on which we lay our hands
Against anything we acquire or handle
Outside, outside, outside, yeah take me, take me
Outside, outside, outside, yes take me, take me
But I, I want to go outside
However, I desire to step out of my current environment
I've never felt so tired
I've never experienced such exhaustion
I've needed to get right
I've needed to find the correct path or solution
And I, I want to go outside
And I want to venture beyond my usual boundaries
I never found the time
I never managed to allocate the time
I never needed
I never truly required it
Writer(s): Matthew Collins Collins
Contributed by Mason S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Specsy151
Thank you Band of the day app. You guys are awesome!
@Luckmus
Best I've heard in 2013...congratulations
@daricksongonzalez4403
I wanna hear you guys live you guys are awesome!
@swinnburn
Love it,love it every second that spins into time and i get giddy spinning on my office chair playing air guitar, join me all ?!
@teengirlscimo
Yes! We're there! We'll bring our air drums :)
@zakistrash2996
Still obsessed
@Luckmus
the same shit!
@zakistrash2996
Luckmus honestly one of my favorite bands of all time. So excited for their next album
@zakistrash2996
Still here my dudes! Wizard's Daughter slaps too
@zakistrash2996
@Luckmus WE still here my man