The Disco Biscuits are also well-known for their ability to run long sets together, sometimes even playing their songs backwards, in styles referred to as "inverted" and "dyslexic." An inverted version of a song occurs when the band starts a song by playing its ending segment, followed immediately by its beginning segment and a jam that segues out of that song and into another. A dyslexic song is played the same way as an inverted one, with its main difference being that the pieces of the song are not played consecutively (e.g. ending of 1 -> 2, 3, 4, beginning of 1 -> 5). Another technique employed by the band is a fakeout, which occurs when the band plays a jam that usually leads into one song, but segues into another unexpectedly.
Due to the separation of their segments, dyslexic songs can begin on one night's show and end the next night. The nature of their setlists is both a blessing and a curse; while the myriad variations on their songs are interesting to hardcore fans of the band, it can confuse people who are not already familiar with their catalog. This forces the listener to be immediately willing to immerse themselves in the Disco Biscuits' large catalog, which can prove to be a rather overwhelming task for novices to undertake. On the other hand, many are fascinated by the game of "what song are they going to play next", and are disappointed when their ears are attuned enough to know the answers in advance.
The band has 2 rock operas as part of their catalog: the Hot Air Balloon (written by guitarist Jon Gutwillig) and the Chemical Warfare Brigade (written by bassist Marc Brownstein).
On 11/5/04 The Disco Biscuits announced that drummer Sam Altman was leaving the band to attend medical school. The band had toured only sporadically from the end of the summer of 2003 until Sammy's official departure was confirmed. The band announced that Allen Aucoin would replace Altman as the full-time drummer on 12/12/05, ending months of speculation.
In 2007, the band co-headlined the D.U.M.B. (Disco-Umphrey's McGee-Biscuits) tour with Umphrey's McGee. Bandmembers from both Umphrey's and Bisco have further more found each other in the Brain Damaged Eggmen, a Pink Floyd and Beatles coverband
Discography
* Encephalous Crime (self-released, 1996)
* Uncivilized Area (1998)
* Bisco Lives (2000)
* They Missed the Perfume (2001)
* Señor Boombox (2002)
* TranceFusion Radio Broadcast Vol. 1-4 (2003)
* Wind at Four to Fly (2006)
* Rocket 3 (2007)
* Planet Anthem (2010)
Spy
The Disco Biscuits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Miscellaneous
Spy
The answer please, Will not occur to me
The secrets of our lives, Are there for all to see
The innocence of our lies, That come so naturally,
So how to get out of...
Livin' in the public eye?
She came to me last fall
I was drinking Joe and smoking Strikes
Now I moved out of the hall, but now Java, switched to lights
Time's a ticking, this charade
Hidin' clues left and right
Didn't know that masquerade, was hiding them all out of sight
So how to get out of...
Livin' as a private eye
When dreams escape reality
They never get where you need them to be
Distorted views of what we all see
How should we except the plea?
Forgiving as the days go by.
Forgiving as the days' goodbye.
Just like that I'm on the run
But my past out to play.
I'm still chasing the sun,
For yet another day.
The Disco Biscuits's song "Spy" is an introspective piece that grapples with the idea of personal privacy and the illusions and facades that we present to the world. The lyrics describe the difficulty of maintaining a sense of individuality and authenticity in a society that constantly scrutinizes and judges our every move. The opening lines - "The answer please, Will not occur to me, The secrets of our lives, Are there for all to see" - suggest a sense of confusion and bewilderment at the world around us, as we struggle to navigate the complexities of our own existence.
As the song progresses, we are introduced to the character of a woman who "came to me last fall", and who seems to be a catalyst for the singer's own self-discovery. The lyrics suggest that the singer was initially content to live in a state of relative ignorance, simply "drinking Joe and smoking Strikes", until this woman entered his life and forced him to confront the truth about himself. The line "Didn't know that masquerade, was hiding them all out of sight" suggests that there are hidden depths to the singer's personality that were previously unknown to him.
Throughout the song, the singer struggles to reconcile his desire for privacy and independence with the demands of the world around him. The closing lines - "Just like that I'm on the run, But my past out to play. I'm still chasing the sun, For yet another day" - suggest a sense of restlessness and uncertainty, as the singer continues to search for meaning and purpose in his life.
Overall, "Spy" is a thought-provoking examination of the human condition, and the struggle to find a sense of identity and purpose in a world that can be hostile and unforgiving.
Line by Line Meaning
The answer please, Will not occur to me
I cannot figure out the answer on my own
The secrets of our lives, Are there for all to see
Our private lives are exposed to the public
The innocence of our lies, That come so naturally,
We tell lies without even realizing it
So how to get out of... Livin' in the public eye?
How do we escape the public scrutiny?
She came to me last fall, I was drinking Joe and smoking Strikes
A woman came to me while I was drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes
Now I moved out of the hall, but now Java, switched to lights
I changed my location and switched to a different brand of cigarettes
Time's a ticking, this charade, Hidin' clues left and right
Time is running out and the deception is becoming more obvious
Didn't know that masquerade, was hiding them all out of sight
We didn't realize that the lies were covering up the truth
So how to get out of... Livin' as a private eye
How do we stop living as though we are investigations into our own lives?
When dreams escape reality, They never get where you need them to be
Dreams do not always become a reality, no matter how much we want them to
Distorted views of what we all see, How should we except the plea?
Our perceptions are not always accurate, so how do we deal with that?
Forgiving as the days go by. Forgiving as the days' goodbye.
We should be forgiving as time passes
Just like that I'm on the run, But my past out to play.
I'm on the run, but my past is still affecting me
I'm still chasing the sun, For yet another day.
I'm still trying to find happiness
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Wayne Gagnon
LOVE IT.!!! Makes me get my groove on.. DB come back to Little Rhodie..
johnnycochicken
Rhody represent!
BigWoollyMammoth
"Just like that I'm on the run, But my past comes out to play. Well, I'm still chasing the sun, For yet another day."
Bobby Chiz
And BOOM just like that my dog is spun
Steven Levy
Epic. Epic. Epic.
ibarrettall
sick awesome. thank you ;]
flatbill
fav biscuits song.
Jason Tvrdik
spy