Composed from a place of deep turmoil, lead singer Lucas Silveira began work on the Cliks' second album following the highly successful tours behind sophomore release Snakehouse. The band's incendiary live shows became the calling card by which they were known, and in short order, musical heroes Ian Astbury of the Cult and Cyndi Lauper hand-picked the band for their respective tours. Late-night bookers were listening too, and soon the Cliks found themselves on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, not to mention a very special performance Lucas did with Cyndi Lauper on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The band picked up momentum and fans when Logo awarded them the NewNowNext Artist On the Brink Award which ultimately led to an appearance on teenybopper mecca TRL to discuss their plans for the future.
Though critically lauded and publicly adored, Silveira returned road weary and emotionally shattered. Having spent 400 days on the road touring behind Snakehouse, Silveira was eager to return home, but home wasn't the reprieve he'd hoped it would be. "The album is based around defeat, lies, deception, loss of trust in others and yourself," explains Silveira. "I wrote the album coming from a really lonely place." Indeed, the album plumbs difficult depths in the form of relationships and identity politics, as did the band's Warner Music debut, Snakehouse, but here, there is a redemptive quality absent from the band's previous output. The price of that, however, is eternal vigilance. "Dirty King is more about having risen out of the ashes, being on your feet, but constantly having to dodge people trying to knock you down," says Silveira.
With their rise out of the ashes comes new sonic territory for the band. Their most adventurous album to date finds the band teamed with producer-engineer Sylvia Massy (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool) at her Weed, California based Radio Star Studios. "She's my kind of producer," says drummer Morgan Doctor. "She doesn't come from a singer-songwriter background, but an engineering background, so she's more about creating sound and texture in the studio." Massy's studio -- filled with enough amps, effects and instruments to make it a veritable playground for musicians – served as the band's bedrock to create the full range of the album's sounds and correlating emotions, from the jagged rock of its denials to the soulful balladry of its admissions.
The album's namesake, and perhaps the clearest distillation of Silveira's emotional state during the writing of the album, is "Dirty King." Based on the gulf between how Silveira felt and how he was perceived, the song slides in on a surf guitar riff as Silveira alternates between a vamp and growl, teasing out the chorus in a voice that manages to sound menacing and seductive at once. Elsewhere, the band changes gears on the mournful "Not Your Boy" and "Emily," the catchiest evidence of the band's expanding sound. "'Emily' is definitely a big leap for the Cliks as a band, but for myself as a songwriter, I have lots of songs like this under my belt. I just never introduced them to the band because I didn't feel like it was ‘Cliks' material," says Silveira of the waltzing, string-laden track that's more dulcet than biting. The song's inclusion is a testament to the direction of Massy, who encouraged Silveira to continue writing after he'd played her an early version. The song also demonstrates Massy's analog approach, and the adventurousness of the band. Where most producers would have downloaded the sound of glass breaking to use on the track, the band and producer headed out onto the streets of Weed to procure their own found noise. "We were out late at night on the main street of Weed, breaking a huge piece of glass and recording it live," says Doctor.
Dirty King also sees the band writing together, as well as playing. After bassist Jen Benton wrote the bassline for "Career Suicide" while on tour, she began playing it at soundcheck. Doctor suggested she continue developing it, and ultimately all three would collaborate to write it. "On tour Lucas and I came up with the pre-chorus together, [and] we put together the chorus and the bridge, which was written to a very rhythmically defined beat Morgan came up with," says Benton. "It was a great experience for [us]."
Despite themselves, the Cliks couldn't help but make a record that made order out of tumult and sense out of turbulence. With pop hooks lacing the rock spines The Cliks are known for, the songs inhabit the specificity of the circumstances under which they were written, all the while appealing to broader audience ."
4 Letter Words
The Cliks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Am I deluded here?
But she says we can do it with
Four letter words coming up in my head
Don’t speak, it’s better if we just push these feelings aside
On the fourth beat
I am so new to these
Four letter words coming up in my head
So go, I can’t bare to see you
So stay then
Don’t bother with these false attempts
I think I’m overwhelmed
Take these hard earned delusions
And keep them away from me
I am not here to tempt your vision
But four letter words are coming up in my head
Four letter words are coming up in my head
Don’t speak
It’s better if we just hold these words on the tips of our tongue
See, I think you’re overwhelmed with
Four letter words coming up in your head
Four letter words coming up in your head
So go, I can’t bare to see you
So stay then
Don’t bother with these false attempts
I think you’re overwhelmed
Four letter words coming up in my head
Four letter words coming up in my head
Four letter words coming up in my head
Four letter words coming up in my head
Four letter words coming up in my head
So go, I can’t bare to see you
So stay then
It’s better if we just pretend
I think I’m overwhelmed
Four letter words....
Four letter words coming up in my head
Four letter words coming up in my head
Four letter words coming up in my head
Four letter words coming up in my head
The Cliks's song "4 Letter Words" seems to be about the confusing and overwhelming feelings that arise when two people are attracted to each other but cannot or do not want to act on those feelings. The singer is conflicted, unsure if they should give in to the temptation and express their desire for the other person or if they should push those feelings aside and avoid potentially making things worse. The title "4 Letter Words" could be interpreted to refer to curse words or sexual language, but more generally it seems to represent the intense emotions that are hard to articulate in a more respectable manner.
At the beginning of the song, the singer contemplates the possibility of acting on their attraction, but also questions their own sanity in wanting to do so. They seem to be wrestling with themselves, torn between the desire for intimacy and the fear of consequences. When they do express their feelings to the other person, it is in the form of "four letter words" - a shorthand for something that is hard to fully express. The other person is similarly affected, unable to speak their feelings openly and instead relying on hints and subtle gestures.
Throughout the song, the singer vacillates between wanting to push the other person away and wanting them to stay. Ultimately, they seem overwhelmed by the intensity of the situation and unable to make a clear decision. "Four letter words" are the only way they know how to express themselves, but even that is not enough to fully communicate the depth of their feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Heart beat- I think I could come on your sheets
The singer is sexually attracted to someone and thinks about being intimate with them.
Am I deluded here?
The singer questions whether their attraction to this person is real or not.
But she says we can do it with
The other person is willing to engage in sexual activity with the singer.
Four letter words coming up in my head
The artist is thinking about simple, explicit words and phrases related to sex.
Don’t speak, it’s better if we just push these feelings aside
The artist feels it's best not to address their feelings or engage in emotional conversation.
On the fourth beat
A reference to the structure of the song, possibly indicating a chorus or recurring theme.
I am so new to these
The singer is inexperienced or hesitant when it comes to expressing emotions or engaging in intimate activity.
So go, I can’t bare to see you
The artist would rather the person leave than continue to be in their presence.
So stay then
The artist is conflicted and unsure about whether they want the person to leave or stay.
Don’t bother with these false attempts
The artist doesn't believe any attempt at a romantic or emotional connection would be genuine or successful.
I think I’m overwhelmed
The singer feels unable to handle their emotions or the situation at hand.
Take these hard earned delusions
The artist has put a lot of effort into maintaining their false beliefs or fantasies.
And keep them away from me
The singer wants to distance themselves from these thoughts and desires.
I am not here to tempt your vision
The singer doesn't want to be a source of temptation or temptation for the other person.
But four letter words are coming up in my head
Despite wanting to resist these thoughts, the singer is still thinking about explicit language and sexual activity.
It’s better if we just hold these words on the tips of our tongue
The artist believes it's best to keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves and not express them verbally.
See, I think you’re overwhelmed with
The artist perceives the other person as also being uncertain or struggling with their emotions.
Four letter words coming up in your head
The other person is also thinking about explicit language and sexual activity.
Four letter words coming up in my head
Reinforcement of the recurring theme and the fact that both parties are thinking about the same thing.
It’s better if we just pretend
The artist believes it's best to fake or ignore their emotions and desires.
Four letter words....
An unfinished thought, possibly indicating the difficulty the artist is having expressing themselves fully.
Contributed by Juliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.