The band released their first EP, I'm Sorry... in January 2013, where their single Sweater Weather reached #1 in the U.S. Alternative Tracks and #8 on the U.S. Rock Tracks and #33 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted at #68 in Canada. Their first album, I Love You. was released on April 23, 2013.
In early 2012 a mysterious band appeared online. The group, The Neighbourhood, revealed no biographical information, no photos and no backstory, offering only a moody track titled "Female Robbery." Fans and the press were confounded, scouring the Internet for any information that might lead them to the identity of these musicians. Pieces of the puzzle, some reflecting reality and some not so much, began to emerge. The Neighbourhood were a quintet. They were from California despite the British spelling of their name. They had a second track, "Sweater Weather," which had an accompanying -- and equally dark -- video.
Although The Neighbourhood's identity remained hazy, it became clear that the music they were making felt transformative to critics and fans alike. The evocative combination of rock instruments with R&B and hip-hop aesthetics seemed, in many ways, revelatory, a reimagining of sounds that seemed to make people clamour for more information with even greater fervour. In April, BBC Radio One DJ Zane Lowe, an early champion of the group, let it slip that The Neighbourhood was the handiwork of musician Jesse Rutherford, a resident of Newbury Park, CA. By early May, as the band unveiled a free, self-released EP titled "I'm Sorry," it became understood that the identity of this young band was, ultimately, secondary to the music itself.
So who is The Neighbourhood? In essence, the group, which was formed in August 2011, is a collection of five friends who make music together. They're headed by Rutherford, a 21-year-old singer who has dabbled in various genres, including hip-hop, before crafting the merge of sounds that categorizes The Neighbourhood's style. Their debut EP was produced by Justyn Pilbrow, who brought Emile Haynie on board to collaborate on "Female Robbery." The EP, recorded at the end of last year, is composed of shadowy, emotional music with visuals to match. And it's all part of the band's master plan.
"I always have a strong vision before I go into anything," Rutherford says. "I don't know how to make music any other way. It was all in my head, and that vision for the music was to make hip-hop beats with guitars and I was going to sing and rap over them. We wanted to do that hip-hop aesthetic on an indie platform."
"I'm Sorry," a five-song disc, is a precursor to the band's debut album, which is also being produced by Pilbrow and Haynie. The album, expected out in March 2013, will expand the group's moody sensibility, which pairs brooding layers of instrumentals with Rutherford's hip-hop-inspired croon. The style, which the band has dubbed "black and white" due to its confident inspirations, is based largely on rhythm, as evidenced by the EP. "When I started in music I started doing drums and then I started doing vocals," Rutherford explains. "And then I combined the two together because to me rapping is just rhythmic vocals. I think the rhythm of hip-hop is really what got me into it. It's not just words being said; it's about how the words are said."
In the end, all you need to know about The Neighbourhood is in that music and in those words. There are more facts, more pieces of the puzzle, more information to unveil. But what's the fun in being given the full picture when you can slowly discover it for yourself? It's better to leave some mystery lingering. Because, after all, it's that unknowing that brought The Neighbourhood to people's attention to begin with.
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The Neighbourhood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lied to be someone else... for you
If I had done something a little bit differently
We would've moved in a better direction than this, baby
If you were human
If you were who I assumed you were
You wouldn't have done this
But she would do anything
To bring me down
She brought me down
You Say that you love me
But you act like you don't
You used to adore me
Laughed at all my jokes
Don't take this the wrong way
You put me in harm's way
When we had our first kiss it was your favorite thing
And you weren't lying when you said it would sting
Don't take this the wrong way
You put me in harm's way
Imagine our children
How fucked would they be?
Mommy's a psycho
Daddy lives in a dream
Don't take this the wrong way
I told you I'm sorry
Couldn't thank you enough
I thought that I loved you but
We weren't in love
We weren't in love
You were my dream
We were fucked
You like to think
Push through the back
Ignoring the problems just to hold what we had
Don't take this the wrong way
Don't take this the wrong way
In this song, The Neighbourhood sings about the mistakes they've made in a past relationship. They reflect on how they tried to change themselves to fit the expectations of their partner, but it ultimately led to a downfall in the relationship. The lyrics "I tried to be someone, I lied to be someone else... for you" illustrate the pressure that one can feel to be someone they're not in order to impress someone they care about. The singer then discusses how they were blinded by their love for this person and didn't see the truth about them, saying "If you were human, if you were who I assumed you were, you wouldn't have done this."
The chorus of the song expresses the confusion and hurt that comes with being with someone who says they love you, but their actions say otherwise. The lines "You say that you love me, but you act like you don't" and "You used to adore me, laughed at all my jokes" show the discrepancy between words and actions in the relationship. The singer also acknowledges their own faults and how they put themselves in harm's way by being with this person.
The song concludes with a reflection on the state of the relationship and the potential harm it could have caused if they had continued down that path. The line "Imagine our children, how fucked would they be?" shows the incredible impact that relationships can have on one's life and future. Overall, the lyrics of this song express the complexity of relationships and the pain that comes from being with someone who doesn't truly love and respect you.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to be someone
I attempted to change myself to please you.
I lied to be someone else... for you
I was dishonest about who I was to impress you.
If I had done something a little bit differently
The outcome of our situation could have been better if I acted differently.
We would've moved in a better direction than this, baby
Our relationship would have been more positive if things had gone differently.
If you were human
You are not acting like a normal person would.
If you were who I assumed you were
You are not living up to the expectations I had of you.
You wouldn't have done this
You would not have hurt me in this way.
I thought I did something
I believed that my actions caused our problems.
But she would do anything
Another person is working to sabotage our relationship.
To bring me down
They want to make me feel bad about myself.
She brought me down
Their actions caused me to feel worse about myself.
You Say that you love me
You tell me that you have strong feelings for me.
But you act like you don't
Your behavior contradicts the way you say you feel.
You used to adore me
In the past, you were very fond of me.
Laughed at all my jokes
You used to find me very amusing.
Don't take this the wrong way
Please do not misunderstand what I am about to say.
You put me in harm's way
Your actions have caused me to be in danger or at risk.
When we had our first kiss it was your favorite thing
Our first kiss was very special and memorable to you.
And you weren't lying when you said it would sting
You were telling the truth when you said that our relationship would have some painful moments.
Imagine our children
Think about the potential offspring we could have.
How fucked would they be?
They would have a very troubled life if we stayed together.
Mommy's a psycho
Their mother has some serious mental issues.
Daddy lives in a dream
Their father is not grounded in reality.
I told you I'm sorry
I expressed remorse for my actions.
Couldn't thank you enough
I was very grateful for your forgiveness.
I thought that I loved you but
I believed that my feelings were genuine, but I was wrong.
We weren't in love
Our emotions were not as strong or sincere as we thought.
You were my dream
You were the ideal partner I had always hoped for.
We were fucked
Our relationship was not going to work out.
You like to think
You convince yourself of things that are not true.
Push through the back
You try to ignore your problems or conflicts with others.
Ignoring the problems just to hold what we had
You try to maintain our relationship at any cost, even if it means ignoring our issues.
Don't take this the wrong way
Please do not misunderstand what I am trying to say.
Don't take this the wrong way
Please do not misunderstand what I am trying to say.
Contributed by Callie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@priscillanatalia2492
"$ting"
I tried to be someone
I lied to be someone else... for you
If I had done something a little bit differently
We would've moved in a better direction than this, baby
If you were human
If you were who I assumed you were
You wouldn't have done this
I thought I did something
But she would do anything to bring me down
And she brought me down
You say that you love me
But you act like you don't
You used to adore me
Laughed at all of my jokes
Don't take this the wrong way
You put me in harm's way
When we had our first kiss it was your favorite thing
And you weren't lying when you said it would sting
Don't take this the wrong way
You put me in harm's way
Imagine our children
How fucked would they be?
Mommy's a psycho
Daddy lives in a dream
Don't take this the wrong way
I told you I'm sorry
Couldn't thank you enough
I thought that I loved you but
We weren't in love
We weren't in love
You were my dream
The way we would fuck
You liked to think
We would push through the bad
Ignoring the problems just to hold what we had
Don't take this the wrong way
Don't take this the wrong way
@desperateidiot
the intro of this sounds like a cat throwing up and i cant unhear it
@benteeeltink9955
+megan FUCK YOU NOW I CAN'T UNHEAR IT EITHER WHAT HAVE YOU DONEEEE
@ijfisjjf1916
no it sounds like water
@radicalbullsharks9418
WHY WOULD YOY DO THIS
@our3861
SAME
@caitttastrophe
it sounds like a jellyfish to me tbh
@graceg9118
“ mommy’s a psycho, daddy lives in a dream” holy I got goosebumps
@jermaines.9818
Raina Ino. Sad to admit but that was me😞
@DarkLordAli95
they put heroine in their music. don't ask me how, they just do.
@bunnyclutch7742
Nah, they put ecstasy in their music.