The Sea and Cake is a pop/rock group with a pronounced jazz influence, whic… Read Full Bio ↴The Sea and Cake is a pop/rock group with a pronounced jazz influence, which formed in 1994 in Chicago, Illinois. A bona fide supergroup despite the band not promoting themselves as such, each of The Sea and Cake’s members come from their own celebrated acts: Sam Prekop and Eric Claridge from Shrimp Boat, Archer Prewitt of The Coctails, and John McEntire of Tortoise. The group's name came from a willful reinterpretation (in the wake of an accidental miscomprehension) of The C in Cake, a song by Gastr del Sol. Starting with 1997's The Fawn , the group has relied on electronic sound sources, such as drum machines and synthesizers, to color its music, but has retained its distinctive post-jazz combo style. The band has shied away from releasing singles, preferring the album format. Contrary to his multi-instrumentalist role in Tortoise, John McEntire essentially plays only drums in The Sea and Cake.

Members Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt each have released solo albums. The cover art of The Sea And Cake's releases are largely paintings by Claridge and photographs by Prekop. (Postcards of some of the One Bedroom-era photos were sold on the band's 2003 tour.) Prewitt has been involved in publishing his own comic books and doing graphic design.

The band was on hiatus from 2004 to 2007, as Prekop and Prewitt each released further solo albums with accompanying tours, and focused on their visual art pursuits. Their most recent album Any Day was released in May 2018, with the band now performing as a trio (sans-bassist Eric Claridge). They have remained relatively quiet since then, aside from Sam Prekop releasing several long-form electronic music projects, often in collaboration with fellow bandmember John McEntire.

Circle
The Sea and Cake Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can hear a sudden fall
If you don't know me
Ever want a coming touch
Undone except for me
I couldn't show forgetting for
I let it go on
I don't know what clarity
Feel about setting free

If I forgive you gone and more than once
With some defence, your choice, you gotta know how
If I can't get this over I take it to another day and
I hang it up at detention
This was never meant to do well
If I can't get this over I feel it on what to say

I might be torn to crazy
But you don't know me, yeah
How will I stop? I can't rely
Storm a reference got to me
How far am I coming through?
I never lost this time
I give up and changing up the line

Hey a vivid thought for you
If I forgive you gone and more than once
With some defence, your choice, you gotta know how
If I can't get this over I take it to another day and
I hang it up at detention

This was never meant to do well
If I can't get this over I feel it on what to say

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Sea and Cake's song "Circle" convey a sense of introspection and self-reflection. The opening lines, "I can hear a sudden fall / If you don't know me / Ever want a coming touch / Undone except for me," suggest a moment of realization or awakening. The singer seems to be addressing someone who may not fully understand or know them, expressing a desire for connection and a need to be recognized.

The lines "I couldn't show forgetting for / I let it go on / I don't know what clarity / Feel about setting free" speak to a struggle with letting go of past grievances or memories. There is a sense of vulnerability and an acknowledgment that the singer may have been holding onto something that needs to be released. The phrase "setting free" hints at the idea of finding clarity or closure by moving on from the past.

The chorus, with its repetition of "If I can't get this over I feel it on what to say," reflects a sense of frustration or difficulty in expressing oneself. The singer seems to be grappling with the weight of unresolved emotions or issues, unsure of how to effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings. The repeated line "If I forgive you gone and more than once" suggests a pattern of forgiveness, possibly indicating a strained relationship or a cycle of hurt and reconciliation.

Overall, "Circle" depicts a personal journey of self-discovery and the complexities of navigating relationships and emotions. It explores themes of introspection, forgiveness, and the struggle to find clarity in one's own thoughts and actions.

Line by Line Meaning

I can hear a sudden fall
I perceive an abrupt decline

If you don't know me
If you're unfamiliar with my true self

Ever want a coming touch
Always desiring a long-awaited connection

Undone except for me
Everything is unraveled, except my involvement

I couldn't show forgetting for
I failed to display the act of forgetting

I let it go on
I allowed it to persist

I don't know what clarity
I'm uncertain about understanding

Feel about setting free
The sensation of releasing something from captivity

If I forgive you gone and more than once
On the occasion that I pardon your repeated absence

With some defence, your choice, you gotta know how
Using a certain level of protection, it's your decision, you must comprehend the method

If I can't get this over I take it to another day and
If I'm unable to conclude this matter, I postpone it to a different day and

I hang it up at detention
I suspend it with confinement

This was never meant to do well
This was never intended to succeed

If I can't get this over I feel it on what to say
If I can't resolve this, I'm uncertain about what to express

I might be torn to crazy
I may be emotionally shattered, on the verge of insanity

But you don't know me, yeah
However, you lack understanding of my true nature

How will I stop? I can't rely
How can I cease? I can't depend on

Storm a reference got to me
A surge of allusion affected me

How far am I coming through?
To what extent am I making progress?

I never lost this time
I never suffered defeat this moment

I give up and changing up the line
I surrender and alter the course

Hey a vivid thought for you
Hey, a distinct idea for you

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt, John McEntire

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Sick Deckard

5y↑2

I can hear a sudden fall
If you don't know me
Ever want a coming touch
Undone except for me
I couldn't show forgetting for
I let it go on
I don't know what clarity
Feel about setting free

[Chorus]
If I forgive you gone and more than once
With some defence, your choice, you gotta know how
If I can't get this over I take it to another day and
I hang it up at detention
This was never meant to do well
If I can't get this over I feel it on what to say

[Verse 2]
I might be torn to crazy
But you don't know me, yeah
How will I stop? I can't rely
Storm a reference got to me
How far am I coming through?
I never lost this time
I give up and changing up the line

[Chorus]
Hey a vivid thought for you
If I forgive you gone and more than once
With some defence, your choice, you gotta know how
If I can't get this over I take it to another day and
I hang it up at detention
This was never meant to do well
If I can't get this over I feel it on what to say