The idea for the project began one day a couple of years ago when Alaina made fun of Patrick for playing tennis in college. A year later the two fled their hometown Denver to spend eight months sailing and exploring the North Atlantic coast. During their adventures they began writing music together documenting their experiences. The Longboat Pass Songfacts reports that the pair eventually recorded their songs. The resulting album, Cape Dory, is about their time on the seas, the majority of the tracks being about the difficulties they experienced during their trip.
There other artists with the same name:
2. Australian Indie band containing two brothers, two cousins and a mystery bass player. Tennis have left the halcyon days of art school behind in pursuit of the perfect musical storm. Tennis played their first gig at a strip club in Surry Hills circa ’06, simultaneously debuting in Sydney’s indie and adult entertainment scenes.
Pursuing the former rather than the latter, Tennis have since graced the stages of many more credible venues, supporting the likes of; Matt & Kim(USA), The Ruby Suns(NZ), Wolf and Cub, Children Collide, Lost Valentinos, Tame Impala and The Holidays. Their colliding beats, wild rhythms, melodic vocals and stark atmospheres meld into a festive music de force driving listeners into a sweaty rapture.
3. IDM project of Ben Edwards & Douglas Benford. Their releases:
Wooden Sweets (CD, 2000)
Duckshelf / Interview (7", Expanding 2001)
Europe On Horseback (CD, BiP_HOp 2001)
Furlines (2xCD, BiP_HOp 2003)
4. A now-defunct alternative pop/punk band from New York consisting of singer/guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist Kris Bauman, and drummer Jochen Rueckert.
Petition
Tennis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of powers extreme, exposed to the extreme
Nature's so to demand, he may never change his mind
The only possible excuse for pretending to be blind
Petition for a life unknown
To all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
To all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
I can't 'member why are these more to sound mysterious
His anger extreme, exposed to the extreme
Has he a hidden past?
And memories that don't go back
And have to remember what I'm supposed to like
Petition for a life unknown
To all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
Petition for a life unknown
To all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
For those who've never had
You keep coming back
You take, take, take away
'Til the very last
For those who've never had
You keep coming back
Take, take, take away
'Til the very last
Petition for a life unknown
To all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
Petition for a life unknown
To all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
Petition for a life unknown
To all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
Petition for a life unknown
To all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
In Tennis's song Petition, the singer questions the true nature of a man she knows. She prefers to think of him as a man of many means and extreme powers, but wonders if he has a hidden past and memories that don't go back. The man's anger is also extreme and exposed to the extreme, making her wonder if he has a secret side that he keeps hidden. She questions his ability to change his mind due to nature's demands and suggests that the only possible excuse for pretending to be blind is to hide his true self.
The chorus of the song is "Petition for a life unknown to all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh." This could be interpreted as the singer's desire to live a secret life away from the judgmental eyes of her friends and society. She wants to break free from the constraints that censor her life and live on her own terms. The repeated phrase at the end of the song, "For those who have never had, you keep coming back, take, take, take away till the very last," could represent the singer's frustration with people who continuously take advantage of others and never give back.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd prefer to think of him as a man of many means
I would like to imagine him as a person who possesses a wide range of capabilities
Of powers extreme, exposed to the extreme
He has exceptional abilities that are frequently shown and tested
Nature's so to demand, he may never change his mind
It's in his nature to be stubborn and resistant to changing his opinions
The only possible excuse for pretending to be blind
If he acts like he can't see or understand something, this is the only plausible explanation
I can't 'member why are these more to sound mysterious
I can't remember why he insists on being enigmatic
His anger extreme, exposed to the extreme
He experiences strong feelings of rage that are frequently revealed
Has he a hidden past?
Is there something in his past that he's concealing?
And memories that don't go back
Are there memories that he's unwilling or unable to recall?
And have to remember what I'm supposed to like
I feel pressured to conform to his preferences and tastes
For those who've never had
For people who haven't experienced certain things
You keep coming back
He repeatedly returns to these people
You take, take, take away
He continuously takes things from them
'Til the very last
Until he has everything he wants
Petition for a life unknown to all my friends, the censor's shown, no, oh, oh
I'm asking for a life that none of my friends have experienced because they're being censored
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alaina Moore-Riley, Patrick Riley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind