The Czars were an indie rock band which formed in 1994 in Denver, Colorado.… Read Full Bio ↴The Czars were an indie rock band which formed in 1994 in Denver, Colorado. They were led by John Grant (vocals) and Chris Pearson (bass). The band split around 2004.

The band started in May 1994 when vocalist John Grant and bassist Chris Pearson had a chance meeting at Rock Island, a club in Denver’s lower downtown warehouse district. It took over a year to pull a complete band together and play their first show. The early years were slow, but recording began with local music icon Bob Ferbrache in 1995, who produced the first two albums. Contrary to press releases, the band actually self-released two albums, “Moodswing” and “La Brea Tar Pits of Routine” on their own label, Velveteen Records in 1995 and 1997, the later was sent to Cocteau Twins' Bella Union in London. Bella Union thought there was some promise and a follow-up five-song demo was quickly recorded and sent to Cocteau’s Simon Raymonde. He offered the band a four album deal soon after. The Czars would be the first American band to sign with London's Bella Union. A string of local opening gigs followed with opening slots for Low, the Dirty Three, and Ween

Recording on “Before...But Longer” was initiated at London’s September Sound studio in September ’98, and Raymonde finished production on the album in December.

By the end of ‘99 The Czars were named Best Rock Band by Westword (a local Denver music magazine). The following year the band was approached to compose the soundtrack for an independent film, “I’d Rather Be … Gone" again through the connections of Bella Union. Although it never saw the light of day outside of the Gay and Lesbian film festival in San Francisco, the soundtrack mini EP was released by Toronto's Absalom Recordings that November. Self-produced by the band in Denver with Colin Bricker at NFA studios this remains a collector's item.

Even though, the band didnt sell many records, the label stuck with them, and next up was the second album “The Ugly People vs. The Beautiful People.” Recorded in Denver over a month in early 2001, when Simon Raymonde took more time away from his family and label back home in London and produced it out of his love for the band. It was released in October with cover art featuring asses and tattoos. After 23 takes at “Black and Blue” the band nearly killed each other, but the recording was finished and accolades poured in, winning the 2002 album of the year in Westword and receiving critical praise from Mojo, Q, and NME. The band signed to Manifesto Records for a one-record deal for the United States.

The Czars toured Europe opening for David Gray, 16 Horsepower, and The Flaming Lips. Three small US tours followed. The band recorded and self-produced the tour EP “X Would Rather Listen to Y Than Suffer Through a C of Z’s”, a reference to John’s linguistics book on Russian sentence structure.

Despite all the touring, the band were not making any kind of critical breakthrough, despite Bella Union's best efforts in bringing the band over to Europe several times and releasing several singles. The band recorded "Goodbye” with money donated by fans. Work was completed in June 2004, and “Goodbye” was released to much acclaim last September. Picked as the 38th on the Top 50 albums of the year by Mojo, it beat out such luminaries as The Shins, Morrissey, and Bjork. Still the breakthrough wasn't on the horizon and whilst fellow labelmates like Explosions in The Sky and Midlake were also selling records as well as picking up plaudits, The Czars remained an enigma. The band were rarely happy in each other's company and recording and touring always seemed traumatic. Perhaps the audience picked up on this in someway.

In 2004, the core of the band would dissolve away over the course of the ultimately prophetic last album entitled “Goodbye”. Over the span of nine months would see the departure of five out of six members, including original founding members Jeff and Chris, plus long-time guitarists Andy and Roger, as well as violinist Elin Palmer.

The hymn
The Czars Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

People say to me you cannot change
People say you always stay the same
If that were true I would leave this place
I would vanish from this place without a trace
I would leave you alone, build yourself a throne

You have said to me you cannot change
Coming from you that sounds very strange

'Cause you have changed in so many ways
That I have trouble recognizing you from day to day
And trouble is your thing, it takes away the sting

Someday these concerns may be your own
When you're lost and far away from home
But you won't have it any other way

Now you'll have to pay
Clever tricks so sly but you cannot cry

Overall Meaning

The Czars's song "The Hymn" is a reflection on change and the fear of being stagnant. The first verse is directed at the singer, who is being told that people can't change and must always stay the same. The singer disagrees and suggests that if that were true, they would leave their current situation and build a new life elsewhere. The repetition of "this place" emphasizes a feeling of being stuck somewhere and suggests a desire for something new. The line "build yourself a throne" evokes an image of starting fresh, creating a new kingdom where the person can reign freely and without constraint.

In the second verse, the singer addresses someone else who has told them that they cannot change. The singer points out that the person has actually changed quite a bit and is almost unrecognizable from day to day. The line "trouble is your thing, it takes away the sting" suggests that the person uses drama and chaos to distract from their own issues or pain. The singer seems exhausted by this behavior, but also recognizes that it may be a defense mechanism for the other person.

Line by Line Meaning

People say to me you cannot change
People often tell me that I cannot change

People say you always stay the same
People believe that you are always the same

If that were true I would leave this place
If that were accurate, I would depart from this place

I would vanish from this place without a trace
I would go missing from this place without leaving any evidence

I would leave you alone, build yourself a throne
I would abandon you and allow you to build your kingdom independently

You have said to me you cannot change
You have stated that you are incapable of changing

Coming from you that sounds very strange
Hearing this from you contrasts with what I know of you

'Cause you have changed in so many ways
Because you have changed numerous times

That I have trouble recognizing you from day to day
I experience difficulty seeing through your transformations daily

And trouble is your thing, it takes away the sting
Being problematic is your forte; it helps you cope with pain

Someday these concerns may be your own
One day, you might have the same worries