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.
Four Corners
The Sea and Cake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I say, for the last time
Ay-eh-ay
I guess it just right
So long gone and I barely deal
With a life time
Ay-eh-ay
Seven years and it's hardly done
With a last time
Ay-eh-ay
Unless I hear you
Better luck and it's tall, the sun
With a listen
Ay-eh-ay
I bet on your side
A tail that tripped on the ball
I say, for the last time
Ay-eh-ya
I guess it just right
The Sea and Cake's song Four Corners has an enigmatic feel to its lyrics, with abstract lines that create possible interpretations to what the song means. The opening line, "A tail that tripped on the ball" could be a metaphor referring to how a person's past mistakes keep coming back to haunt them. The line, "So long gone and I barely deal with a lifetime" seems to suggest how the singer is struggling to navigate life's uncertainties, and how time seems to keep moving without any answers being found. The repetition of "Ay-eh-ay" throughout the song adds to the enigmatic feel.
The line, "Seven years and it's hardly done with a last time", could be interpreted as the singer reflecting on how for the last seven years, they have been trying to make amends for something they did wrong, but it still feels like it's not enough. The phrase "unless I hear you" seems to suggest that there's still hope to make things right if the person they're addressing (perhaps a former lover or friend) reaches out. As the song progresses, there's a sense of longing for the someone or something that's missing in the singer's life, "Better luck and it's tall, the sun with a listen" could mean that they are still hoping for something good to happen.
Overall, Four Corners creates an atmosphere of introspection, uncertainty, and longing. The lyrics are cryptic but also open to interpretation, leaving plenty of room for the listener to come up with their own meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
A tail that tripped on the ball
Refers to something that went wrong or messed up unexpectedly
I say, for the last time
Expresses finality or closure
Ay-eh-ay
A repeated vocalization that adds musicality and emphasis
I guess it just right
Acknowledges correct intuition or decision-making
So long gone and I barely deal
Reflects on a long time passed and a struggle to cope
With a life time
A reference to the duration of one's existence
Right on to you
An expression of affirmation and support
Seven years and it's hardly done
Describes a prolonged process that still isn't complete
With a last time
A repeated phrase emphasizing finality or closure
Unless I hear you
An admission that communication is necessary to move forward
Better luck and it's tall, the sun
A wish for good fortune and a bright future
With a listen
An instruction to pay attention or give something a chance
I bet on your side
An expression of trust and loyalty to someone
Writer(s): Allen Archer Prewitt, Eric T. Claridge, sam S. Prekop, John Cameron Mcentire
Contributed by William N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.