(1) Formed in the fall of 1998, The Maccabees were comprised of ¾ of long-d… Read Full Bio ↴(1) Formed in the fall of 1998, The Maccabees were comprised of ¾ of long-defunct Pohgoh. They released a 6 track EP "Songs from the Weakest Link" on New Granada records.

(2) The Maccabees (2002-2016) were an indie rock band from London, UK. The line-up consisted of Orlando Weeks (vocals), Hugo White (guitar), Felix White (guitar, vocals), Rupert Jarvis (bass) and Sam Doyle (drums), who replaced Robert Dylan Thomas. Weeks stated once that the band came up with the name by flicking through the Bible and picking out a random word. Despite adopting a name with religious connotations, he affirmed that none of the band are religious.

Debuting in 2004 with the You Make Noise I Make Sandwiches EP (released on Haircut Records), they released their first single X-Ray on Promise Records on November 28, 2005. Receiving just little significant exposure - some evening play on XFM London radio station - the band however scored a minor indie hit with their second post-punk influenced single Latchmere released in April 2006 on Fierce Panda Records.
Then inking a deal with the Polydor imprint (and former home of The Cure) Fiction Records the bands first studio album, Colour It In, was released on May 4, 2007 .
To date (late September 2007) they have released three (widely available) singles from the album (First Love, About Your Dress and Precious Time) with a fourth and final single Toothpaste Kisses released on October 8, 2007.

On May 4, 2009 the band released Wall of Arms, their second album. Preceded by the single Love You Better on April 27th. Markus Dravs, who collaborated in the past with artists such as Björk, Arcade Fire and Coldplay, produced the album. The album has been recorded in various cities including Liverpool and Paris, unlike their first long-player which was recorded in "dribs and drabs" like frontman Orlando Weeks said.

On January 9, 2012 the Maccabees released Given To The Wild, their third album. The band worked on the album at both Rockfield Studios in Wales and their rehearsal space in London's Elephant and Castle district, before decamping to Suffolk to finish the record.

Marks to Prove It, their last album, was released in 2015.

Official Website

Guitarist Felix White was initially in a band called Jack's Basement with fellow friend Jack Peñate. Felix and Hugo White are brothers, along with Will White, who is the frontman of another band called Talk Taxis. Former drummer Robert Dylan Thomas left the band in 2008.

X-Ray
The Maccabees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's the flutter in my heart,
The spring that's in my step.
My empty head,
Sees the lump build in my throat
The view in my minds eye
My empty he-art heart heart heart
(oh oh oh)
My he-art heart heart heart heart

(oh oh oh ohohoh)

She's got her a suspicions.
(x-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray)
Her magic intuition.
(x-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray)
She's got x-ray vision.
(x-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray)
Sees through me with her
X-ray
X-ray
X-ray
X-ray vision

X-ray
X-ray
X-ray
X-ray vision

Sees me shifting in my seat.
Its practical upbeat.
My empty head.
See the tongue kept in my cheek my conscience leak
My empty he-art heart heart
(Oh oh oh)
My he-art heart heart
(oh oh oh ohohoh)

She's got her a suspicions.
(x-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray)
Her magic intuition.
(x-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray)
She's got x-ray vision.
(x-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray)
Sees through me with her
X-ray
X-ray
X-ray
X-ray vision

X-ray
X-ray
X-ray
X-ray vision

And with this power
She can see

Through solid objects
Like you and me...

Overall Meaning

The Maccabees' "X-Ray" is an ode to the powers of intuition and perception. At its core, the song talks about the singer's admiration for a woman who has an exceptional ability to see through his façade and understand him better than anyone else. He sings about the many ways in which she can intuitively understand his thoughts and feelings, even when they are not obvious to the outside world.

The first verse of the song references the physical sensations that this woman brings out in the singer. He describes her as the "flutter in my heart" and the "spring that's in my step," suggesting that he feels invigorated and alive when he is around her. However, he also notes that she has the power to make him nervous and anxious, as represented by the "lump" that builds in his throat.

The chorus of the song repeats the refrain "x-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray vision," highlighting the woman's ability to see through the singer's defenses and understand him on a deeper level. The second verse mentions how she can read his body language and interpret his hidden emotions, even when he is trying to be practical and upbeat. The bridge then takes this theme to its logical conclusion, suggesting that this woman's powers of intuition are so strong that she can literally "see through solid objects like you and me."

Overall, "X-Ray" is a song about the power of perception and the unique ability that some people have to see through the external trappings of language and behavior to understand what is really going on inside a person's soul.

Line by Line Meaning

She's the flutter in my heart,
She brings joy to my life and makes my heart beat faster.

The spring that's in my step.
She gives me energy and motivation to move forward in life.

My empty head,
My mind is blank and pure because of her.

Sees the lump build in my throat
She can sense when I'm feeling emotional and vulnerable.

The view in my minds eye
She is always on my mind and I can't stop thinking about her.

She's got her a suspicions.
She is wary and doubtful of my actions.

(x-ray x-ray x-ray x-ray)
She can see through my behavior with her intuitive ability.

Her magic intuition.
Her sixth sense is powerful and almost supernatural.

Sees through me with her X-ray vision.
She understands me completely and can see through my facade.

Sees me shifting in my seat.
She can tell when I'm uncomfortable or nervous.

Its practical upbeat.
My body language is showing that I'm trying to stay positive.

See the tongue kept in my cheek my conscience leak
She knows when I'm holding back my thoughts and when I'm feeling guilty.

And with this power She can see Through solid objects Like you and me...
Her intuition is so strong that it feels like she can read minds and see everything that is hidden.

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHEPHERD RUPERT ALEXANDER J. JARVIS, ROBERT DYLAN THOMAS, ORLANDO THOMAS PENHALE WEEKS, FELIX WHITE, HUGO WHITE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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