The Microphones is the name of a project that Anacortes, WA's Phil Elverum … Read Full Bio ↴The Microphones is the name of a project that Anacortes, WA's Phil Elverum has headed since 1996. Its sound is best described as lo-fi "fuzz folk," including drum-crashing, bass-thrashing sonic freakouts, strummy classical guitar love songs, angelic vocal choirs, and almost-whispered vocals over harmoniums and bell kits.

In 2004, Elverum abandoned the "Microphones" name to begin recording as Mount Eerie, briefly returning in December 2007 when he began selling a new 7" single by the Microphones ("Don't Smoke" / "Get Off the Internet") on his website and at concerts.

In 2020, Elverum returned to the Microphones name once more to release the project's 14th album Microphones in 2020. Microphones members/collaborators include Karl Blau, Dennis Driscoll, Kyle Field aka Little Wings, Mirah, Khaela Maricich aka The Blow, Adrian Orange aka Thanksgiving, Adam Forkner and K Records' founder, Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening and the Halo Benders.

bass drum dream
The Microphones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Drumset in the sky, huge crashes,
pounding drums fill up the whole place.
The bass drum, making the sound wave
with one giant head,
is similar to a secret part of my head.
A ghost that's gone left in it's place
instead a love for certain sounds:
Bass Drum Clouds.

Lightning shoots out of my eyes to blow fuses,
not angry but singing my song.
Conducting with cloud hands made of moisture
and electric shocks.
Most of the sounds that come from my hands are
the thunder explosions

when I clap together, waking you up,
but that spell's wearing off.

Overall Meaning

The first verse of the song “Bass Drum Dream” by The Microphones talks about a dream-like experience where the singer witnesses a drum set in the sky producing huge crashes and filling up the whole place with pounding sounds. The singer then specifically focuses on the bass drum, which is making sound waves using its giant head. The singer compares this bass drum to a secret part of their head that has now been replaced by a love for certain sounds called “Bass Drum Clouds.” The singer describes experiencing an electric shock and lightning shooting out of their eyes to blow fuses, but it’s not anger that drives these reactions, but rather their love for music. The singer ends the first verse by talking about their ability to conduct music with cloud hands made of moisture and electric shocks.

The second verse describes how most of the sounds that come from the singer’s hands are thunder explosions that wake people up. However, this spell of waking people up using the thunder explosions is slowly wearing off. The entire song can be interpreted as a metaphorical journey of a musician who is trying to capture the essence of music using words. The singer’s ability to conduct music with cloud hands and experience electric shocks and lightning could be seen as a representation of their deep connection with music. This connection is so strong that it can even wake people up from their slumber. However, this connection is not permanent and eventually loses its effect.

Overall, the song “Bass Drum Dream” can be interpreted as an expression of the singer's deep love and connection to music. The use of metaphors and dream-like imagery creates a unique and surreal experience for the listener.

Line by Line Meaning

Drumset in the sky, huge crashes,
The singer imagines a drumset in the sky that produces extremely loud sounds.

pounding drums fill up the whole place.
The drums are so loud that they fill up the entire space and create a sense of fullness.

The bass drum, making the sound wave
The bass drum is responsible for creating sound waves which have a profound impact.

with one giant head,
The bass drum has one large drum head.

is similar to a secret part of my head.
The artist compares the bass drum to a hidden and mysterious part of their own mind.

A ghost that's gone left in it's place
The bass drum feels like a ghost, either because it's no longer physically present or because of its ethereal quality.

instead a love for certain sounds:
The singer has developed a love for specific sounds because of the bass drum.

Bass Drum Clouds.
The artist envisions a world of sound created by bass drums, which they call 'Bass Drum Clouds'.

Lightning shoots out of my eyes to blow fuses,
The artist feels like they have the power to shoot lightning out of their eyes and blow fuses, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for their creative energy.

not angry but singing my song.
The artist is not angry, but rather expressing themselves in a way that feels authentic and true to who they are.

Conducting with cloud hands made of moisture
The singer envisions themselves conducting music with hands that are made of clouds and moisture.

and electric shocks.
This imagery might suggest that the music they conduct is full of energy and intensity.

Most of the sounds that come from my hands are
The singer acknowledges that they create sounds with their hands, likely through playing music.

the thunder explosions
These sounds are described as 'thunder explosions,' which signifies their power and intensity.

when I clap together, waking you up,
The singer uses their music to reach their audience, hoping to wake them up to the beauty of sound.

but that spell's wearing off.
Despite their initial impact, the artist acknowledges that their music may not have the same effect over time.

Contributed by Audrey K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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