<… Read Full Bio ↴The Shins is an American indie rock band centered around James Mercer.
The band formed in 1997, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States as a side project of Mercer (previously of Blue Roof Dinner) and drummer Jesse Sandoval, who were both members of Flake Music. The band's original lineup was Mercer (vocals, guitar), Sandoval (drums), Marty Crandall (keyboards) and Dave Hernandez (bass). Neil Langford replaced Hernandez in 1998. Hernandez returned to the band in 2003, as Langford had left the band in 2001. Hernandez remained in the band until 2009. Fruit Bats keyboardist Eric Johnson joined the band in 2006.
Their debut album, Oh, Inverted World was issued in 2001 and contained the singles "New Slang" and "Caring is Creepy", which were both featured in the 2004 film "Garden State". The band's next album, Chutes Too Narrow was released in 2003 and featured the single "So Says I". The band's third album Wincing The Night Away, was released in 2007 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 charts, the highest charting album in Sub Pop history until Arcade Fire's"The Suburbs" debuted at #1. After a short hiatus, Mercer announced in 2009 that the band was to record a new album and that Marty Crandall, and Jesse Sandoval were no longer members of The Shins. The band's new lineup included James Mercer, Eric Johnson, Modest Mouse drummer Joe Plummer and Grand Archives keyboardist Ron Lewis.
Before the release of Port of Morrow, the band lineup changed once more with only Mercer and Plummer remaining from the previously announced lineup. The newly added members were announced as guitarist Jessica Dobson, bassist Yuuki Matthews (formerly of Crystal Skulls) and keyboardist Richard Swift.
The Simple Song Songfacts reports that "Simple Song." was the first single from the Port Of Morrow album, the band's debut release on James Mercer's Aural Apothecary record label. It was also the first offering to be heard from the band following the departure of Jesse Sandoval and Marty Crandall.
The current line-up for the live act is James Mercer (vocals, guitar), Jessica Dobson (guitar), Yuuki Matthews (bass), Richard Swift (keyboards) and Joe Plummer (drums).
2017 - Fifth Album & World Tour
The band released their 5th studio album, "Heartworms" on March 10, 2017 on the Aural Apothecary/Columbia Records, together with a supporting world tour. "Heartworms" features Mercer's most diverse lyrical palette to date: From fictional character sketches ('Fantasy Island', 'Rubber Ballz'), autobiographical accounts ('Mildenhall'), to first single 'Name For You', a resounding call for female empowerment inspired by Mercer’s three daughters.
More information:
*http://www.theshins.com
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shins
04. Know Your Onion!
The Shins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I quietly tied all my guts into knots
Gave up on trying to make them
I figured it'd take them too long to look up and besides
It was undeniably clear to me I don't know why
When every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters
I knew what worthless dregs we've always been
Lying in wait at the Birmingham mall
The songs that I heard
The occasional book
Were the only fun I ever took
And I got on with making myself
Yeah, the trick is just making yourself
But when they're parking their cars on your chest
You've still got a view of the summer sky
To make it hurt twice when your restless body
Caves to its whims
And suddenly struggles to take flight
Three thousand miles north east
I left all my friends at the morning bus stop shaking their heads
"What kind of life you dream of? You're allergic to love"
Yes, I know but I must say in my own defense
It's been undeniably dear to me, I don't know why
When every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters
I knew the worthless dregs we are
The selfless, loving saints we are
The melting, sliding dice we've always been
The Shins’ song Know Your Onion! describes the singer’s struggle to come to terms with their own worthlessness and unrequited love. The opening lines express anger and frustration with life, feeling shut out and insignificant. The singer has tried to assert their own value to others but has failed, and so has given up on the prospect of making themselves known to others. Instead, they have turned inward, seeking solace in music and books, the only “fun” they ever take. The rest of the song says that although the singer may feel misfortunate, they hold no bitterness towards their own shortcomings. They are acutely aware of the worthlessness of human life but cherish it nonetheless, “knowing the worthless dregs we are, the selfless, loving saints we are, the melting, sliding dice we've always been.”
Throughout the song, the themes of self-doubt and self-worth are prominent. The singer feels sidelined and insignificant, but they find solace in the knowledge that everyone struggles with the same existential dilemmas at some point in their lives. This is echoed in the lyrics, “when every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters, I knew what worthless dregs we've always been.” The song encourages people to be kind to themselves and not be too hard on themselves when they feel lost or stuck. The singer ultimately finds solace in their own identity and sense of self, despite acknowledging their own insignificance.
Line by Line Meaning
Shut out, pimpled and angry
Feeling left out and frustrated with acne, I kept my feelings inside.
I quietly tied all my guts into knots
I suppressed all my emotions and bottled them up inside.
Gave up on trying to make them
I stopped trying to impress others because it seemed like a hopeless endeavor.
I figured it'd take them too long to look up and besides
I believed that other people were too self-absorbed to notice or care about my struggles.
It was undeniably clear to me I don't know why
I was certain that I was not worth anyone's attention, though I couldn't explain why.
When every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters
Everything else in life felt closed off and inaccessible to me.
I knew what worthless dregs we've always been
I recognized that humanity as a whole is flawed and insignificant.
Lucked out, found my favorite records
I stumbled upon my favorite music by chance and felt fortunate.
Lying in wait at the Birmingham mall
The records were waiting for me to discover them at a mall in Birmingham.
The songs that I heard
The music that I listened to.
The occasional book
The books I read from time to time.
Were the only fun I ever took
These were the only activities that brought me enjoyment in life.
And I got on with making myself
I focused on cultivating my own identity and interests.
Yeah, the trick is just making yourself
The key to happiness is developing an authentic sense of self.
But when they're parking their cars on your chest
When others are weighing you down with their expectations and criticisms.
You've still got a view of the summer sky
You can still appreciate the beauty of the world around you.
To make it hurt twice when your restless body
The pain is intensified when your body feels unsettled and anxious.
Caves to its whims
Yields to its desires.
And suddenly struggles to take flight
And finds it difficult to move forward or achieve your goals.
Three thousand miles north east
I traveled thousands of miles to the northeastern part of the country.
I left all my friends at the morning bus stop shaking their heads
My friends thought I was making a mistake by leaving.
"What kind of life you dream of? You're allergic to love"
My friends questioned my ability to have a fulfilling life because I had a fear of love.
Yes, I know but I must say in my own defense
I understand their concerns, but I have my own reasons for my choices.
It's been undeniably dear to me, I don't know why
I hold my beliefs and experiences close to my heart, though I can't explain why they are important to me.
When every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters
Similarly to before, everything else in life felt inaccessible to me.
I knew the worthless dregs we are
I recognized humanity's flaws and imperfections once again.
The selfless, loving saints we are
Despite our flaws, humans are capable of great love and selflessness.
The melting, sliding dice we've always been
Humanity is uncertain and unpredictable, like a pair of dice rolling on a table.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Russell Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Againan Again
Man, those first two albums were fuckin classic.
stephanieharu
I love this so much. Mercer has hair, Marty's still slappin' the bass, and baby Zach Galifinakis made my day. This has to be like ten years old at least.
Daarko15
The Shins are brilliant.
Albin Lundholm
How have I never heard of this show before
unitedstases
For once Zach seems sincere about his musical guest.
To the uploader: Any chance you have full episodes of the show? I've only managed to find 29 of the 35 produced.
Hayden H
Zach really needs to get a Late Night show.
Obviously he would have great artists new & old, on his show.
INADRM
I had no idea that Zach had a show! This is super cool.
Lost Machinima
making the Beatles proud
stephanieharu
@indierickenbacker I know it's going to be really weird without them. I'm really going to miss Marty in the music videos. I'm also going to miss Dave's backup vocals. I don't know how I feel about Jessica yet, I hope she doesn't sing backup... that probably sounds bad. But I like the Shins' sound without female voices. But so far I love the three tracks I've heard off of Port of Morrow. Especially September. Just wonderful.
Mitchell Knight
Look how young James Mercer was! That's nutty.