Fronted by singer-… Read Full Bio ↴The Hidden Cameras are a Canadian indie pop band.
Fronted by singer-songwriter Joel Gibb, the band consists of a varying roster of musicians who play what Gibb describes as "gay church folk music". They could also be considered an anti-folk band, as is often associated with musicians on the Rough Trade label. Their live performances are elaborate, high energy shows, featuring go-go dancers in balaclavas, a choir and string section. Large banners, created by Joel and often featured on the band's record covers, are hung from the ceiling and lyrics are projected onto the wall. Yellow streamers thrown into the audience accompany the song, Golden Streams and band members lead the audience in special made-up dances for particular songs.
The band's first album, Ecce Homo, was released independently in 2001 on EvilEvil. It was after this first release that Gibb assembled a band and they began to perform in venues varying from churches to porn theatres to parks.
Their 2003 album, The Smell of Our Own was released through the popular Rough Trade imprint in the UK. In 2004, they released their third album, Mississauga Goddam, also on Rough Trade. Both albums were also released on the independent label EvilEvil in Canada. Mississauga Goddam was followed by The arms of his ill EP, released by California label Absolutely Kosher Records, with jacket art specially created by Paul P. and G.B. Jones and containing 4-track demo versions of some of the songs from the preceding album.
In August/September 2006 they released their fourth full-length album AWOO.
Music Is My Boyfriend
The Hidden Cameras Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he found me
I gave him some tambourine
He game me a scream
I washed his dirty underwear
He made me toast
Music filled my mug with Vaseline
I gave him a choke
We could be happy
We could be free
If we don't make-out
Or fall in love
I found music
And he found me
Bleeding from my fingers and knees
Plugged into a drum machine
Nailed to my head: a tambourine
And a guitar laced to my waist
A stone cold fever:
An internal melody
Guitars make me happy
Drum beast make us all free
Solid as a rock lover
Is the music in me
I found music and he found me:
A balding head-banding pre-teen
So he seduced me in a dream:
I kissed his ugly gangly greens
He swallowed my pee
We lived to be happy
And prayed to be free
But it was soon found out
That my body is brief
I found music
And he found me
He kept me singing
To my dying day
Sing to be happy
Hum to be free
The eternal harmony
Music and me
The Hidden Cameras's song "Music Is My Boyfriend" is a quirky and playful ode to the connection between a musician and their craft. The first verse starts with the singer finding music, and the implication is that music finds them as well, as if it is a living entity or person. Their relationship with music is often characterized as symbiotic - they give it a tambourine, and it gives them a scream. They become entwined in one another's lives, as music relies on the singer to wash its dirty laundry and fill its mug with Vaseline while it provides the inspiration for their art.
As the song continues, the singer describes the experience of being a creative artist as a kind of bliss, where guitar and drum beats make them happy and free. They describe the internal feeling of being a "stone cold fever: an internal melody" - the music within them is alive, and they are simply the vessel through which it is expressed. The song takes a more surreal turn in the third verse, where the singer dreams of being seduced by music and kissing its "ugly gangly greens" - again implying that music is a being with a physical presence. They ultimately come to acknowledge the fleeting nature of their bodies and the freedom that music offers, whether they are singing or humming to themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I found music
I discovered the art of music
And he found me
I found a sense of belonging in music
I gave him some tambourine
I contributed to the art by playing percussion
He game me a scream
Music helped me express my emotions
I washed his dirty underwear
I did the grunt work that music demands
He made me toast
Music gave me sustenance and kept me going
Music filled my mug with Vaseline
Music lubricated my life with smoothness
I gave him a choke
I pushed the boundaries of music and experimented
We could be happy
Music has the power to bring joy to our lives
We could be free
In music, we can find a sense of freedom and liberation
If we don't make-out
As with any relationship, we need to respect boundaries and not get too carried away
Or fall in love
Emotions can be tumultuous and overwhelming, and we need to maintain perspective
Bleeding from my fingers and knees
Music demands sacrifice and hard work
Plugged into a drum machine
I became one with technology to make music
Nailed to my head: a tambourine
Music became a fundamental part of my identity
And a guitar laced to my waist
I wore music like a second skin
A stone cold fever:
Music can be all-consuming and overwhelming
An internal melody
Music became a part of my very being
Guitars make me happy
Music has the power to create happiness
Drum beast make us all free
Music has the power to liberate us
Solid as a rock lover
Music is a dependable companion
Is the music in me
Music has become an integral part of my life and identity
A balding head-banding pre-teen
I was young and discovering music
So he seduced me in a dream
Music captured my imagination and became a passion
I kissed his ugly gangly greens
I embraced music in all its forms, even the less attractive ones
He swallowed my pee
Music can be intense and overwhelming, and we need to be willing to ride out the ups and downs
We lived to be happy
Music brought us joy and fulfillment
And prayed to be free
Music allowed us to escape from the stresses of everyday life
But it was soon found out
Reality has a way of intruding and shattering illusions
That my body is brief
Our time on this earth is limited, and we need to make the most of it
He kept me singing
Music was a constant companion throughout my life
To my dying day
Music was a part of my life until the very end
Sing to be happy
Music has the power to bring joy and happiness
Hum to be free
Music offers a sense of liberation and escape
The eternal harmony
Music offers a sense of connection to something beyond ourselves
Music and me
Music has become an integral part of my life and identity
Lyrics © Mute Song Limited
Written by: Joel Gibb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind