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.
Baby Came Home
The Neighbourhood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Told me to stay away
She told me her man was afraid
Told me I better behave
Baby just came back around
Told me she's leaving this town
Said she needs time to explore
She said I can't love her no more
Thinking about her
She's gone all the time
I think if you found her
That even you would know
So baby packed up all she had
Promised to never come back
She left me alone and without
Skin I can study about
Tiles get colder to touch
Wood splinters, metal will rust
But baby, she had all my trust
And I guess that was never enough
Thinking about her
She's gone all the time
I think if you found her
That even you would know she's mine
Whoa, oh oh
You know that she's mine, oh, oh, oh, oh
Baby came home today
Told me to stay away
Told me her man was afraidTold me I better behave
(Oh, no no, I'm)
Thinkin' about her
She's gone all the time
I think if you found her
That even you would know
She's mine, she's mine
That girl is mine, she's mine, whoa
The Neighbourhood's song Baby Came Home seems to explore the complicated feelings that arise when someone leaves and then returns into your life. The chorus declares that "she's mine," but the verses tell a different story where the singer is repeatedly told to stay away and that their affection is no longer wanted. The repeated refrain of "thinking about her, she's gone all the time" highlights the absence of the person in question and the feelings of longing that come with it.
As the lyrics continue, the pain of the situation becomes more clear. The imagery of the abandoned surroundings, with "tiles get colder to touch, wood splinters, metal will rust" is bleak and emphasizes the sadness of being alone. The betrayal is also palpable when the singer sings, "baby, she had all my trust, and I guess that was never enough."
Line by Line Meaning
Baby came home today
She returned after leaving abruptly without explanation.
Told me to stay away
She warned the singer not to interfere in her life anymore.
She told me her man was afraid
She admitted to being in a relationship, where her partner is not comfortable with the singer being around.
Told me I better behave
She cautioned the artist about his behavior and gave him a warning.
Baby just came back around
She has returned after being missing for a while.
Told me she's leaving this town
She informed the singer that she is planning to leave the city.
Said she needs time to explore
She expressed that she wants to find herself and explore new things in life.
She said I can't love her no more
She conveyed that she is no longer interested in having a romantic relationship with the artist.
Thinking about her
The artist is constantly pondering about her.
She's gone all the time
She is always absent and difficult to reach.
I think if you found her
The singer believes that even if someone found her, they would not know how to handle her.
So baby packed up all she had
She gathered all her belongings and prepared to move away.
Promised to never come back
She made a pledge to never return to the singer's life.
She left me alone and without
She abandoned the singer and left him with nothing.
Skin I can study about
The singer only has himself to learn from.
Tiles get colder to touch
The artist notices the harshness of his surroundings and environment.
Wood splinters, metal will rust
Everything changes and deteriorates over time.
But baby, she had all my trust
The singer had complete faith in her.
And I guess that was never enough
Despite investing all his trust, the singer's affection was not reciprocated.
That girl is mine, she's mine
The artist still considers her as 'his' despite her leaving him and moving on.
Whoa
The artist is overwhelmed with emotion.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEREMY FREEDMAN, JESSE RUTHERFORD, ZACHARY ABELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ch1mpion
The part at 1:47 may literally my favorite in music period. The fact they only do it once makes it more special
@dreaming__4uk
not screaming every single time this song comes on is the hardest part about listening to it.
@mayadravenwood3526
To me this song feels like when everything got you down and it's hard to let go. But you know letting go is for the best. Leaving and getting everything back on track. It's beautiful and sad at the same time. I love this song ❤️❤️
@Trucker_J21
Life’s a bitch when it comes down to that. 💔
@gretadanesin7974
me rn
@MarkjeromeElla
ive been listening to this song for 3 years and it's still the best.
@imen155
I can relatee
@amelforeal
i love how he sings like he’s either really tired/sad/drunk
@Pureserpent
I never realized that’s why I loved him too
@Aids_Viscunti
He's sick, and tired too