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.
Tenderfoot
The Lemonheads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the place I wear the save face
This is the bar of where I lose heart
Over the pain and I'm past the bleeding
Its not the tracks its where they're leading
This my best king carnivore
This is my scream its just a dull roar
These are my hands I've shown you before
Its not the tracks its where they're leading
Hasn't been so bad yet I'll do it again
Error of my ways, maybe one of these days
The Lemonheads' "Tenderfoot" opens with the line "This is the spot of where I jump off,” which sets the tone for the entire song as a metaphorical leap into the unknown. This line also represents a turning point for the singer as they describe leaving their comfort zone and taking a risk. The following lines, "This is the place I wear the safe face / This is the bar of where I lose heart,” are juxtaposed to show the singer's struggle with appearing confident while also feeling heartbroken.
The lyrics "Its not the tracks its where they're leading / Hasn't been so bad yet I'll do it again" are an acknowledgement of the singer's past mistakes and failures. However, the singer is also willing to take risks and start anew. The verse "This my best king carnivore / This is my scream its just a dull roar / These are my hands I've shown you before” represents the singer's acceptance of their past mistakes and their willingness to take control of their present and future.
The final lines, "Over the pain and I'm past the bleeding / Error of my ways, maybe one of these days" suggest that the singer has learned from their past and is prepared for whatever the future may hold. They have moved on from their pain and past mistakes, and are ready to tackle new challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the spot of where I jump off
The singer is at a turning point where they must make a leap of faith or a daring decision.
This is the place I wear the save face
The singer is pretending to be fine and putting on a brave front.
This is the bar of where I lose heart
The singer feels defeated and discouraged at this familiar place.
Over the pain and I'm past the bleeding
Despite the hurt and damage, the artist has moved on and healed.
Its not the tracks its where they're leading
The destination matters more than the journey or the path taken.
This my best king carnivore
The singer is fierce and dominant, the top predator in their own world.
This is my scream its just a dull roar
The singer's cry for help or need to express themselves is muted or ignored.
These are my hands I've shown you before
The artist has been vulnerable and exposed themselves to the point of being familiar.
Hasn't been so bad yet I'll do it again
The artist is willing to endure the challenges and hardships again for the potential reward.
Error of my ways, maybe one of these days
The artist acknowledges their mistakes and hopes to learn from them in the future.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM YOUNG, TOM MORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ignacio Oulton
Best.
Donna Sadler
Jeez did Evan write any of his own songs or just steal them all from Aussie 90s bands?
Donna Sadler
@DARD he let Evan have a bunch of his songs though. He tortured this one, Smudge is way better.
Donna Sadler
@Colin Daly what does Blondie have to do with lemon heads covering a Tom Morgan song?
Donna Sadler
@darren lunan and don't forget 'Waterfront'.
darren lunan
@Donna Sadler Keep up the good fight - HAC were an amazing label, amongst many others (Red Eye, Candle etc) - I am assuming you know Flying Nun from NZ...still going strong and still producing great music 40 years on! :)
Donna Sadler
@darren lunan yes I know all these bands, but most people from US don't which is why I was trying to bring it to their attention. Saw Smudge in 2014 - oh tom...