Kuebler first surfaced as a member of the Baltimore indie crew Roads to Space Travel, which released a couple of records on the Amish label as well as a 7" through Washington, D.C.'s DeSoto. When the band dissolved, Kuebler began to assemble what would become the Oranges Band: ex-Wrong Button drummer Dave Voyles, guitarists Daniel Black and Virat Shukla, and bassist Tim Johnston, who had played guitar in Brickhead.
The Oranges Band debuted in April 2000 with The Five Dollars EP on Morphius, and almost immediately began touring. It was a conscious choice; idealistically, the band members believed in the immediacy and momentary grace of music, and felt that touring was the best way to access that.
A year later, another EP appeared on Morphius, Nine Hundred Miles of Fucking Hell. Around this point Kuebler fit in a collaboration and tour with Baltimore's punk combo The Thumbs. As the Oranges Band focused on writing and practicing new songs for an eventual full-length, Kuebler left again, this time as the touring bassist for the Austin, TX-based Spoon. The Oranges Band finally finished a round of demos in April 2002, which caught the ear of Lookout! Records, which quickly snapped them up. An introductory EP for Lookout! entitled On TV appeared in late 2002; the debut full-length All Around followed in April 2003, The World and Everything In It in 2005. Shortly after, Tim Johnston left the group and Faye Malarkey formerly of Sick Sick Birds stepped in on bass.
In 2008, with a new lineup that included Patrick Martin on bass and guest guitarist Doug Gillard, the band released their third full length The Oranges Band are Invisible.
Keep Your Teeth
The Oranges Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They ain't doing you no good when they're out
(You'll see) When they're out
And, oh, keep your words to yourself
They're no good for you or nobody else
No one else
Then when I saw young Keith
He was angry as he was young
Employed to fight by his too-sharp tongue
And you know Keith had these rules
Said stick to them and you will never lose
They were simple as they were true
A truth, I mean, as relative to you and no one else
And when I said no one else
I meant no one else
The Oranges Band's "Keep Your Teeth" is a simple yet insightful song that carries a deeper meaning than its surface-level lyrics might suggest. The first verse urges listeners to keep their teeth in their mouths as they aren't doing us any good when they're out. This line may be interpreted as an analogy for self-control, urging us to keep our impulses and primal desires in check as they can lead to our downfall if we let them run rampant.
The second verse tells the story of a young Keith, who was saddled with "Englishman's teeth" and employed to fight by his sharp tongue. Keith had rules that he believed would ensure his success, but they were only relative to him and not applicable to anyone else (hence the refrain "no one else"). This verse underscores the importance of self-awareness and the dangers of blindly following dogma or rules set by others without critically examining whether they apply to us.
Overall, "Keep Your Teeth" tells us to exercise self-control and self-awareness as we navigate our lives. The song reminds us that our impulses and external rules may not lead to success or happiness, and we need to take responsibility for our choices and their consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, keep your teeth in your mouth
The singer suggests keeping one's teeth in their mouth instead of getting them out.
They ain't doing you no good when they're out
The singer opines that teeth are of no use when they're out of the mouth.
(You'll see) When they're out
The singer reminds that it's evident that teeth become useless when they're out of the mouth.
And, oh, keep your words to yourself
The singer advises to hold back words and not to speak everything in mind openly.
They're no good for you or nobody else
The singer thinks that no one, including oneself, will benefit much from the harsh words spoken.
No one else
The singer emphasizes that not only others but oneself won't benefit either.
Then when I saw young Keith
The singer starts narrating an incident involving a person named Keith.
He was saddled with Englishman's teeth
Keith had very noticeable teeth, probably not good-looking ones, which the singer humorously likens to Englishmen's teeth.
He was angry as he was young
The singer observes that Keith was angry, probably due to youthfulness.
Employed to fight by his too-sharp tongue
The singer notes that Keith's sharp tongue got him into fights often.
And you know Keith had these rules
The singer further describes Keith's personality and reveals that he had some 'rules'.
Said stick to them and you will never lose
Keith believed in his rules, thinking that if one follows them, they will not lose in life.
They were simple as they were true
The singer comments that Keith's rules were simple yet true, at least according to Keith.
A truth, I mean, as relative to you and no one else
The singer clarifies that Keith's truth was only relevant to him and might not apply to others.
And when I said no one else
The singer repeats that Keith's rule for success was only applicable to Keith alone.
I meant no one else
The singer reiterates that Keith's truth was not absolute but only specific to Keith.
Contributed by Savannah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tristan Comeau
I'm glad Team Coco is digging into the archives to find all of these high-resolution Norm videos. You know a comedian has mastered their craft when they can get hysterical laughter out of the simplest of jokes. RIP to the best in the business.
Staci Valenti
@Odysseus1776 I watch that 3 hour long video like once a month 😂
China Man
@Chris Shiel oh they definitely dug deep when Norm died. One reason I did not enjoy the TEAM coco channel anymore was because of the hypocrisy!
Chris Shiel
Or cashing in on a dead guys talent
Accounts of Solon
He never showed the slightest sign of nervousness.
He was cool as a cucumber.
Legend. RIP Norm
Brenda Mondragón
My favorite Norm quote:
"Death is a funny thing. Not funny haha, like a Woody Allen movie, but funny strange, like a Woody Allen marriage"
You're terribly missed 💔
Joe Zegers
Mine is "Turd Ferguson. Funny name."
Emanuel Mota
@Lance Siirila I think you're right.
Ray Reese
@Lance Siirila yes
Lance Siirila
didn't norm play death in family guy?