The Graduate was an American indie/emo band from Springfield, Illinois.
… Read Full Bio ↴The Graduate was an American indie/emo band from Springfield, Illinois.

The Graduate formed in central Illinois in November 2005, after the breakup of two other local bands (Best of Winter from Quincy, Illinois and Jack from Springfield, Illinois) whose members began playing shows together. Lead singer Corey Warning said of the band's name, "None of us graduated from college. Well, we all graduated from high school, but none of us from college, so the name's kind of ironic." The band independently released an EP entitled Horror Show in April 2006, and toured nationally with bands such as Jack's Mannequin, The Audition, The Junior Varsity, Punchline, Waking Ashland, and Secondhand Serenade.

In late 2006, College Music Journal featured The Graduate on the cover of the CMJ New Music Report for being the most added band to college radio stations during the week of December 3, 2006. 167 stations added their EP, Horror Show to their airplay lineup in total. On April 6, 2007, Spin named The Graduate its Band of the Day.

The Graduate released their debut full length album, Anhedonia on April 10, 2007. The band played a number of Warped Tour shows in the summer of 2007 to promote their new album as well as supporting acts such as The Audition and Spitalfield on two separate U.S. tours. They also played at Lollapalooza that year. The band then went on a short European/UK headlining tour which included playing the German music festival, Rock am See.

On November 27, 2007, The Graduate released The Evergreen EP as an early Christmas gift for fans. The EP includes acoustic versions of "Anhedonia" and "The City That Reads" from Anhedonia as well as a cover of "Blue Christmas" and a previously unreleased song "Gunslinger". The album was issued in a limited run of 5,000 copies which were given out free at FYE record stores, mostly in their home state of Illinois.

In the summer of 2008, The Graduate completed a U.S. tour with My American Heart, Secondhand Serenade, PlayRadioPlay, and Rookie of the Year. On October 31, 2008, the group's label, Icon MES, folded, and because of this, the deluxe edition of their debut entitled Anhedonia Revisted (which had been slated for release on November 4, 2008) was cancelled. Following a tour with Ludo and Eye Alaska in November 2008, the group announced plans to write and record their follow-up full-length.

The band signed with Razor & Tie in May 2010; Brian McTernan produced their sophomore full-length album Only Every Time, which was released on August 31, 2010. Only Every Time reached #28 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Only Every Time was followed in 2011 with Every Other Time (a digital-only EP of B-sides) and the Sea Legs EP, as well as a vinyl release of Only Every Time on American Dream Records.

On July 1, 2011, The Graduate announced an indefinite hiatus.

On July 8, 2011, The Graduate announced that their final show would be at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago, IL. On August 27, 2011 The Graduate performed their final show which was recorded live. Following the filming of the final show the band's frontman, Corey Warning, started a Kickstarter project with which they hoped to raise money to make a DVD commemorating the band and featuring their last show. The project's original goal, set on September 18, 2011 was to raise $3,000. Funding for the project ended October 18, 2011 and with 210 backers, the project was funded 350% ($10,513).

Matt Kennedy – guitar, keyboards, vocals
Tim Moore – drums
Max Sauer – guitar, vocals
Corey Warning – vocals
Jared Wuestenberg – bass

Discography

Albums

Anhedonia (2007, Icon MES Records)
Only Every Time (2010, Razor & Tie)

EPs

Horror Show (2006, self-pressed)
The Evergreen EP (2007, Icon MES Records)
Every Other Time (B-Sides from Only Every Time) (2011 Razor and Tie)
Sea Legs (EP) (2011, Self-Released)

Better Company
The Graduate Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All you want is company
But the don't treat you right
No, they won't let you be
Hey
All I need's a guarantee
Wouldn't it be nice if you could stay and love with me
You kill me
You can hide but you can't escape what's inside

Oh, we'll be alright someday

Baby you're too hard to break
Treat you right and you'll come back for me
You'll want to stay away
What suits you right is better company

So you get your glory by the gram
Baby so do I, no lie, no lie
Oh I can see in your eyes
No you can't lie
Oh, we'll be alright someday

Baby you're too hard to break
Treat you right and you'll come back for me
You'll want to stay away
What suits you right is better company

All I need's a guarantee
Wouldn't it be nice if you could stay and love with me
Yeah
You cannot lie

Baby you're too hard to break
Treat you right and you'll come back for me

You'll want to stay away
What suits you right is better company

Overall Meaning

The song Better Company by The Graduate is a reflection on relationships and the company that people keep. The singer begins by acknowledging that all the person they are addressing wants is company, but the company they have isn't treating them right. The singer wishes the person would stay and love with them instead, offering a better alternative. They believe that the person can't hide from what's inside, and they'll be alright someday. This seems to suggest that the person is struggling with inner turmoil as well as an unsatisfying relationship.

The second verse brings up the idea of getting "glory by the gram," which may be a reference to substance abuse. The singer admits to doing the same but can see the truth in the other person's eyes. Despite their flaws, the singer believes they will both be alright in the end. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the idea that treating the person right will make them come back, but what suits them best is better company.

Overall, the song is a reminder that we should surround ourselves with people who treat us well and make us happy, rather than settling for bad company. The singer is offering themselves as an alternative, but the deeper message is that we should strive for healthy relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

All you want is company
You desire human connection and companionship, but it seems like the people you surround yourself with are not treating you the way you deserve.

But they don't treat you right
Those people whom you call your company do not look after you in the way they should.

No, they won't let you be
You don't feel free and comfortable around them as they do not respect your need for space and independence.

All I need's a guarantee
I require a promise or assurance that you will be with me instead.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could stay and love with me
Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could remain with me and experience our love together?

You kill me
You evoke strong emotions in me, often negative ones such as frustration or anger.

You can hide but you can't escape what's inside
You might try to conceal your true feelings or intentions, but you cannot run away from them forever.

Oh, we'll be alright someday
Despite the difficulties we face now, I believe that in the end, everything will be okay between us.

Baby, you're too hard to break
You are resilient and difficult to bring down.

Treat you right and you'll come back for me
If I treat you with kindness and respect, you will be drawn back to me.

You'll want to stay away
If I do not treat you well, you will feel inclined to avoid me.

What suits you right is better company
You need to surround yourself with individuals who treat you well and make you feel comfortable in your own skin.

So you get your glory by the gram
You seek validation and attention in small doses, through likes and comments on social media for instance.

Baby, so do I, no lie, no lie
I also yearn for that type of attention, and I am not lying about it.

Oh, I can see in your eyes
I can sense through your gaze what you truly feel deep down inside.

No, you can't lie
You cannot deceive me; your eyes give away too much.

Contributed by Kayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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