New Slang
The Shins Lyrics
Gold teeth and a curse for this town
Were all in my mouth
Only I don't know how they got out, dear
Turn me back into the pet
I was when we met
I was happier then with no mindset
And if you'd took to me like a
Gull takes to the wind
Oh, I'd've jumped from my trees
And the rest of our lives would have fared well
New slang when you notice the stripes
The dirt in your fries
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall
Never should have called
But my head's to the wall and I'm lonely
And if you'd took to me like a
Gull takes to the wind
Well, I'd've jumped from my trees
And I'd've danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would have fared well
Godspeed, all the bakers at dawn
May they all cut their thumbs
And bleed into their buns 'til they melt away
I'm lookin' in on the good life
I might be doomed never to find
Without a trust or flaming fields
Am I too dumb to refine?
And if you took to me like, well
I'd've danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would have fared well
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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"New Slang" (also called "New Slang (When You Notice the Stripes)") is a song by The Shins. It was released as a 7" single in 2001, and subsequently appeared on their album Oh, Inverted World. It achieved mainstream popularity after its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Garden State and its appearance in a McDonald's television commercial. James Mercer has stated in an interview with InDublin Magazine that, at the time he wrote the song, he wanted to get out of his "home town, job, relationship and life". Read Full Bio"New Slang" (also called "New Slang (When You Notice the Stripes)") is a song by The Shins. It was released as a 7" single in 2001, and subsequently appeared on their album Oh, Inverted World. It achieved mainstream popularity after its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Garden State and its appearance in a McDonald's television commercial. James Mercer has stated in an interview with InDublin Magazine that, at the time he wrote the song, he wanted to get out of his "home town, job, relationship and life".
The song was discussed in the film Garden State: Sam (Natalie Portman) passes a pair of headphones to Andrew (Zach Braff) and says, "You gotta hear this one song—it'll change your life." It was also featured on the Scrubs episode "My Balancing Act", and appeared on the series' 2002 soundtrack.
The track was named in the 2008 book The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present.
The Shins performed "New Slang" on Saturday Night Live on January 13, 2007.
There are two live versions of the song: one performed with Iron & Wine, which appears on the December 14, 2004 7" single release of "Fighting in a Sack", and another that appears on the "Know Your Onion" single.
The music video was directed by Lance Bangs and features the band re-enacting the cover art of other bands' albums, including Zen Arcade and New Day Rising by Hüsker Dü, Let It Be by The Replacements, Moon Pix by Cat Power, Double Nickels On The Dime by The Minutemen, Squirrel Bait's first album, Sonic Youth's Sister and Slint's Spiderland.
The song was discussed in the film Garden State: Sam (Natalie Portman) passes a pair of headphones to Andrew (Zach Braff) and says, "You gotta hear this one song—it'll change your life." It was also featured on the Scrubs episode "My Balancing Act", and appeared on the series' 2002 soundtrack.
The track was named in the 2008 book The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present.
The Shins performed "New Slang" on Saturday Night Live on January 13, 2007.
There are two live versions of the song: one performed with Iron & Wine, which appears on the December 14, 2004 7" single release of "Fighting in a Sack", and another that appears on the "Know Your Onion" single.
The music video was directed by Lance Bangs and features the band re-enacting the cover art of other bands' albums, including Zen Arcade and New Day Rising by Hüsker Dü, Let It Be by The Replacements, Moon Pix by Cat Power, Double Nickels On The Dime by The Minutemen, Squirrel Bait's first album, Sonic Youth's Sister and Slint's Spiderland.
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Ethan Brown
Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth.
Only I don't know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet I was when we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.
And if you'd 'a took to me like a gull takes to the wind.
Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree
And I'd 'a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.
New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony.
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,
Never should have called
But my head's to the wall and I'm lonely.
And if you'd 'a took to me like a gull takes to the wind.
Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree
And I'd 'a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.
God speed all the bakers at dawn
May they all cut their thumbs,
And bleed into their buns 'til they melt away.
I'm looking in on the good life I might be doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am I too dumb to refine?
And if you'd 'a took to me like
I'd 'a danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.
Edit: I come back three years later to find that over 350 beautiful people liked these amazing lyrics. Thank you all so much <3
Bryant Colon
If any of you were wondering, here's all the things this video is referencing (there's some I missed though)
0:00 Husker Du - Zen Arcade album cover
0:13 The Replacements - Let it Be album cover
0:17 Husker Du - New Day Rising album cover
0:20 Slint - Spiderland album cover
0:24 Sonic Youth - Sister album cover (bottom right on back cover)
0:28 Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime album cover
0:35 Squirrel Bait - Squirrel Bait (EP) album cover
0:51 -Sonic Youth (again)
1:04 Cat Power - Nude as the News music video
1:13 Cat Power- Moon Pix album cover
1:38 Slint - Spiderland (again)
1:51 Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (again)
2:29 Husker Du - New Day Rising (agian)
2:42 Sonic Youth - Sister (again)
3:08 Sonic Youth - Sister (again)
3:28 Slint - Spiderland (again)
3:32 Minutemen - Double Nickels (again)
3:35 Husker Du - Zen Arcade (again)
3:39 Replacements - Let it Be (again)
You're welcome
ARTV
All the feels come rushing back with this one.
Marco Perez Lynch
literally
Gunther Ultrabolt Novacrunch
absolutely.
Daniel Ertel
ain't that the truth!! this song is magical and will always take me away back to those days many years ago when I first heard it.
BilisNegra
Listening to this while coming home late at night from my first job, go figure the memories.
Noah Lane
I remember sitting in my shrink’s waiting room when Natalie Portman recommended this song to me.
Xander Foley
Ha!
Bur Christelle
1
Pat Rick
Gull to the wind...
James Hood
Wonderful film. Helped Natalie's career. The song is one of the most beautiful I have ever heard.