The name of the band comes from the girls tendency to frequently use the word “like” in the style of the valley girls of LA. The band has released two albums, "Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?" (2005) and "Release Me" (2010).
Over a period of three years, the band independently released three EPs (I Like The Like, …and The Like, and Like It or Not), which they sold at shows and on their website. Their song “(So I’ll Sit Here) Waiting” was featured on the soundtrack of the film Thirteen. Soon a diverse fan base developed and magazines around the world began to take notice. Following their high school graduations in 2004, The Like signed to Geffen Records and toured with Phantom Planet and Maroon 5, bands which, like The Like, are part of a Los Angeles music scene that also includes bands such as Rooney and Giant Drag. Since forming, The Like have drawn major media attention and have been featured in magazines such as Teen People, ELLEgirl, Nylon Magazine, and Rolling Stone.
They toured with Tori Amos on her Summer of Sin tour, and with Kings of Leon. The Like released their first album, Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?, through Geffen on September 13, 2005. The album is a combination of reworked songs previously released on their independent EPs as well as new material. The band performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and at the O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London. In September 2006 The Like supported Muse on a short string of tour dates in the U.S., before heading to Europe to support Razorlight.
The band, original members Z Berg and Tennessee Thomas plus new recruits Laena Geronimo and Reni Lane, have left the studio and headed straight out on tour with the Arctic Monkeys in the US.
The band starred in a short film commissioned by designer Zac Posen as a way to promote his Target fashion collection. The film shows the band hanging out in a hotel room and then performing the single “Fair Game”. The film was directed by Gia Coppola (granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola)
Narcissus In A Red Dress
The Like Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now sits an empty base
Cold and shiny
Hard and tiny
Difficult to wash away
Oh, monsters get creative every day
And nothing can prepare you for the day they run away
So you’ve sealed your fate
One minute, she's your best friend
Then you watch her take your place
I guess that taught them all the same
You clever little charlatans
Ambition gleams in overdrive
And I can't take it
What goes up must come on down
Get your feet back on the ground
Narcissus in a red dress
You're like all the rest, Miss
Blinded by your own reflection
Let the lights direct you now
Narcissus in a red dress
You're like all the rest, I know
I know
Behave and like the Virgin Queen
You're just as damaged underneath
You know
No matter how good your impersonation of me ever grows
Deep down you know your insides never change
But people love it, vapid and shamesless, simply lacking taste
They fall for the spell of Lady Macbeth
Her calculated grace
But I can see the hunger of compulsion in your face
High school skinny fades away
And you're just left with Polaroids
Capturing your fifteen minutes
Ain't it great?
What goes up must come on down
Get your feet back on the ground
Narcissus in a red dress
You're like all the rest, miss
Blinded by your own reflection
Let the lights direct you now
Narcissus in a red dress
You're like all the rest, I know
I know
Vanity on parade
Vacant, frantic, and strange
Fraught with heartache and desperation
Guess I loved you in vain
Consider this song your wake
Lost your head to the elevation
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't bring you back again
What goes up must come on down
Get your feet back on the ground
Narcissus in a red dress
You're like all the rest, miss
Blinded by your own reflection
Let the lights protect you now
Narcissus in a red dress
You're like all the rest, Miss
What goes up must come on down
Get your feet back on the ground
Narcissus in a red dress
You're like all the rest, miss
Blinded by your own reflection
Let the lights protect you now
Narcissus in a red dress
You're like all the rest, I know
I know
The Like's song "Narcissus In A Red Dress" is a song about the dangers of self-absorption and vanity. The lyrics describe a former close relationship that has been destroyed by the other person's need for attention and admiration. The singer describes the transformation of her former friend from a sweet little girl to a cold, ambitious woman who will do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means stepping on others. The chorus contains the memorable line "Narcissus in a red dress, you're like all the rest," which implies that this type of behavior is all too common and ultimately destructive.
The lyrics contain many references to classical mythology, specifically the story of Narcissus, a handsome young man who falls in love with his own reflection and eventually dies because of it. The chorus references this story directly, as does the line "Blinded by your own reflection, let the lights direct you now." The singer is warning her former friend that her obsession with her appearance and status is leading her down the same path as Narcissus.
The song is also notable for its use of vivid imagery and creative metaphors. The line "One minute, she's your best friend, then you watch her take your place" evokes a sense of betrayal and loss, while the line "High school skinny fades away and you're just left with Polaroids" speaks to the impermanence of youth and beauty. Overall, "Narcissus In A Red Dress" is a clever and thought-provoking song that uses mythology and metaphor to explore universal themes of self-absorption and the cost of fame.
Line by Line Meaning
Where a little girl once stood
A reference to the innocence and naivete of youth, which has since been lost.
Now sits an empty base
A metaphor for the person's current state, which is vacant and unfulfilled.
Cold and shiny
Describing the superficial and polished nature of the person's exterior presentation.
Hard and tiny
Referring to the statue-like nature of the person's personality, which is inflexible and small-minded.
Difficult to wash away
Implying that the person's negative attributes are deeply ingrained and not easily changed.
Oh, monsters get creative every day
A commentary on the unpredictable and insidious nature of harmful human behavior.
And nothing can prepare you for the day they run away
Reflecting on the feeling of helplessness and loss when someone you've invested in abandons you.
Your fine tutelage is no longer needed
Acknowledging the fact that the other person has moved beyond the need for guidance or influence from the singer.
So you’ve sealed your fate
Suggesting that the singer is powerless to influence the outcome of the other person's life.
One minute, she's your best friend
Describing the fickleness and capriciousness of the other person's loyalties.
Then you watch her take your place
Conveying the sense of betrayal that comes with being replaced by someone you trusted.
I guess that taught them all the same
Implying that the singer has seen this pattern of behavior before and is not surprised by it anymore.
You clever little charlatans
A derogatory reference to the other person's manipulative nature.
Ambition gleams in overdrive
Highlighting the obsessive and excessive nature of the other person's drive to succeed.
And I can't take it
Describing the feeling of being overwhelmed or frustrated by the other person's success.
What goes up must come on down
The cyclical nature of success and failure, implying that the other person's luck will run out eventually.
Get your feet back on the ground
A call to action for the other person to maintain perspective and avoid getting too caught up in their own success.
Narcissus in a red dress
Using the mythological figure of Narcissus to describe the other person's obsession with their own reflection and appearance.
You're like all the rest, Miss
Suggesting that the other person is not special or unique in their behavior, but rather just one example of a common phenomenon.
Blinded by your own reflection
Indicating that the other person is so focused on themselves that they are unable to see the reality of their situation or surroundings.
Let the lights direct you now
Urging the other person to surrender to the trappings of fame or success and let them guide their behavior.
Vanity on parade
A critical observation of the other person's self-absorbed behavior, which is on display for all to see.
Vacant, frantic, and strange
A list of adjectives that describe the other person's unsettling behavior and demeanor.
Fraught with heartache and desperation
Acknowledging that the other person's outward behavior may be indicative of internal struggles or pain.
Guess I loved you in vain
A lamentation of the singer's unrequited affection for the other person, who is now beyond their reach.
Consider this song your wake
Imagining this song as a farewell message to the other person, who is now gone from the singer's life.
Lost your head to the elevation
Suggesting that the other person has become delusional or unrealistic due to their newfound success or status.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
A reference to the helpless feeling of being unable to undo what has been done, even with great effort and resources.
Couldn't bring you back again
The ultimate acknowledgement of defeat and loss in the face of the other person's departure or transformation.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALEX GREENWALD, ELIZABETH BERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind