1. an indie folk ba… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three bands called The Dodos.
1. an indie folk band from San Francisco, CA, United States, formed in 2005
2. a short-lived British punk/rock band that evolved out of Swansea punk band The Urge in 1979
3. a short-lived British rock band that relelased one single in 1967
1. The Dodos are an indie folk band from San Francisco, CA, United States, formed in 2005. Almost all of their albums (except the very first one) are credited to Dodos (without 'The'), but they made their recording début as The Dodos and are listed as such on streaming platforms, which is why most of their scrobbles end up here. The Dodos is the preferred spelling. The band has two core members: Meric Long (vocals, guitar) and Logan Kroeber (drums). They have released eight studio albums since mid-2006: Beware of the Maniacs (2006), Visiter (2008), Time to Die (2009), No Color (2011), Carrier (2013), Individ (2015), Certainty Waves (2018) and Grizzly Peak (2021).
2. Having evolved in late 1979 out of Swansea punk band The Urge, The Dodos were named after the ephedrine-laced asthma tablets, consisting of Dickie Evans (vocals), Phil Roberts (guitar), Anthony Reed (bass) and Steve 'Gagsy' Garland (drums). They contributed a song (1981's 'Blind To Fiction') to a rare compilation called Sex, Violence and the Eternal Truth.
3. The Dodos were a very short-lived British rock band of the late 1960s. They released just one single: 'I Made Up My Mind' b/w 'Can't Make It Out' (Polydor, 1967). Both sides were penned by the band's main songwriter, Alan Hawkshaw.
Chickens
The Dodos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They don't see, they don't see, they don't see my plight
And oh my mom, she yelled at me
We don't talk, we just fight, doing that with me all night
And all my girlfriends bother me
They don't like, they don't like, they don't like the things they see in me
They won't change, they won't change, they won't change, they're not changing me
And oh my dog, he died last week
He was kind, he was smart, he don't mind, he was a friend to me
And all my failures, I can see
What I'd wrong, what I'd right, how I did, it almost started it, please
And all these chickens telling me
"You're a fool, you're a liar, should've up and thrown him in the fire"
I don't care, if any right, I can see the dark tonight
I can fail, I can fail, if I'm going to hell, then let it be
And oh one day, will be my turn
All these birds will come alive, throw me in the fire and watch me burn
The Dodos' "Chickens" is a song that captures the feeling of isolation and loneliness, both in personal relationships and in the struggle for personal success. In the first verse, the singer's friends, mother, and girlfriends all appear to be rejecting or neglecting him in some way, leaving him feeling alone and unvalued. The following lines reveal that even the singer's dog - perhaps his closest companion - has recently died, compounding his sense of loss and isolation.
The second verse goes deeper into the singer's introspection, with references to his past mistakes and failures. The "chickens" in this verse seem to represent the critical voices in his life, either real people or perhaps just his own self-doubt. They tell him he's a "fool" and a "liar," but the singer declares that he doesn't care what they say. He's willing to embrace failure and even damnation if it means he can be true to himself. The final lines of the song suggest a kind of surrender to a fiery fate, in which the singer will be consumed by the same critical voices he's been struggling against.
On a simpler level, "Chickens" can be seen as a folk-inspired song with a catchy melody and sparse instrumentation. The guitar work by Meric Long is precise and rolling, with some added percussion in the song's uptempo sections. The song has a raucous quality that belies its seemingly introspective lyrics - this is music for stomping your feet and shouting along with, even if the words themselves are darker.
Overall, "Chickens" is a powerful and emotionally resonant track that touches on universal themes of rejection, self-doubt, and the search for meaning. While it may not offer easy answers to these struggles, it's a reminder that we're all in this together, and that sometimes it's okay to embrace the chaos and just let ourselves burn.
Line by Line Meaning
And all my friends are leaving me
I feel like everyone is abandoning me
They don't see, they don't see, they don't see my plight
My friends don't understand what I'm going through
And oh my mom, she yelled at me
My mother and I are constantly arguing
We don't talk, we just fight, doing that with me all night
We can't have normal conversations, we just argue all the time
And all my girlfriends bother me
My romantic partners are unsatisfied with who I am
They don't like, they don't like, they don't like the things they see in me
They disapprove of my personality and behavior
They won't change, they won't change, they won't change, they're not changing me
They refuse to accept me for who I am and want me to change
And oh my dog, he died last week
My loyal and supportive pet passed away recently
We would sit, we would talk, he would bark, and I would ball and weep
I loved spending time with my dog and now I'm heartbroken
He was kind, he was smart, he don't mind, he was a friend to me
My dog had a great personality and was a true friend to me
And all my failures, I can see
I am aware of all the mistakes I've made
What I'd wrong, what I'd right, how I did, it almost started it, please
I know what I did wrong and right, and how it almost ruined everything
And all these chickens telling me
People who are weak and unintelligent are criticizing me
"You're a fool, you're a liar, should've up and thrown him in the fire"
They are telling me that I made the wrong choices and should have acted differently
I don't care, if any right, I can see the dark tonight
I don't care what others think, but I acknowledge my troubles at the moment
I can fail, I can fail, if I'm going to hell, then let it be
Even if I fail, I am willing to accept the consequences because I don't have control over everything
And oh one day, will be my turn
Someday, I will face judgment
All these birds will come alive, throw me in the fire and watch me burn
My detractors will enjoy my downfall and watch me suffer
Contributed by Kaelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.