The Hold Steady is an American rock band based in Brooklyn formed by vocali… Read Full Bio ↴The Hold Steady is an American rock band based in Brooklyn formed by vocalist/guitarist Craig Finn (ex-Lifter Puller) in 2004. Wanting to capture the sound of bands such as The Replacements and The Grifters, Finn recruited guitarist Tad Kubler (also ex-Lifter Puller), drummer Judd Counsell, and bassist Galen Polivka. In 2005 the band grew to include Franz Nicolay (of The World/Inferno Friendship Society) on keyboards and Bobby Drake took over on drums following Counsell's departure.
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.
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.
The Prior Procedure
The Hold Steady Lyrics
All that frightened magic when the fawn strays from the forest
And the terror and the havoc, when it wanders into traffic
The tragic conclusion of instincts and old habits
Up against the never ending construction
Now there's a luxury apartment on the top floor of some high rise building
And people go there every weekend to witness
The abandoned ascension
With the scraps on the shelf
He said it's not so heroic
Yeah, he just wants to help
While we were fleeing the forest
She stopped and made a few calls
Got a spot at this penthouse
With the windowpane walls
Where some guy in fringed leather and a sea faring sweater
Is trying to peck at some peacock with significant feathers
And it looks like she's old enough to know a little better
But these people seem really open minded
There were some dudes on the roof deck
That were sitting with a sweet view of the sunset
They said you got to meet the guy that gets the tab for this
Anything you want he can cover it
When we showed him our hand stamps
He blew smoke on our nails
Pointed out the projection
A PowerPoint presentation
Of the chum and the shark
He said it's just a reminder
Love will tear us apart
He started scratching at the itch
That's been giving him fits since the prior procedure
He said large scale displacement is such a major modern tragedy
That's why I instituted this open door policy
Been thinking about kicking off some new kind of family
I'm really glad that you're here
He said he's through with computers 'cause they can't understand
The fawn in the traffic, or the failures of man
How a new billionaire in an Underdog shirt
Built a statue to honor his ways and his words
While the rest of these martyrs got marched off to work through the weekend
And the terror and the havoc, when it wanders into traffic
The tragic conclusion of instincts and old habits
Up against the never ending construction
Now there's a luxury apartment on the top floor of some high rise building
And people go there every weekend to witness
The abandoned ascension
With the scraps on the shelf
Yeah, he just wants to help
While we were fleeing the forest
She stopped and made a few calls
Got a spot at this penthouse
With the windowpane walls
Where some guy in fringed leather and a sea faring sweater
Is trying to peck at some peacock with significant feathers
And it looks like she's old enough to know a little better
But these people seem really open minded
There were some dudes on the roof deck
That were sitting with a sweet view of the sunset
They said you got to meet the guy that gets the tab for this
Anything you want he can cover it
When we showed him our hand stamps
He blew smoke on our nails
Pointed out the projection
A PowerPoint presentation
Of the chum and the shark
He said it's just a reminder
Love will tear us apart
He started scratching at the itch
That's been giving him fits since the prior procedure
He said large scale displacement is such a major modern tragedy
That's why I instituted this open door policy
Been thinking about kicking off some new kind of family
I'm really glad that you're here
He said he's through with computers 'cause they can't understand
The fawn in the traffic, or the failures of man
How a new billionaire in an Underdog shirt
Built a statue to honor his ways and his words
While the rest of these martyrs got marched off to work through the weekend
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: Craig Finn, Steve Selvidge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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