The Slip formed when bassist Marc Friedman and brothers Andrew Barr and Brad Barr (Drums and Guitar/Vox, respectively) moved to Boston together after graduating from high school, where they had met and first began playing music as a group.
In 1996 the trio of recent Berklee dropouts put out their first studio album and began establishing a dedicated fan-base through relentless touring in and around the northeast. A late-nineties blend of extended roots pop compositions and experimental rhythmic approaches, the band developed and found their sound through an extremely supportive local scene of artists, musicians, and actors, coupled with a rigorous, and – soon – national, tour schedule. An eclectic new brand of exploratory roots psych-rock emerged; Van Morrison meets Keith Jarrett meets Talking Heads.
By 2001, the band’s tour schedule had brought them to sold-out headlining shows at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom, successful tours in Japan, and a record deal with Rykodisc.
While the band’s line-up remained consistent throughout the next few years on the road, their sound developed considerably and the instrumentation expanded radically. The Slip grew from young, earthy avant-gardes to strong, mature contemporary-rock composers, creating a new sonic landscape that drew equally from CAN, U2, and new interests like Built to Spill and Postal Service.
By 2003, the trio’s non-stop touring produced Alivelectric and Aliveacoustic, a companion live set that also represented the inaugural release of their own independent record label, 216 records.
Aliveacoustic presented a rustic and intimate, voyeuristic snapshot of the band unplugged, on a rainy night at the intimate Club Helsinki in the Berkshire Mountains. Equal parts Wilco, My Morning Jacket, and 12 Golden Country Hits – era Ween, the album contains a tender honesty that carries through from tent-revival stomps to humble and dusty lyrical psalms.
Alivelectric, on the other hand, is almost exclusively instrumental, with a deep resonance and a wide breadth of analog and digital effects. Culled from an equally wide array of performances throughout the U.S. during the fall of 2002 and the summer and spring of 2003, Alivelectric gave 216 a chance to showcase the band at its grander, more expansive and ethereal live moments. The album presents an articulated side of The Slip much closer to Do Make Say Think, Tortoise, electric Bill Frisell and Squarepusher albums than the dusty americana present on it’s companion release.
These two records represent the most coherent articulation of the bands’ distinct sides to date, and have sold a combined 14,000 copies so far. The band has sold a total of over 50,000 albums independently.
In the five years following their last studio release, the band has also spent more and more of their time off the road in their home studios, gradually honing a new and innovative approach to recording and distilling an overall songwriting vision. So pervasive a transformation has occurred that The Slip have even recently been accused - perhaps appropriately - of ‘changing everything short of their name’.
Coming out of this, their heaviest state of growth and development in years, the band entered Q-Division Studios in March 2005 and began six months of utterly focused work with co-producer Mathew Ellard. The result is their 4th studio album, Eisenhower which stands as the most cohesive and evocative work the band has put together thus far.
Showcasing the raw analog passion of Broken Social Scene, the accessible melodic songcraft of Mojave 3, and the lush soundscapes and wash-like textures of Mogwai, the album’s dynamics also range from Iron and Wine–style intimate vocal immediacy to the thunderous big-beat anthem-sincerity of the Flaming Lips, with enough room in between for haunting vocal melodies evocative of Antonio Carlos Jobim or Sigur Ros laid over with sparce, raw, Notwist-style live percussion. It is the band’s finest work to date
Already proving itself be a very good indication of a brilliant upcoming album, the first single that has been released - “Even Rats” – that has been released (on most digital services) has already been featured in the extremely successful Playstation2 game Guitar Hero and was also chosen to be one of only ten songs preloaded on the new SanDisk mp3 player - 4.5 million of which are set to ship in mid-march 2006.
The album also contains a revamped version of “Children of December,” the demo version of which was awarded the 2004 Heineken USA/ASCAP Foundation Grant for Best Pop/Rock Song in Boston.
The spring of 2005 also saw the band spin through the northeast, accompanied by Nathan Moore on vocals and guitar, as collective avant-folk band Surprise Me Mr. Davis; a modern alt-country super-group combining the raw and intimate vocals of a Tom Waits or a Nebraska-era Bruce Springsteen with the bluesy grit of the Black Keys, The Band or Two Gallants, all layered with the lush 3-and-4-part harmonies and dirty instrumentation of TV on the Radio. Selections from a late summer Montreal recording session formed a well-received EP entitled Only in Montreal.
2005 of course also saw The Slip playing a considerable amount of shows as themselves - throughout the U.S., Japan, Canada, and Mexico - and closed out with a memorable northeast New Year’s run supported by friends Apollo Sunshine.
Starting in late 2007, the trio took an unannounced hiatus from regular touring and have since only played occasional gigs as The Slip. They have not released any albums since 2006.
The future of The Slip seems to be on hold as the founding members, Andrew Barr and Brad Barr, have been focusing their work into The Barr Brothers.
Paper Birds
The Slip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know I'd never trace her, I can barely begin to barely place her chronologically
Just a flurry of white dresses and second guesses, now lesses which martyr me
If I'd really think about it, it's all I'd ever think about.
My land lord, has been shooting bullets into paper birds
Heh, when he's drunk, he's immaculate, especially before noon
What I'm trying to do, with these paper birds is to find a better way to lead one that's more accurate
When the lady finished crying I knew I had to say something to comfort her
But I all I've learned from love, is that what you love can be what destroyes you
Loves just a flower fading congradulating your vanity's champion
It's the blood I want to shed before old or even dead. x4
My land lord, has been shooting, bullets into paper birds
And he's last, of a dying breed. A pharmisist with wings
What I'm trying to do with these paper birds, is to find a way to lead one that's more accurate
And I'll take, these targets that I hit they can go on, my refrigerator for all my friends to see
The opening lyrics of "Paper Birds" by The Slip suggest a sense of longing and nostalgia as the singer reminisces about a past love. The singer acknowledges that they can barely remember the person chronologically, just a jumble of white dresses and second guesses. The use of the word "martyr" suggests that the singer is haunted by these memories that continue to burden him with guilt. Despite the singer's inability to trace or place this love, he confesses that she is all he thinks about. The sense of yearning throughout the lyrics creates a melancholic atmosphere that is accentuated by the use of metaphors and imagery.
The second verse shifts to a different perspective, that of the singer's landlord, who shoots bullets into paper birds. This whimsical image bears a deeper connotation as the landlord seems to be aiming for greater accuracy in his aim. The singer describes how he wants to practice his aim and his masculinity, while learning songs well before he sings them. This suggests a desire for self-improvement, a theme that resonates with the singer's longing for his past love.
The final verse returns to the singer's perspective as he tries to comfort a crying lady. However, the singer acknowledges that he has only learned that love can destroy you. The singer implies that love is fleeting and vanity-driven, a flower that will ultimately fade. But it is still something the singer is willing to shed blood for, before he grows old or even dies.
Overall, "Paper Birds" captures a sense of nostalgia and longing for things that are lost or out of reach. The lyrics suggest a desire for self-improvement and the pursuit of accuracy in one's life, while recognizing the ephemeral nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I often think about her when the night comes and I'm walking the road
I keep thinking about someone I've lost, especially when I'm alone at night.
And I know I'd never trace her, I can barely begin to barely place her chronologically
I can't find her or figure out when I lost her.
Just a flurry of white dresses and second guesses, now lesses which martyr me
All I remember are white dresses and doubts, but they haunt me and hurt me.
If I'd really think about it, it's all I'd ever think about.
If I really focus on it, I can't stop obsessing about her.
My land lord, has been shooting bullets into paper birds
My landlord is wasting bullets by shooting harmless objects.
Heh, when he's drunk, he's immaculate, especially before noon
Ironically, he's a great shot when he's drunk, especially early in the morning.
What I'm trying to do, with these paper birds is to find a better way to lead one that's more accurate
I'm using paper birds as targets to improve my aim and precision.
And I'll practice my aim, and I'll masculine my game, and I'll know songs well before it leaves my lips.
I will train harder, compete better, and master my craft, whether it's shooting or singing.
When the lady finished crying I knew I had to say something to comfort her
I felt compelled to console a woman who was upset and vulnerable.
But I all I've learned from love, is that what you love can be what destroyes you
My experiences with love taught me that caring for someone can harm you as well.
Loves just a flower fading congradulating your vanity's champion
Love is a brief and vain trophy that withers and dies like a flower.
It's the blood I want to shed before old or even dead. x4
I want to give my all and take risks while I'm alive, not just when I'm old or after I die.
And he's last, of a dying breed. A pharmisist with wings
My landlord represents a rare type of person, a healer who can fly, but also a fading one.
And I'll take, these targets that I hit they can go on, my refrigerator for all my friends to see
I will proudly display my achievements by putting my shot paper birds on my fridge for my friends to admire.
Contributed by Nathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Taruna Mahanata
Love it
Melanie D
What is this song about? I have different ideas in my head. It feels so meaningful.
Brian Thomas
I went here after not coming up with anything from interviews or a couple not completely satisfying attempts. Would love to know if Brad would give any clues or not.
Brian Thomas
Found this from an article
Barr describes the inspiration for “Paper Birds”, the album’s epic final track, as how we negotiate with “the forces that push us together and pull us apart… the desire to make ourselves “better”… and having the lid removed from the pot, getting a good look at what’s inside, and realizing we can be very complex and neurotic in what seems like our normal behavior.”
Melanie D
@Brian Thomas thank you that’s awesome.