Heavy, grinding trip rock that occasionally pounds your poor little brain so hard that you'll think somebody slipped you a crack suppository. The group, out of Portland, features Matt Hollywood, formerly of The Brian Jonestown Massacre. For those of you unclear on such things, that would be the guy who did not try to kill people with mic stand at shows. Check out Little Elf and 4 Lines/3 Drugs for a taste -- the band has some free mp3 files on its site.
Concentrate
The Out Crowd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A hundred thousand stars under your eyelids
Explode before you even counted one
You concentrate on feeling hard as diamonds
I concentrate on you
Verse 2:
Grass is growing underneath your stockings Hiding tiny animals and birds
You concentrate on moving like a glacier
I concentrate on you
Verse 3:
Butterflies are laughing in your organs
Escaping, they fly tickling out your nose
You concentrate on casting your reflection
I concentrate on you
The Out Crowd's song Concentrate delves into the idea of concentration and the different things we as humans choose to focus on. The first verse presents the idea of the vastness of the universe and the multitude of things to focus on, contrasted with the concentration on a single individual. The line "you concentrate on feeling hard as diamonds" can be interpreted in different ways such as the individual being tough or immovable emotionally or the individual attempting to hide their vulnerability. The second verse presents the idea of nature, specifically the grass and the living things it hides. The line "you concentrate on moving like a glacier" could be the individual trying to move forward in their life slowly and steady or they are feeling stuck and can't move. The third verse continues with the imagery of nature as butterflies are becoming metaphors of laughter in a person's stomach, with the line "you concentrate on casting your reflection" possibly indicating self-reflection and self-improvement. The overall message seems to be about the different things people concentrate on and how, at times, we may miss out on the beauty of life if we allow our focus to only concentrate on a narrow perspective.
Line by Line Meaning
A hundred thousand stars under your eyelids
Numerous thoughts and ideas are racing through your mind
Explode before you even counted one
You are unable to focus on any individual thought before it disappears
You concentrate on feeling hard as diamonds
You try to portray strength and toughness
I concentrate on you
Despite your distractions, I am still fixated on you
Grass is growing underneath your stockings
Nature persists even in the small, mundane moments of life
Hiding tiny animals and birds
Nature is bustling with life, even in the most inconspicuous places
You concentrate on moving like a glacier
You try to appear slow and steady, unaffected by outside influences
I concentrate on you
Despite your attempts to appear unmoving, I am still fixated on you
Butterflies are laughing in your organs
You are experiencing a sense of euphoria and excitement
Escaping, they fly tickling out your nose
Your excitement is manifesting physically, as if the butterflies within you are escaping
You concentrate on casting your reflection
You are preoccupied with how others perceive you
I concentrate on you
Despite your preoccupation with others, I am still fixated on you
Contributed by Isaiah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.