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.
Opticalize I Can See
The Oranges Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(For) all of the time
And when you open your eyes
All around
I can see you all around and round about
(But) all to die
I can see
(You were) opticalized
(I'll) turn out the lights
(But now that) you've come outside
All around
I can see all around and round about
(And) all to die
(Still) I can see
The Oranges Band's song "Opticalize" is a song about the power of perception and how it shapes our experiences of the world around us. The word "opticalize" suggests the idea of seeing things through a lens or filter, and the lyrics describe the process of changing someone's perception through this lens. The singer suggests that through this process, they are able to see the person "all around and round about." This repetition emphasizes how the singer sees this person from all angles, highlighting the intense focus and attention given to their subject.
The line "all to die" is a haunting reminder of mortality that adds a somber tone to the song. It suggests that even though the singer can see the person so clearly, they are still subject to the inevitability of death. The repetition of "I can see" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's intense focus and attention to detail, but it also conveys a sense of obsession or possessiveness. Overall, the song explores the idea that our perceptions can shape our reality, and that this power can be both beautiful and unsettling.
Line by Line Meaning
(I will) opticalize (you)
I will make you see things in a different way
(For) all of the time
Permanently, without end
And when you open your eyes
Once you start paying attention
All around
Everywhere, in all directions
I can see you all around and round about
I can perceive you from various angles
(But) all to die
Everything eventually comes to an end
I can see
I understand, comprehend
(You were) opticalized
You saw things differently
(I'll) turn out the lights
I'll create a darker environment
(But now that) you've come outside
Now that you've seen the world beyond your current environment
All around
Everywhere, in all directions
I can see all around and round about
I can perceive from various angles
(And) all to die
Everything eventually comes to an end
(Still) I can see
Despite knowing this fact, I can still comprehend
Contributed by Brooklyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.