The first time I met Mike from The Deadly Syndrome, he was throwing up on my couch. He had been out drinking the night before with Will, tore the head off a paper mache dummy, wrestled it across a stranger’s front lawn and then stumbled up to my house (I was living with Will and Jesse, and soon Chris would move into the garage) where he puked all over everything and passed out.
There was a lot of that sort of thing when The Deadly Syndrome first got together. Everyone was running around having fun, working shitty jobs, and writing music all the time. The house was drowning in instruments. There were cheap old organs that somebody picked up off Craigslist. Guitars, pianos, keyboards, violins, all broken down and beat up, just laying around in case somebody needed them.
The weeks started to revolve around shows. You know how whenever someone says, “You should check out my friend’s band?” how your immediate reaction is “are you saying that just because they’re your friend?” I never had that problem. The guys attacked the stage; the audience lost their minds. Their shows were like festivals (with lots of cardboard cut outs). It was a wonderful couple of years.
And then it stopped being fun.
It’s a cliché to say that youth is fleeting. But it’s true. And it’s hard to separate youth from rock and roll. That’s not to say The Deadly Syndrome are a bunch of geriatrics, they aren’t. But after two years of being together they were four guys who loved music, but still weren’t able to do it for a living. Four guys who were getting older and starting to think about things like financial security, maybe starting a family, having a car that didn’t break down all the time, getting health insurance, etc – all the stuff that keeps making more and more noise as the years go by and you start growing up.
And growing up is tricky business in rock and roll. Because the truth is that while age doesn’t stifle creativity, it certainly encourages stagnation. And stagnation leads to a sad and boring road that either ends with too much thinking about The Good Old Days or Fat Elvis.
So after a couple of years I think the guys weren’t sure what to do. If you’ll allow me another cliché, things were starting to feel like an ending, rather than a beginning. At this point they could have very easily broken up. Left on good terms and gone their separate ways. Or they could have written another Ortolan. Similar songs played in the same venues, stretching out the good times as far as they could. Instead they moved all of their stuff into a cabin up in the woods and started over.
There weren’t a lot of updates, no hand wringing or bragging, nothing specific, just the occasional word that things were moving along. And then one day after about nine months had gone by, they let everyone know that they had finished an album and were calling it Nolens Volens.
The songs, the production, it all seems to be the work of a band that has found its strengths, and is busy seeing how far they can push them. You can hear the earlier, younger band throughout all the songs, but there’s something else there as well. A sort of self-assurance that gives each song its own life and space, along with a patience that usually isn’t associated with rock and roll.
More than anything else though, Nolens Volens is about growing up. About the give and take that comes with age and responsibility, about remembering the energy of youth and infusing it into a new, older life.
Or not. Fuck it, maybe I’m over thinking it. Maybe they just made a great record and plan to release it later this year and that’s all there is to it. After all, they’re all still in their 20’s for god’s sake! Why am I talking about growing up? There’s still plenty of time for being young, playing the music too loud, and puking all over everything just before passing out.
–Jason Greene
Animals Wearing Clothes
The Deadly Syndrome Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And executed twice as bad
And now we're swapping stories 'cross the table
Yeah, it's rather sad
That mom would cry 'cause dad got mad
So she locked herself in a burnt out house
While wedding bells were ringing out
This was poorly wrote
It's a shipwreck note for note
Despite it's many flaws it has you smitten
You're blinded by a verse or two
Convinced that they're all about you
But I'm drunk and just sittin'
Swingin' on your front porch singing
Keep it to yourself
Make your life a living hell
Die a little every day
Most people die that way
And when it all went wrong
You became a ghost
It's not as hard as you'd supposed
We're animals wearing clothes
Well now you know my tricks
I oversimplify a bit
And I break things down until they're small and friendly
Well that includes your heart
And like a rundown shopping cart
Goes creaking down the aisle
Throwing sparks and faking smiles
Keep it to yourself
Make your life a living hell
Die a little every day
Most people die that way
And when it all went wrong
You became a ghost
It's not as hard as you'd supposed
We're animals wearing clothes
The Deadly Syndrome's Animals Wearing Clothes tells a tale of failed relationships, dashed hopes, and the weight of loneliness. The song speaks of poorly-planned events that end up being executed even worse. It talks about people settling for less, living a life of misery and grief, as they try to hide from the world to avoid being judged. The lyrics are full of metaphors that portray how people mask their true selves to fit into society's expectations. The lines "We're animals wearing clothes" speak volumes about how people try to put on a facade of being different from the rest of the animal world, but in truth, they are no different.
The song also suggests that people tend to overlook obvious flaws of their significant others' behavior, which gradually leads to failed relationships. When things go awry, people often withdraw and become ghosts, unable to face the issues that plague them. Ultimately, the song is a cautionary tale that encourages people to be honest with themselves and live a life of purpose and fulfillment, rather than settling for less.
Line by Line Meaning
This was poorly planned
The plan was not well thought out and it led to unfavorable outcomes.
And executed twice as bad
The plan was not only poorly planned but it was also executed even worse.
And now we're swapping stories 'cross the table
The people involved are now sharing their individual experiences and perspectives on the situation, possibly to try and make sense of what happened.
Yeah, it's rather sad
The situation is regrettable.
That mom would cry 'cause dad got mad
The father's anger caused the mother to experience distress and cry.
So she locked herself in a burnt out house
She took refuge in an abandoned, damaged house.
While wedding bells were ringing out
Meanwhile, a marriage ceremony was taking place.
This was poorly wrote
The written content is of low quality.
It's a shipwreck note for note
The content is a disaster and has nothing good to offer.
Despite it's many flaws it has you smitten
Despite its many defects, it still manages to catch the person's attention.
You're blinded by a verse or two
The person is so caught up in just a few words that they aren't seeing the bigger picture.
Convinced that they're all about you
The person is convinced that the content is all about them.
But I'm drunk and just sittin'
The singer is drunk and simply observing the situation from afar.
Swingin' on your front porch singing
The singer is enjoying themselves while drunk and not taking the situation too seriously.
Keep it to yourself
The singer advises to keep one's thoughts/feelings to themselves.
Make your life a living hell
If one were to consistently share their thoughts and feelings, it could potentially backfire and cause misery for themselves.
Die a little every day
Continually dwelling on negative thoughts and feelings will slowly break a person down inside.
Most people die that way
The majority of people suffer internally due to negative thoughts and emotions.
And when it all went wrong
At the point where things took a turn for the worse.
You became a ghost
One can start to feel invisible or disconnected from others when things go wrong.
It's not as hard as you'd supposed
Coping with negative experiences isn't always as challenging as one might think.
We're animals wearing clothes
Despite the veneer of civilization and sophistication, we're all still just animals with basic instincts and emotions.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave Stewart
This song is actually too good, and has received a smidgen of the praise it deserves. Come back Deadly Syndrome!!
Sam G
RIIIIIGHT?
Dave Stewart
@Kyle Ferguson Gooooooooda!!
Kyle Ferguson
Dave!
zoeynakya
Its so sad to see so little views and comments for such a great band. Absolutely love this song!
James Benson
I found this song by accident one day, and it stuck. Talk about under-appreciation. Hopefully this will get out to a bigger audience in general, it's definitely deserving of it.
KamiB333
I really do enjoy the Deadly Syndrome and this song, thanks for uploadin' it :)
Becca manuel
I love this band
sammmmmy195
This might be my favourite TDS song, I can't believe there are so few views.
RIG07
this song has pink floyd influences isnt it?