<… Read Full Bio ↴The Long Winters is an American indie rock band based in Seattle, USA.
Singer-songwriter John Roderick was born in Seattle, Washington, and moved to Anchorage, Alaska, during his elementary school years. He later returned to Seattle and formed both Bun Family Players and The Western State Hurricanes. Following the collapse of the latter, he acted as touring keyboardist for Harvey Danger.
In 2001, Harvey Danger singer/songwriter Sean Nelson suggested that he and Roderick record an album, with half of the songs penned by John and the other half by Sean. Death Cab for Cutie band member Chris Walla had recently opened the Hall of Justice studio in Seattle and agreed to help them record.
John recruited Joe Bass of Sky Cries Mary and Brian Young of Fountains of Wayne to flesh out several of the songs, and the album gradually evolved to feature only John's songs. After several months, The Worst You Can Do Is Harm was finished.
John traveled to New York, where he played solo shows and quickly began to write new songs, several of which would be included on the Long Winters's second album, When I Pretend to Fall.
While in New York, John was contacted by Barsuk Records — the label that would release The Worst You Can Do Is Harm — who made it clear that they wanted John to promote the release by touring. He returned to Seattle, where he was joined by Chris Caniglia, former Western States Hurricanes drummer Michael Shilling, and Eric Corson on bass. Thus, The Long Winters were born.
Sean Nelson offered to sing harmony vocals on a number of songs at the band's first live gig. He ended up casually performing with the band for their first few shows before committing to full-time enrollment.
The original trio responsible for The Worst You Can Do Is Harm (John Roderick, Sean Nelson, and Chris Walla) is often considered the original incarnation of the band. John and Sean, along with recruits Eric Corson and Michael Shilling (the drummer in Roderick's previous band, the Western State Hurricanes) are the core players behind When I Pretend to Fall, with Sean having replaced Chris Caniglia as the band's keyboardist. When I Pretend to Fall was released and John, Sean, Eric and Michael embarked on an ambitious series of tours throughout 2003 in support of the album. The band toured North America with Barsuk Records labelmates Nada Surf and Death Cab for Cutie, and later spent November touring Europe. Michael Shilling eventually quit in December of 2003, burned out by the hectic touring and lifestyle of the band.
With the best wishes of the Long Winters, Sean left in March 2004 to rekindle his former band.
At the time of Sean's departure, the Long Winters had begun rehearsing with Michael Shilling's replacement for the band's 2004 tours, former Death Cab for Cutie percussionist Michael Schorr. Confronted with a double blow to the band's line-up, John took the opportunity to reinvent the band — especially with an East Coast tour supporting The Pernice Brothers, a more fleshed out European tour, and a nationwide tour supporting the Decemberists that would take the band through the spring and well into the summer. Thus, the leaner three-piece version of The Long Winters was born, featuring John Roderick, Eric Corson, and Michael Schorr.
This extensive spring/summer 2004 tour took its toll on drummer Michael Schorr, who left the band shortly after its completion. John continued to do small promotional events and shows throughout the latter half of 2004 and 2005, often previewing a handful of new Long Winters songs.
The latest incarnation of the Long Winters features John Roderick on vocals, guitars, and keyboard, Eric Corson on bass and back-up vocals, and Nabil Ayers on drums. The Long Winters toured with Keane in October 2005 in support of an EP released on October 11th, 2005, titled Ultimatum. John Roderick did a solo mini tour through Europe in May 2006 to promote awareness for the third full-length LP, Putting the Days to Bed, which was released on 25 July 2006. In the fall of 2006 the band, now with guitarist/keyboard player Jonathan Rothman replacing Michael Squires, toured the USA, after which they joined Keane once again for a European tour. Listed among the hardest touring bands in music, the Long Winters begin 2007 with yet another European tour, followed by a month of shows in the USA and Canada.
Stupid
The Long Winters Lyrics
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She acts like it's the simplest thing for me to be there
You tell me no
That I'm a fool to go calling her, and calling her
You can call me stupid when she tells me it has to end
Stupid, you could call it that
Stupid, but you have no idea
If fifteen years from now I see her
And she says why didn't it happen between us, stupid?
New York soon will hum
The electric car has come
She laughs when I pretend to fall
You call me out
Let her down easy please, can't you see she believes?
My friend, you called me stupid then, but you're the one that doesn't see
Stupid, you could call it that
Stupid, but you have no idea
How stupid I would feel
If fifteen years from now I see her
And she says why didn't it happen between us, stupid?
Stupid, you could call it that
Stupid, but you have no idea
How stupid I would feel
If fifteen years from now I see her
And she says why didn't it happen between us, stupid?
The Long Winters's song Stupid explores the theme of unrequited love and the regret and foolishness that often comes with it. The singer of the song is deeply infatuated with a woman who, despite his best efforts, shows no interest in him. He laments the fact that she has no idea of the power she holds over him and how foolish he feels for being so invested in someone who doesn't reciprocate his feelings. The song is filled with conflicting emotions - on the one hand, the singer is aware that he's being foolish and that his friend is right to call him out on it, but on the other hand, he can't help the way he feels.
The verses of the song paint a vivid picture of the singer's obsession with this woman. She seems to be completely oblivious to his feelings, and yet he can't help feeling pulled towards her. The chorus of the song repeats the word "stupid" over and over again, as if the singer is trying to come to terms with his own foolishness. He acknowledges that he's being silly, but he also can't shake the feeling that something could happen between him and this woman in the future. The final verse of the song adds a bit of levity to the situation, as the singer muses on the rise of electric cars and the woman's tendency to laugh at him when he pretends to fall.
Overall, Stupid is a poignant and relatable song about the pain of unrequited love. It captures the conflicting emotions and the sense of longing that often come with the territory. The song's catchy chorus and upbeat melody make it a standout track from The Long Winters's discography.
Line by Line Meaning
She has no idea she could make me do anything
I am so under her spell that I would do anything for her, even though she is not aware of her power over me
She acts like it's the simplest thing for me to be there
She takes for granted that I will always be there for her, without realizing how much it costs me emotionally
You tell me no
You advise me not to pursue her anymore
That I'm a fool to go calling her, and calling her
That I am foolish for constantly reaching out to her, even though she does not reciprocate my feelings
You can call me stupid when she tells me it has to end
You can criticize me for being naive and gullible when she inevitably breaks things off with me
Stupid, you could call it that
Yes, I admit that my actions may seem foolish and misguided
Stupid, but you have no idea
But you cannot fully comprehend the depth and intensity of my feelings for her
How stupid I would feel
I would feel incredibly foolish and regretful
If fifteen years from now I see her
If I encounter her again many years later
And she says why didn't it happen between us, stupid?
And she expresses regret that we did not pursue a romantic relationship, making me feel like a fool for not taking the chance when it was available
New York soon will hum
The city of New York will soon be bustling with activity
The electric car has come
The new technology of electric cars is becoming more prominent
She laughs when I pretend to fall
She finds amusement in my attempts to be endearing or humorous
You call me out
You criticize me for my behavior
Let her down easy please, can't you see she believes?
Please be gentle when rejecting her advances, as she is genuinely invested in the possibility of a relationship with me
My friend, you called me stupid then, but you're the one that doesn't see
You may judge me for being foolish, but you do not fully understand the complexity of the emotions involved in this situation
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Roderick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind