The Lemonheads is an American alternative rock band, originally from Boston… Read Full Bio ↴The Lemonheads is an American alternative rock band, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, but now based in New York City. The primary (and only consistent) member is Evan Dando.

The band formed in 1986 as an underground punk rock act. Their popularity grew during the following decade with the 1992 album It's A Shame About Ray, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers (Bruce Robb, Dee, and Joe), followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles.

Throughout its various incarnations, recording and touring lineups of the band have included co-founders Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, John Strohm (Blake Babies), Doug Trachten, Corey Loog Brennan, Byron Hoag, Ben Daughtry, Juliana Hatfield (Blake Babies), Nic Dalton (Godstar, Sneeze, The Plunderers), Dave Ryan, Patrick "Murph" Murphy (Dinosaur Jr), Bill Gibson (Eastern Dark), Mark 'Budola' Newman, Kenny Lyon, Vess Ruhtenberg, Devon Ashley, Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson (Descendents), P. David Hazel and various others.

Cited as one of the most important alternative rock groups, The Lemonheads were active until 1997 and went on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads in the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons, in June 2009.

It's About Time
The Lemonheads Lyrics

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Bite my tongue
And I won't say a word against anyone
But I don't wanna get my fingers wet
Unless it's an accident

Fell out on the street
Now I'm watching my shoes and I grit my teeth
But I don't have to look that way

If I had half a say

It's about time
It's about time
Lick my lips
And I won't hear the end of this

On your knees a reassurance
Buy some time and come back for it

Before long
Before it's gone

Patience is like bread I say
I ran out of that yesterday

It's about time
It's about time

Enough about us
Let's talk about me
If not about you
It's not about sunshine

It's about time
It's about time
Touch my leg
It's smooth but there stubble there

I'll fall back and let them go
Only when I know you know

I don't know
Make me sure

Have your people contact mine
And keep your lawyer on the line

It's about time

Overall Meaning

The Lemonheads' song "It's About Time" explores themes of patience and self-centeredness. The first verse sets up a dichotomy between the desire to speak out against others and the fear of getting involved. The singer would rather remain uninvolved than risk getting hurt. The second verse explores the idea of appearance versus reality. The singer has fallen down in public, but doesn't want to appear weak. The chorus offers up the idea that it's time for something, but doesn't specify what that is. The line "enough about us, let's talk about me" drives home the self-centeredness of the singer. The final line of the song suggests that some kind of deal is being made, but the context is left ambiguous.

The lyrics of "It's About Time" are intentionally vague, leaving the listener to fill in the blanks. The themes of patience and self-centeredness are relatable to everyone. We all struggle with waiting for things to happen and with balancing our own needs against the needs of others. This ambiguity is one of the defining features of The Lemonheads' music. The band's power lies not in the specificity of their lyrics, but in the way they capture universal emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

Bite my tongue
I will not speak ill of anyone

And I won't say a word against anyone
I will not speak negatively about anyone

But I don't wanna get my fingers wet
I do not want to be involved in any trouble

Unless it's an accident
Unless it happens accidentally

Fell out on the street
I fell on the street

Now I'm watching my shoes and I grit my teeth
I am looking down at my shoes and clenching my teeth

But I don't have to look that way
I do not have to feel powerless

If I had half a say
If I had some influence

It's about time
It's high time to deal with an issue

Lick my lips
I am nervous or excited

And I won't hear the end of this
People will not stop talking about this

On your knees a reassurance
You are asking for reassurance from someone or something

Buy some time and come back for it
Delay and return when the time is right

Before long
Soon

Before it's gone
Before it disappears or becomes unavailable

Patience is like bread I say
Patience is a necessary but often difficult virtue

I ran out of that yesterday
I no longer have any patience left

It's about time
It's high time to deal with an issue

Enough about us
Let's stop talking about us

Let's talk about me
Let's focus on me for a change

If not about you
If it's not about you

It's not about sunshine
It's not a lighthearted situation

It's about time
It's high time to deal with an issue

Touch my leg
Being touched on my leg

It's smooth but there stubble there
My leg is smooth but there is some stubble

I'll fall back and let them go
I will not fight back; I will let it go

Only when I know you know
Only when I am sure you understand

I don't know
I am uncertain

Make me sure
Give me a reason to be certain

Have your people contact mine
Arrange a meeting between our respective representatives

And keep your lawyer on the line
Stay in contact with your attorney

It's about time
It's high time to deal with an issue

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: EVAN GRIFFITH DANDO, TOM MORGAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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