One of Detroit garage punk legend Mick Collins' many post-The Gories projec… Read Full Bio ↴One of Detroit garage punk legend Mick Collins' many post-The Gories projects, for years The Dirtbombs seemed to exist more in concept than in reality. As if in reaction to the bass-less sound of The Gories, the band brought together two drummers, two bass players, and Collins on vocals and guitar. And other than consistently loud volumes and lots of noise, the Dirtbombs actually had a surprisingly diverse sound, composing across a broad spectrum of styles from garage rock, punk, and glam, to classic soul and r&b. They began primarily as a 7" band, putting out five singles before Larry Hardy of In the Red convinced them to record a full-length, 1998's Horndog Fest. After another handful of singles the Dirtbombs released their sophomore album, Ultraglide in Black, in May 2001, a set devoted primarily to vintage R&B covers. The album won them a growing following in Europe, aided by frequent overseas touring (including a jaunt with The White Stripes). Collins and company returned to a tougher, more rock-oriented sound for 2003's Dangerous Magical Noise, and came back in 2005 on a split album with King Khan and his Shrines, Billiards at Nine Thirty. In May of that year In the Red put out If You Don't Already Have a Look, a double-CD, 52-track singles compilation that also featured six new songs. Though the band's relatively short lifespan had seen at least ten lineup shifts, by the point of Have a Look it had more or less solidified around Collins, drummers Ben Blackwell and Pat Pantano, and bassists Ko Shih and Troy Gregory.

Indivisible
The Dirtbombs Lyrics

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You don't live in a vacuum any more than I do
It's more like a closet, so I leave a deposit with you
We're indivisible
It's a mad cat news square
The world's invisible
Make it move anywhere
One foot in the cosmos, eyeball to eyeball, we stand
If you thinks it's the same man, ask her to fane man, he drew the plan

We're indivisible
It's a mad cat news square
The world's invisible
Make it move anywhere
One foot in the cosmos, eyeball to eyeball, we stand
If you thinks it's the same man, ask her to fane man, he drew the plan
We're indivisible
It's a mad cat news square
The world's invisible
Make it move anywhere
We're indivisible
It's a mad cat news square

The world's invisible
Make it move anywhere

Overall Meaning

The Dirtbombs' song, Indivisible, speaks to the concept of interconnectedness and how it exists within our lives. The opening lines, "You don't live in a vacuum any more than I do, it's more like a closet, so I leave a deposit with you," suggest that despite our attempts to isolate ourselves, we cannot escape the impact of the world around us. The lyrics emphasize that we are indivisible and our lives are intertwined, yet at the same time, the world can often seem invisible and we can feel powerless in the face of larger forces.

The chorus provides a sense of defiant hope: "Make it move anywhere, one foot in the cosmos, eyeball to eyeball, we stand." The idea of standing "eyeball to eyeball" suggests a sense of courage and resolve in the face of uncertainty, and the reference to the cosmos speaks to a sense of interconnectedness with something beyond ourselves. The lyrics encourage listeners to recognize the power they possess and to use it to make change in the world.

Overall, Indivisible touches on themes of interconnectedness, power, and hope. The song highlights the reality that we cannot exist in isolation but instead are part of a larger whole, and encourages listeners to recognize their own agency in creating a better world.

Line by Line Meaning

You don't live in a vacuum any more than I do
You and I are not isolated individuals; we are both affected by the world around us.

It's more like a closet, so I leave a deposit with you
The world we live in is like a small space, and I contribute to it just as you do.

We're indivisible
We are connected and cannot be separated.

It's a mad cat news square
The current events of the world are in constant turmoil and chaos.

The world's invisible
We cannot see the full extent of the world's complexities and problems.

Make it move anywhere
We have the power to influence and change the world.

One foot in the cosmos, eyeball to eyeball, we stand
We exist in a vast universe, but we are still face-to-face and connected with each other.

If you thinks it's the same man, ask her to fane man, he drew the plan
If you believe that one person is responsible for all the world's problems, ask a woman for a different perspective because the world's issues were caused by multiple people.

We're indivisible
We are connected and cannot be separated.

It's a mad cat news square
The current events of the world are in constant turmoil and chaos.

The world's invisible
We cannot see the full extent of the world's complexities and problems.

Make it move anywhere
We have the power to influence and change the world.

We're indivisible
We are connected and cannot be separated.

It's a mad cat news square
The current events of the world are in constant turmoil and chaos.

The world's invisible
We cannot see the full extent of the world's complexities and problems.

Make it move anywhere
We have the power to influence and change the world.

Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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