The Shins is an American indie rock band centered around James Mercer.
<… 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

4 Young Pilgrims
The Shins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A cold and wet November dawn
And there are no barking sparrows
Just emptiness to dwell upon

I fell into a winter slide
And ended up the kind of kid who goes down chutes too narrow
Just eking out my measly pies

But I learned fast how to keep my head up 'cause I
Know there is this side of me that
Wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just
Fly the whole mess into the sea

Another slow train to the coast
Some brand new gory art from way on high
I sink and then I swim all night

I watch the ice melt on the glass
While the eloquent young pilgrims pass
And leave behind their trail
Imploring us all not to fail

Of course I was raised to gather courage from those
Lofty tales so tried and true and
If you're able I'd suggest it 'cause this
Modern thought can get the best of you

This rather simple epitaph can save your hide, your falling mind
Fate isn't what we're up against, there's no design, no flaws to find
There's no design, no flaws to find

But I learned fast how to keep my head up 'cause I
Know I got this side of me that

Wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just
Fly the whole mess into the sea

Overall Meaning

The opening lines paint a dreary picture of a November morning, where even the birds that usually chirp away are silent, leaving the singer to confront their emptiness. The next lines reveal that the singer has fallen into a 'winter slide' back in childhood and is the type to take risks and end up in situations where they end up with little to show for their efforts. However, despite this, the singer has a defiant streak and wants to take control from those who are ostensibly in charge and bring everything crashing down.

The next stanza shows the singer on a train, perhaps travelling to the coast, where they are confronted with more art and the prospect of sinking or swimming through the night. They observe the world around them and watch the eloquent young pilgrims pass, leaving behind a trail, imploring everyone not to fail. However, the singer has drawn inspiration from the lofty tales of courage they grew up with, and they believe that despite the complexities of modern thought, there are simple truths that can save one's 'falling mind.' They end on a note of defiance, repeating that they have a side of themselves that wants to take charge and bring the mess to a definitive end in the sea.

The song seems to be about the struggle to find meaning and direction in life. The singer feels lost and empty and is constantly searching for something that will give their life some sense of purpose. They are also frustrated with the limits of existing power structures and want to take control of their own destiny. Despite the bleakness of some of the imagery, there is a sense of hopefulness and a belief that one can find answers and meaning even in the darkest of places.

Line by Line Meaning

A cold and wet November dawn
It was a chilly and wet November morning.

And there are no barking sparrows
The usual chirping of sparrows was absent.

Just emptiness to dwell upon.
The surroundings were quiet and empty.

I fell into a winter slide
I had a downfall in life like the season of winter.

And ended up the kind of kid who goes down chutes too narrow
I turned into someone who tries to fit themselves into restricted spaces.

Just eking out my measly pies.
I was barely surviving with what little I had.

But I learned fast how to keep my head up 'cause I
I quickly learned to stay positive because

Know there is this side of me that
I am aware of another part of myself that

Wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just
Desires to take control and

Fly the whole mess into the sea.
Willing to take risks and start fresh if necessary.

Another slow train to the coast
Another uneventful journey to the coast.

Some brand new gory art from way on high
We were greeted with newly painted disturbing artwork painted high up.

I sink and then I swim all night.
I struggle and thrive alternately for hours.

I watch the ice melt on the glass
I observe ice melting on the glass surface.

While the eloquent young pilgrims pass
While the articulate young travelers go by.

And leave behind their trail
They leave their path behind.

Imploring us all not to fail.
Urging us not to give up hope.

Of course I was raised to gather courage from those
I was always taught to take inspiration from

Lofty tales so tried and true and
Stories that were grand but proven.

If you're able I'd suggest it 'cause this
If you can, I suggest following that advice because

Modern thought can get the best of you.
Overthinking and modern ideas can be overwhelming.

This rather simple epitaph can save your hide your falling mind
This simple statement engraved on a tombstone can save you in moments of distress.

Fate isn't what we're up against there's no design no flaws to find
Our destiny or challenges are not predetermined, and there is no need to search for flaws.

There's no design no flaws to find.
There is nothing inherently flawed in life.

But I learned fast how to keep my head up 'cause I
But, I quickly learned to stay positive because

Know I got this side of me that
I am aware of another part of myself that

Wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just
Desires to take control and

Fly the whole mess into the sea.
Willing to take risks and start fresh if necessary.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Russell Mercer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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