<… 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
A Comet Appears
The Shins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take a drink just to give me some weight
Some uber-man I'd make
I'm barely a vapor
They shone a chlorine light on
A host of individual sins
Let's carve my aging face off
Start with my eyes
Down so the lines
Form a grimacing smile
Close your eyes to corral a virtue
Is this fooling anyone else?
Never worked so long and hard
To cement a failure
We can blow on our thumbs and posture
But the lonely are such delicate things
The wind from a wasp could blow them
Into the sea
With stones on their feet
Lost to the light and the loving we need
Still to come
The worst part and you know it
There is a numbness
In your heart and it's growing
With burnt sage and a forest of bygones
I click my heels
Get the devils in line
A list of things I could lay the blame on
Might give me a way out
But with each turn
It's this front and center
Like a dart stuck square in your eye
Every post you can hitch your faith on
Is a pie in the sky
Chock full of lies
A tool we devise
To make sinking stones fly
And still to come
The worst part and you know it
There is a numbness
In your heart and it's growing
The lyrics of The Shins' song A Comet Appears are rich with metaphor and poetic language that describes the struggles of the human experience. The opening lines speak to the fleeting nature of life, with the singer describing himself as barely a vapor in the grand scheme of things. He takes a drink to anchor himself to the world, but still feels powerless and insignificant.
The next verse continues with the theme of helplessness, with the singer facing his own shortcomings and flaws. He contemplates carving off his face to rid himself of the signs of aging and regrets, but realizes that he can't escape his own mortality. He implores the listener to "close your eyes to corral a virtue" - an image that suggests a desperate attempt to find something good in the face of overwhelming negativity.
The chorus of the song speaks to the fragility of the human spirit, with the lonely being particularly susceptible to the slightest breeze of adversity. The lyrics use the image of stones tied to feet to describe the weight of emotional pain, as those who suffer can be lost to the darkness of despair.
Overall, A Comet Appears is a song that confronts the darker side of the human condition, and the struggle to find meaning and hope in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
One hand on this wily comet
I am trying to hold onto something unstoppable and unpredictable.
Take a drink just to give me some weight
I am searching for some stability or substance in my life.
Some uber-man I'd make
I am not as strong or capable as I wish I could be.
I'm barely a vapor
I feel insignificant and easily overlooked or forgotten.
They shone a chlorine light on
The harsh reality of my flaws and mistakes has been exposed.
A host of individual sins
I am burdened by a multitude of personal shortcomings.
Let's carve my aging face off
I want to erase the evidence of my past mistakes or failures.
Fetch us a knife
I am willing to take drastic measures to make changes in my life.
Start with my eyes
I want to escape the pain of my reality by not seeing it anymore.
Down so the lines
I want to hide the physical evidence of my age and experience.
Form a grimacing smile
I want to conceal the sadness and pain I feel behind a false image of happiness.
Close your eyes to corral a virtue
Sometimes we need to ignore reality in order to uphold our morals and values.
Is this fooling anyone else?
Am I really able to deceive others, or just myself?
Never worked so long and hard
Despite my efforts, I have not achieved what I hoped for or expected.
To cement a failure
My actions have only solidified my inability to succeed.
We can blow on our thumbs and posture
We might try to present ourselves as confident or powerful, but it's just a facade.
But the lonely are such delicate things
Those who feel isolated or unsupported are easily vulnerable and can be hurt easily.
The wind from a wasp could blow them
Even a small obstacle or challenge can have a big impact on someone who feels lonely.
Into the sea
It's easy to feel overwhelmed or lost without support or guidance.
With stones on their feet
The weight of our emotions and struggles can hold us back and make life harder.
Lost to the light and the loving we need
Without love and support, life can feel bleak and hopeless.
Still to come
Despite everything already experienced, there is more to come in the future.
The worst part and you know it
There are still difficult challenges and obstacles ahead that we are already anticipating.
There is a numbness
We may feel emotionally detached or disconnected from our experiences and feelings.
In your heart and it's growing
This numbness is only getting worse and more pervasive in our lives.
With burnt sage and a forest of bygones
I am trying to move on from past failures and mistakes.
I click my heels
I am trying to find some sense of control or power in my life.
Get the devils in line
I am trying to overcome my inner demons or fears.
A list of things I could lay the blame on
It's easy to find excuses or reasons for why things have gone wrong in my life.
Might give me a way out
I might be able to escape responsibility or accountability by blaming someone or something else.
But with each turn
Despite the excuses, I am still experiencing the consequences of my actions.
It's this front and center
My failures and mistakes are impossible to ignore or overlook.
Like a dart stuck square in your eye
The pain and regret of my actions is sharp and impossible to ignore.
Every post you can hitch your faith on
It's hard to find something to believe in or trust when everything else has failed.
Is a pie in the sky
The things we hope for or rely on are often unrealistic or unattainable.
Chock full of lies
We tell ourselves and others stories or half-truths to make ourselves feel better.
A tool we devise
These stories or half-truths are just coping mechanisms we create to get through life.
To make sinking stones fly
We try to make the impossible possible, but in the end, we can't change reality.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@larizalopega7541
One hand on this wily comet
Take a drink just to give me some weight
Some uber-man I'd make
I'm barely a vapor
They shone a chlorine light on
A host of individual sins
Let's carve my aging face off
Fetch us a knife
Start with my eyes
Down so the lines
Form a grimacing smile
Close your eyes to corral a virtue
Is this fooling anyone else?
Never worked so long and hard
To cement a failure
We can blow on our thumbs and posture
But the lonely are such delicate things
The wind from a wasp could blow them
Into the sea
With stones on their feet
Lost to the light and the loving we need
Still to come
The worst part and you know it
There is a numbness
In your heart and it's growing
With burnt sage and a forest of bygones
I click my heels
Get the devils in line
A list of things I could lay the blame on
Might give me a way out
But with each turn
It's this front and center
Like a dart stuck square in your eye
Every post you can hitch your faith on
Is a pie in the sky
Chock full of lies
A tool we devise
To make sinking stones fly
And still to come
The worst part and you know it
There is a numbness
In your heart and it's growing
@HGsleeve45
A Comet Appears Lyrics
The Shins
Send "A Comet Appears" Ringtone to your cell
One hand on this wily comet,
Take a drink just to give me some weight,
Some uber-man I'd make,
I'm barely a vapor
They shone a chlorine light on,
A host of individual sins,
Let's carve my aging face off,
Fetch us a knife,
Start with my eyes,
Down so the lines,
Form a grimacing smile,
Close your eyes to corral a virtue,
Is this fooling anyone else?
Never worked so long and hard,
To cement a failure,
We can blow on our thumbs and posture,
But the lonely are such delicate things,
The wind from a wasp could blow them,
Into the sea,
With stones on their feet,
Lost to the light and the loving we need,
Still to come,
The worst part and you know it,
There is a numbness,
In your heart and it's growing,
With burnt sage and a forest of bygones,
I click my heels,
Get the devils in line,
A list of things I could lay the blame on,
Might give me a way out,
But with each turn,
It's this front and center,
Like a dart stuck square in your eye,
Every post you can hitch your faith on,
Is a pie in the sky,
Chock full of lies,
A tool we devise,
To make sinking stones fly,
And still to come,
The worst part and you know it,
There is a numbness,
In your heart and it's growing.
Send "A Comet Appears" Ringtone to your cell
@dannyfromchicago3736
I'm here both because of Chuck and The Shins. I was listening to The Shins before I started watching Chuck, so when I heard this song in the show I was like "OMG that sounds like The Shins" 😃😃 Now this is my new favorite song 💯💯💯
@shapeofthesun
one of the best songs ever written
@PomPotsy
So simple yet so understated
@ninjamy9866
2019 chuck never died
@webs538
Back on prime
@lisanovosel3687
Magnificent. He sings like an angel and writes like a poet. Can't get enough of this.
@kimwakefield7793
He is a genius.
@johnb2956
Truth
@philspill6854
Im here cause it's The Shins
@ProfessorChomsky
Incredible performance of a truly moving and shattering song. I mean it, he nails it on this rendition. This is what is to be alive, to be emotionally and spiritually awake in this bleak world. Despite the deep, deep sadness of this, it is in another way uplifting and just makes you understand what it is to have lived and experienced some kind of emotional thing. I simply can't get over how beautiful this really is.