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

The Gloating Sun
The Shins Lyrics

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Tap on your cap
There's a whispering breeze in town
The trees have found a voice and
You're one for fun
You're one for fun in the gloating sun
And now I'm making it in
From out a fireplace on stilts
Pay less attention

The room
Said crying's a fate
Or whatever word you used to call it
I'm one for climb
I'm one for climb in the sun
And how for us to be so black and happy
Before the souls have all been stopped
The draining lasts for you still
Five jars I'm drinking our fill

The tips will sing the Christmas star
Our laughing heart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Shins' song The Gloating Sun portray an idyllic setting of a town enjoying a beautiful day. The singer taps his cap to the light breeze as he observes the trees rustling in the wind with a newfound voice. The singer is playful and carefree, fully immersed in the joy of the moment. However, there is an underlying melancholy in his tone as he alludes to a "fate" or "draining" that affects him and those around him. Despite this, he chooses to focus on the present, finding a sense of camaraderie in the shared joy of his companions.

The song's lyrics are evocative of a coming of age story, where the singer attempts to reconcile the ups and downs of growing up. He acknowledges that the sorrows of life are inevitable, but also emphasizes the importance of enjoying the present moment while it lasts. The song's final lines, "Our laughing heart," suggest a realization that despite life's trials and tribulations, it is still possible to find happiness and joy.

Line by Line Meaning

Tap on your cap
Put your hand on your head

There's a whispering breeze in town
The wind is blowing gently.

The trees have found a voice and
The trees are rustling and making noise.

You're one for fun
You enjoy having fun.

You're one for fun in the gloating sun
You enjoy having fun on sunny days.

And now I'm making it in
I'm succeeding.

From out a fireplace on stilts
From a unique location.

Pay less attention
Don't focus too much on something

The room
The atmosphere

Said crying's a fate
Crying is inevitable.

Or whatever word you used to call it
Or whatever term you prefer to use.