Daniel Johns and Paul Mac met in 1997 when Paul Mac remixed Freak off Silverchair's Freak Show album. The two became friends and Paul Mac worked on the subsequent Silverchair albums Neon Ballroom, Diorama and Young Modern. The two worked on the experimental I Can't Believe It's Not Rock EP released in 2000.
In mid 2003, Daniel Johns and Paul Mac got together to produce the album recording the basic tracks in London and finishing it off in Sydney and Newcastle. The pair produced all the instrumental tracks and vocals themselves with Johns writing the lyrics and recording them in Newcastle.
The pair described the music and lyrics in the April 2004 Australian edition of Rolling Stone. "The music is, for me, a combination of excitement, happiness, rambunctiousness and viciousness, done to whimsy," Johns said. "I'd add with a hint of melancholy, but it's more outweighed by joy," added Mac.
The pair, in an interview on Rove Live that the musical journey of The Dissociatives is "Definitely not a side project" and that they plan to release more interesting and groundbreaking music in the future under this guise. However, at the moment the band is on hiatus, due to their current projects, i.e. Johns with Silverchair, Mac with a contracted two year commitment to live performances with Silverchair & The Presets, the band of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes, currently touring.
Studio albums
The Dissociatives (2004); #12 Australia (Gold)
EPs
I Can't Believe It's Not Rock EP (2000)
Singles
"Somewhere Down The Barrel" (2004) - #25 Australia
"Young Man, Old Man (You Ain't Better Than The Rest)" (2004) - #46 Australia
http://www.thedissociatives.com
Horror With Eyeballs
The Dissociatives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lies a whole institute
Where wallpaper painters scrape
And scarecrows swell waterlogged,
Now I got dead time on my hands
For feeding my animals,
All of this time on my hands
On this dark kissed day
The light shines through only you
Or is it because your silhouette is your frame Like an empty window,
Now I got cold time up my sleeve,
I'm feeling destitute,
All of this time on my hands
So far has gone to feeding my animals
I feel root vegetable!
Am I dead?
Or buried alive?
I sleep warm velvet wand,
Buy the night,
I'm selling the sun,
My skin feels silky smooth
Now I'm buried in mud
All of this time on my hands
So far has gone to feeding my animals,
All of that time I was dead,
Limbless in bed, sedated experiment
Na, na, na, na
The lyrics of The Dissociatives' song "Horror With Eyeballs" are cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to portray a feeling of confinement and isolation. The first verse paints a picture of a strange, almost surreal place behind a picket fence where painters scrape wallpaper and scarecrows float in water, while the singer spends their time taking care of their animals. The second verse introduces the idea of a dark day illuminated by someone, possibly a love interest, whose silhouette resembles an empty window. The singer feels destitute and trapped, but also strangely alive, like a "root vegetable" buried in mud.
The final verse is perhaps the most unsettling, as the singer wonders whether they are dead or alive, and describes being both warm and cold, selling and buying light and darkness, and feeling both silky smooth and buried in mud. The repeated refrain of "All of this time on my hands" emphasizes the sense of boredom and inertia that characterizes the song, while the playful and nonsensical "Na, na, na, na" at the end adds a touch of whimsy to the eerie atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
Behind this gold picket fence
We seem to have a perfect life, with everything gold and pretty on the outside. But there's something hidden behind this facade.
Lies a whole institute
The facade is actually an institution, built to keep us unaware and controlled.
Where wallpaper painters scrape
The people who keep up the appearance of this institute are working hard and constantly keeping up a facade.
And scarecrows swell waterlogged,
Even the fake people and things being used to maintain the facade are starting to decay and fall apart.
Now I got dead time on my hands
I have nothing to do, no one to talk to, and no purpose. I'm just wasting time.
For feeding my animals,
The only thing I seem to be able to do is take care of animals, most likely because they don't judge or pretend to be someone they're not.
On this dark kissed day
Everything seems dark and foreboding.
The light shines through only you
You're the only one who seems to bring any light or positivity into my life.
Or is it because your silhouette is your frame
Maybe I only see you in a positive light because I'm projecting my own desires and beliefs onto you.
Like an empty window,
You may seem beautiful and bright, but you're still empty and unable to provide anything more than a pretty picture.
Now I got cold time up my sleeve,
I'm feeling isolated and disconnected.
I'm feeling destitute,
I feel completely hopeless and without resources.
I feel root vegetable!
I feel like I'm nothing, like a lowly root vegetable.
Am I dead?
I'm questioning whether I'm truly alive or just undead, going through the motions without any real passion or connection to life.
Or buried alive?
Maybe all the facade and fakeness has buried me alive, and I can't escape.
I sleep warm velvet wand,
I feel comforted and at peace when I sleep, but it's only temporary.
Buy the night,
At night, everything seems calm and peaceful, but it's all just an illusion.
I'm selling the sun,
I'm trying to make it seem like everything is bright and beautiful, but I'm really just selling something that doesn't exist.
My skin feels silky smooth
Even though I may seem perfect and pretty on the outside, I'm feeling disconnected and hollow on the inside.
Now I'm buried in mud
It feels like I'm trapped and being suffocated.
All of that time I was dead,
I wasn't really alive or engaged with anything.
Limbless in bed, sedated experiment
I felt like I was just a test subject, going through the motions without any control or autonomy.
Na, na, na, na
This refrain is likely just a meaningless sound, emphasizing the feeling of frustration and anxiety throughout the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANIEL JOHNS, PAUL MAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Magnanimitas22
The progressions and melodies on this album are just outstanding. Never get sick of it.
Marc Patrick
I don't understand how the hell Daniel Johns weaves those melodic lines and chords together. They seem like they shouldn't fit with each other in any logical way, but he makes them fit somehow. I don't know if he's just that much of a genius or if my ear is limited by being American. Our rock is deeply rooted in blues music, which has strict limitations. I'm assuming Australian rock isn't quite so tethered, and it's given Daniel the perfect paintbrush to create these elaborate melodies that get into my head and under my skin. Mind blown. And to think it's the same dude that wrote "Pure Massacre." Mind blown again.
WaySilentBob 69
I think it’s an antipodean thing (Wow, I hope that means Australia and New Zealand!). Neil Finn (Crowded House) has the same mercurial talent. They both use the waltz form. Worth checking out One All “Human Kindness” or Try whistling This “Sinner” and “Faster Than Light if you like this.
WaySilentBob 69
Musical genius?
Sugarcat
This generations Beethoven
MarchingMediaMom
Perfectly describes how it feels to suffer with a chronic illness. Depression can hurt worse. Will always 💟 Daniel Johns
FrankieUtka
Silverchair is my favorite band and Daniel Johns is my favorite Songwriter. I avoided this album for YEARS simply because I found the cover art off-putting. (I broke rule #1: Never judge a book by its cover). But I finally heard the album yesterday, and THIS SONG is now probably one of MY FAVORITE SONGS EVER. It almost feels like it's closely related to Tuna In The Brine, but also nothing like it at all. I can't believe I missed out on this...after all these years!
I'm obsessed & have been listening on repeat all day!! 😭💖🔥💖💕🌟🌟🎶🎶
I feel so lucky to be on the same planet where artistic beauty like this exists! 💖🌟🌈
JennzOrs
I bet you definitely feel root vegetable for putting it off so long 🥔
Rodrigo Alessander
é daniel cantando eu ja amo sem nem olhar ... essa musica e fantastica.
LofiGirl97RAWRXD
All of Daniels work is different. Every project brings different sounds, imagery, and vocals. That’s how you know an artist is talented. If your work doesn’t show any diversity in your career, you failed in a way. If you don’t take any chances, or make mistakes, how can you grow? I admire his bravery despite the backlash. He found success so early in his career and still managed to grow and not just take the safe route.