1. The Garden is an American art… Read Full Bio ↴There are 3 artists with this name:
1. The Garden is an American art rock duo from Orange County, California, formed in 2011 by twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears. The duo released their debut album The Life and Times of a Paperclip in 2013, with several smaller releases following. In 2015, the group released their second studio album Haha along with the lead single "All Smiles Over Here :)" to critical acclaim after being signed to Epitaph Records. They released their third album Mirror Might Steal Your Charm on March 30, 2018. Their fourth album, Kiss My Super Bowl Ring, was released on March 13th, 2020. Their most recent album, Horeshit on Route 66, was released September 8th, 2022.
The band is known for their fast, punk-influenced two-piece bass and drum songs, with both their music and image being characterized by "DIY principles, thrift store-cum-glam fashion style and a vast list of influences." The brothers classify their sound as "vada vada," a philosophy which Wyatt Shears describes as “an idea that represents pure creative expression, that disregards all previously made genres and ideals”.
2. The Garden was a gothic rock / ethereal wave / shoegaze band from Pittsburgh, PA, United States. The band was formed in the autumn of 1985, with the intentions of pursuing a sound that was not only unique, but also moving. And through the years, Anthony LaCava, Christine Sacramento and Stephen Marlette, with accompaniment by Shelly O'Keefe on bells/keyboards, followed this dream by creating many songs of great substance. The band emerged with an intensely uncommon sound drawn on electronic drum tracks and dark ambient guitar mixed with rhythmic bass, heartfelt lyrics and strong vocals.
Often described as "Pittsburgh's first gothic rock band", The Garden has sustained a rather faithful following. Tanya Kavalkovich joined the band in 1996 with her lyrical violin contributing a new warmth and beauty to an already compelling sound. Opening for such acts as And Also the Trees, Wolfgang Press, Throwing Muses, Faith and the Muse, Strange Boutique, Spahn Ranch, Gargoyle Sox, Of a Mesh, FourWay Cross, This Ascension. The Curtain Society, Bella Morte, Eva O.
Heavy employment and academic demands forced Stephen to leave the band in 1997. Christine, Anthony, and Tanya formed a new band with drummer James and vocalist Patricia called Between the Waters
3. The Garden is a collaboration between David Tagg and Hakobune. It isn’t often that collaborative projects bear such bountiful fruit right from the start of their conception, but sometimes, nature seems to have another motive in mind, and we’re given a very special and very unique result. Hailing from near-opposite sides of the globe, David Tagg and Takahiro Yorifuji (also known here at Install and elsewhere as Hakobune) decided to combine their complementary approaches to ambient guitar music and make something new together.
"In Sea-Land" certainly conjures images of organic growth in a surreal landscape, and the album colors in the empty spaces with watery blue melodies submerged in ocean water and triumphant overarching towers of weathered stone drones surrounded by sea spray and thin clouds. Both similar to what David and Takahiro have individually created before, and also unique to itself, these two men have found an alchemical assurance in combining their crafts with The Garden. Sure to please fans of either musician’s work, or anyone who appreciates gentle guitars unspooled over a canvas of water and green. Deep and lush, alive and vibrant. A multifaceted pleasurable listen for the hot Summer months.
Surprise
The Garden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's got his hands behind his back
He thinks he's got me squared away
So he'll enjoy the rest of his day
But what he doesn't know alright
is the value, the meaning of human life
But what he doesn't know alright
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
He's got his hands behind his back
I've got my hands behind my back
I think I got him squared away
So I'll enjoy the rest of his day
But what he doesn't know alright
is the value, the meaning of human life
But what he doesn't know alright
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
In "Surprise" by The Garden, the lyrics depict a power dynamic between two individuals. The repetition of the phrase "I've got my hands behind my back, he's got his hands behind his back" creates a sense of mirroring and equal footing. The singer suggests that the other person believes they have control over them, thinking they have them "squared away," while they themselves think they have the other person "squared away," indicating a mutual underestimation.
However, the twist in the lyrics comes when the singer reveals their true intention - to "drink his soul tonight." This line is metaphorical, symbolizing their desire to consume or absorb the essence of the other person, to take something vital from them. It conveys a sense of power play and a willingness to exploit the other person's ignorance and lack of understanding about the value and meaning of human life.
Overall, the lyrics explore themes of power dynamics, manipulation, and the hidden intentions that can exist in relationships. The repeated assertion of drinking the other person's soul suggests a predatory nature, as the singer seeks to assert their dominance and derive pleasure from their control.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got my hands behind my back
I am hiding my true intentions and abilities
He's got his hands behind his back
He believes he has control over the situation
He thinks he's got me squared away
He believes he has me figured out
So he'll enjoy the rest of his day
He assumes everything will go smoothly for him
But what he doesn't know alright
He is unaware of an important truth
is the value, the meaning of human life
He lacks understanding of the importance and purpose of life
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I plan to extract the essence of his being
I've got my hands behind my back
I continue to conceal my true intentions and abilities
I think I got him squared away
I believe I have him figured out
So I'll enjoy the rest of his day
I expect everything to go according to plan for me
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I still plan to extract the essence of his being
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I am determined to consume his essence
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I am unwavering in my desire to consume his essence
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I am resolute in my plan to consume his essence
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I am unwavering in my determination to consume his essence
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I am persistent in my pursuit to consume his essence
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I am relentless in my goal to consume his essence
I'm gonna drink, drink his soul tonight
I am unyielding in my ambition to consume his essence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Fletcher Stevens Shears, Wyatt James Shears
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@losborrachos1217
i will be happy the moment this is back on spotify
@Julia-hm9wc
still waiting for it to come back on...
@dogggmannn
i just realized it was removed oh my god
@czardonyx
idk if it'll ever happen 😭
@invertedstar4355
still hasn’t ….
@R.J.MacReady1982
I love their punkier stuff. this is just fucking rad. I wouldn't even mind a whole album like this haha. I love this song so much
@wiloma3658
lucky for you we got kiss my super bowl ring;)
@elisaa4967
Wiloma kmsbr is fucking good
@wiloma3658
elizamaryjanee seriously one of their best
@SerotoninCrunch
@@wiloma3658 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A PAPERCLIP BRUH