Recording mostly live, the band released its debut, Almost Killed Me, on French Kiss Records in March 2004 and Separation Sunday a year later. In April 2006 the band signed to Vagrant Records and entered the studio on the 1st of May to begin work on their third record, Boys and Girls in America. Released in October, it was one of the most critically acclaimed records of 2006 and reached a much larger audience than its predecessors.
The band released their fourth album, Stay Positive, recorded again with Boys and Girls in America producer John Agnello. Nicolay left the group and on May 4, 2010 the band released their fifth studio album, Heaven Is Whenever, recorded with producer Dean Baltulonis.
On July 15, 2008, Stay Positive was released. It debuted at #30 on the Billboard 200. It debuted on the UK Album Chart at #15 on July 20, the third-highest new entry. It ranked #1 on the UK Indie Chart. The album was named the best of 2008 by Entertainment Weekly. The song "Constructive Summer" was number 56 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.
Their seventh album, Thrashing Thru the Passion, was released in 2019. Among its songs, "Entitlement Crew" and "Confusion in the Marketplace," were considered standouts.
Slapped Actress
The Hold Steady Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't tell my family they're all wicked-strict Christian.
Don't tell the hangers-on, don't tell your friends.
Don't tell them we went down to Ybor City, again.
Don't tell the dancers, they'll just get distracted.
Don't tell the DJs. They already suspect us.
Don't mention the bloodshed, don't mention the scams.
Don't tell them Ybor City almost killed us, again.
We are the theater, they are the people dressed up to be seated,
Lookin' upwards and dreamin'. We're the projectors.
We're hosting the screening.
We're dust in the spotlights, we're just kinda floating.
Don't drop little hints. I don't want them to guess.
Don't mention Tampa, they'll just know all the rest.
Don't mention bloodshed, don't tell them it hurts.
Don't say we saw angels, they'll take us straight to the church.
They queue up for tickets to see the performance, they push to get closer,
Lookin' upwards with wonder. We are the actors.
The cameras are rollin'.
I'll be Ben Gazzara, you'll be Gena Rowlands.
Sometimes, actresses get slapped.
Sometimes, actresses get slapped.
Sometimes, fake fights turn out bad.
Sometimes, actresses get slapped.
Some nights, makin' it look real might end up with someone hurt.
Some nights, it's just entertainment, and, some other nights, it's real.
They come in for the beating, to see the stadium seating.
They're holding their hands out for the body and blood, now.
We're the directors, our hands will hold steady.
I'll be John Cassavettes, let me know when you're ready.
Man, we make our own movies. Man, we make our own movies.
Man, we make our own movies. Man, we make our own movies.
The lyrics to The Hold Steady's "Slapped Actress" speak to the idea of keeping secrets and maintaining a certain reputation in order to keep up appearances. The singer warns their partner not to reveal certain information about their recent activities in Ybor City, as it could potentially harm their standing with their family, friends, and colleagues. The lyrics also touch upon themes of perception versus reality and the idea of putting on a show for others. The lines "We are the theater, they are the people dressed up to be seated/Lookin' upwards and dreamin'. We're the projectors" emphasize the idea that the singer and their partner are in control of their own narrative, presenting themselves in a certain way to their audience.
Additionally, the lyrics contain references to several film industry figures such as Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands, as well as directors John Cassavetes and George Romero. This speaks to the idea of the singer and their partner creating their own stories and personas, much like filmmakers do when creating movies. The line "Man, we make our own movies" is repeated throughout the song, further emphasizing this idea and implying a sense of agency and control over their own lives and identities.
Overall, "Slapped Actress" is a song that touches upon themes of secrecy, perception, and control, speaking to the idea of creating one's own narrative and maintaining a certain image for oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't tell my sister about your most recent vision.
I don't want my sister to know about whatever it is that you've seen lately.
Don't tell my family they're all wicked-strict Christian.
I don't want you to reveal to my family that they're all overly religious.
Don't tell the hangers-on, don't tell your friends.
Let's keep our escapades a secret from everyone who's not directly involved.
Don't tell them we went down to Ybor City, again.
We don't need everyone to know that we went back to Ybor City.
Don't tell the dancers, they'll just get distracted.
The dancers don't need any sort of additional distraction, so let's not clue them in.
Don't tell the DJs. They already suspect us.
The DJs are already a little suspicious of us, so it's best we don't give them any more reason to be.
Don't mention the bloodshed, don't mention the scams.
We don't need to bring up any of the violent incidents or shady dealings that occurred.
Don't tell them Ybor City almost killed us, again.
No one needs to know that we almost met our demise in Ybor City once more.
We are the theater, they are the people dressed up to be seated,
We're the ones in control of the situation, and the audience is merely there to watch.
Lookin' upwards and dreamin'. We're the projectors.
The audience is looking up at us and dreaming, while we're the ones controlling the projection of the movie.
We're hosting the screening. We're dust in the spotlights, we're just kinda floating.
We're the ones in charge of the event, but we also feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Don't drop little hints. I don't want them to guess.
We need to be careful not to give away any hints or clues to our activities.
Don't mention Tampa, they'll just know all the rest.
If we mention Tampa, people will figure out the details of what happened on their own.
Don't mention bloodshed, don't tell them it hurts.
We don't need to bring up any of the unpleasant things that happened during our time in Ybor City.
Don't say we saw angels, they'll take us straight to the church.
If we mention seeing angels, people will want to bring us to church to deal with the spiritual implications.
They queue up for tickets to see the performance, they push to get closer,
People are eager to see what we're going to do next and are clamoring for front-row seats.
Lookin' upwards with wonder. We are the actors.
The audience is in awe of us, and we're the ones performing for them.
The cameras are rollin'. I'll be Ben Gazzara, you'll be Gena Rowlands.
The cameras are capturing our every move, and we're using the characters of these famous actors to play our roles.
Sometimes, actresses get slapped. Sometimes, actresses get slapped.
In movies, sometimes actresses get physically harmed as part of the plot, and we're using this as a metaphor for something that could happen to us.
Sometimes, fake fights turn out bad. Sometimes, actresses get slapped.
Even when a fight appears to be fake, sometimes it can go awry and someone can get hurt.
Some nights, makin' it look real might end up with someone hurt.
If we're trying to make something seem more realistic, someone could accidentally get hurt.
Some nights, it's just entertainment, and, some other nights, it's real.
Sometimes our performances are just for fun, and other times they have more serious implications.
They come in for the beating, to see the stadium seating.
People are coming to see us get into some sort of altercation, and they're excited to be in the stadium-style seating.
They're holding their hands out for the body and blood, now.
People are receiving our actions as if they're in church, reaching out for the body and blood of Christ.
We're the directors, our hands will hold steady.
We're in charge of the situation, and we're going to maintain control throughout.
I'll be John Cassavettes, let me know when you're ready.
We're comparing ourselves to this famous director and asking if the other person is ready to go along with our plans.
Man, we make our own movies. Man, we make our own movies.
We're taking control of our own lives and making our own choices, like filmmakers who create their own movies.
Man, we make our own movies. Man, we make our own movies.
We repeat this line to emphasize our insistence on being the ones in charge of our actions.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: C FINN, J KUBLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind