<… 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
My Seventh Rib
The Shins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A slow production line of cheap-shots from both sides
Shot from the hip to my seventh rib
A spoiled tomato lies in all that you say
And I was the last of us to know
Sound the alarm for my sentimental ways
Have come in view and we've all got our own knives
Our mind and tight skin will soon be old
But this wasn't meant for us to know
Youth's open shutters
Give way to another
Taken by slight of hand
And every American has the mouth of a pelican
Now can I share that pillow with you love?
They've got us in fits to find a way out
Of this exploded view of a life once so simple
First with the curse that my sentimental ways
Are drawing my innocence to a close
And these were not meant for me to know
The Shins’ song My Seventh Rib is a complex examination of modern society and the corruption of innocence. The lyrics paint a picture of a world in which the silver-tongued manipulators rule over the masses, doling out cheap shots and lies with reckless abandon. The singer of the song feels the sting of this betrayal keenly, as he realizes that he has been played for a fool by someone he once trusted. The “spoiled tomato” that lies in all that the manipulator says represents the rot at the core of our society, and the singer’s recognition that he was “the last of us to know” brings home the sense of isolation and loneliness that many people feel in the face of the world’s deceit.
As the song progresses, the mood becomes increasingly melancholic. The singer imagines a future in which his “sentimental ways” have drawn his “innocence to a close,” and the “mind and tight skin” of everyone else will “soon be old.” It’s a bleak picture of a world without hope or joy, where even the young have been disillusioned and the old are left with nothing but regret. The references to “youth’s open shutters” being “taken by slight of hand” suggest that this decline has been a long time coming, and that the world has been slowly corrupted over time.
Overall, My Seventh Rib is a powerful commentary on the state of modern society and the dangers of complacency and apathy. The song’s lyrics are both insightful and haunting, and they serve as a reminder that we must all remain vigilant against the forces of corruption and deception that threaten to consume us.
Line by Line Meaning
Your silver tongue laughs at the clowns of our age
You speak cleverly, ridiculing those who try to entertain or enlighten our generation.
A slow production line of cheap-shots from both sides
Everyone is mindlessly trading insults without any real substance or originality.
Shot from the hip to my seventh rib
Your words hurt me deeply, hitting the core of my being.
A spoiled tomato lies in all that you say
Your words are rotten, filled with deceit and corruption.
And I was the last of us to know
I was the only one who didn't realize the truth about you.
Sound the alarm for my sentimental ways
I'm vulnerable to emotions and may make decisions based on feelings.
Have come in view and we've all got our own knives
Everyone has their own weapons and is ready to attack as soon as someone shows their weaknesses.
Sold to the worst of the devils we know
We're trapped serving the most evil and malevolent beings we're familiar with.
Our mind and tight skin will soon be old
Our youthful appearance and sharp minds won't last forever.
But this wasn't meant for us to know
We weren't supposed to understand the harsh realities of life so soon.
Youth's open shutters
The young are exposed to the world, eager to learn and experience.
Give way to another
They'll eventually grow up and be replaced by a new generation.
Taken by slight of hand
They're easily tricked and misled by deception and illusions.
And every American has the mouth of a pelican
People talk excessively, swallowing every piece of information they come across without thinking.
Now can I share that pillow with you love?
Can we be intimate and trust each other even though the world is harsh and unkind?
They've got us in fits to find a way out
We're desperately looking for a solution to escape this vicious cycle.
Of this exploded view of a life once so simple
The way we used to live is now shattered, leaving us confused and unsure of what to do.
First with the curse that my sentimental ways
My sensitivity is viewed as a negative trait, bringing me nothing but misery.
Are drawing my innocence to a close
I'm losing my naivety and becoming more aware of the harsh realities of the world.
And these were not meant for me to know
I wasn't meant to understand the dark, sinister side of life so soon.
Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
youbee
remembered this from 2 years ago, just came back. so glad it's still up :D
youbee
its my seventh rib, not my seventh rip. thanks for putting it up tho :)
phil bartlett
youbee ten years later I only just noticed that
phil bartlett
"My seventh rip" hahaha I think I done 7 rips tonight as well
mdecerteau
This sounds like "Marchers in Orange" by Guided by Voices in a very good way!
bellarina1294
Cool music!! I have say it is very different but i like different!!! Perfection to my ears.
Eddy Lands
This was the first thing i ever bought by the shins... I thought it was fucking magical. Blew my mind. Wincing the night away was left wanting... which is kind of depressing considering this is where they started. Maybe they'll go back to it if I complain enough.
Walahu Willomer
ElDylanos ya
youbee
hah holy shit i'm back again. a year later lol
Axel Gaspar
Evan Bourne used this music as entrance theme ??? It's strange