Ben Spraker - Guitars and Voice… Read Full Bio ↴Don Condescending - Keyboards and Voices
Ben Spraker - Guitars and Voices
Shadraq Meeshaq - More Guitars and Occasional Voices
Teenage Man - Drums
Thaddeus Thompson - Basses, keyboards, and Occasional Voices
A five-piece new-wave power-pop band from Atlanta and Athens, GA. The Shut-Ups were founded by Don Condescending in Atlanta who had played in bands such as Lana Becomes A Man during the 90s. Don was plotting the Shut-Ups solo album with producer Jason NeSmith (Casper Fandango). Years in the making, The Shut-Ups was finally released in 2001 by Lookit Meee! Records, and distributed by Imperial Fuzz.
It Hurts To Be Seen is the Shut-Ups' second album, and their first as a full band. The record features: Ben Spraker (frontman of Athens' Ceiling Fan, ex-drummer Casper Fandango & The Cookies) contributes lead vocals and guitar work, Steve Libbey (aka Robotic Storm Cloud, owner of Imperial Fuzz) chips in with some guitar as well, Thaddeus Thompson (ex-Parks and Empty Spaces and regular on the Orange Hat hour) offers some tall bass, and drummer Darkis Knight (toured with Milli Vanilli, Billy Idol, Teena Marie and others, extra on several seasons of "E.R.") brings L.A. polish to the Shut-Ups rhythm section.
They have four albums:
The Shut-Ups (2001)
It Hurts To Be Seen (2003)
The STUD Album (2006)
Imaginary Dancer (2008)
They are currently working on their latest album.
I Hate People
The Shut-Ups Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All booked up on depression and self-loathing.
Buried deep in sleep from passing out, no time to plan ahead.
Someone please tell me, why do I think this way?
Someone please tell me that this isn't the end of everything.
A chemical imbalance? No. The smell of my own vomit lost in my last tears.
No more kissing clocks or throwing coins into wishing wells to try and fix the way I fucked myself.
When it's finally here, it's never enough and when it's finally gone, it's never coming back.
Somehow I fooled myself into believing that this would work out, that I wouldn't end up hurt.
The Shut-Ups' song "I Hate People" is a heartfelt and introspective reflection of the struggles with depression and self-loathing. The singer has reached a low point in their life where they feel overwhelmed and incapable of planning for the future. The lyrics "bottomed out" and "all booked up on depression and self-loathing" are indicative of the singer's mental state. They are consumed by negative thoughts and emotions that have left them buried deep in sleep and unable to look forward. The plea "someone please tell me why do I think this way?" highlights the desperation and confusion felt by the singer.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's state of mind. They reject the idea that their struggles are simply a chemical imbalance or something easily fixed. The imagery of "smell of my own vomit lost in my last tears" is a visceral and raw portrayal of the singer's pain. They have tried everything to fix themselves, but nothing seems to work. The singer's disappointment and resignation are palpable in the lines "when it's finally here, it's never enough and when it's finally gone, it's never coming back." The song's final lines reveal the singer's attempt to hold on to hope despite everything that has happened. The phrase "somehow I fooled myself into believing that this would work out" is tinged with sadness and regret, but it also suggests that the singer is unwilling to give up entirely.
Line by Line Meaning
I have bottomed out and my future doesn't fit into my schedule.
I feel completely overwhelmed and hopeless, and I can't see a way forward in my life.
All booked up on depression and self-loathing.
I'm consumed by feelings of sadness and worthlessness, with no room for anything else in my mind.
Buried deep in sleep from passing out, no time to plan ahead.
I'm so lost in my own despair that I'm resorting to numbing myself with sleep, which only keeps me from facing my problems head-on.
Someone please tell me, why do I think this way?
I desperately need someone to explain to me why I'm feeling this miserable and stuck.
Someone please tell me that this isn't the end of everything.
I desperately need reassurance that things won't always feel this hopeless and empty.
A chemical imbalance? No. The smell of my own vomit lost in my last tears.
My sadness and despair come from real experiences and circumstances in my life, not just a theoretical medical condition. I feel like I'm drowning in my own distress.
No more kissing clocks or throwing coins into wishing wells to try and fix the way I fucked myself.
I've tried all kinds of superficial remedies for my problems, but they're not enough to make me feel better or to address the root causes of my pain.
When it's finally here, it's never enough and when it's finally gone, it's never coming back.
I've experienced moments of happiness and hope in the past, but they always feel fleeting and I'm left feeling like I'm right back where I started.
Somehow I fooled myself into believing that this would work out, that I wouldn't end up hurt.
I had hope that things would get better for me, but I'm starting to realize that that hope may have been misguided and unrealistic.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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