The Umbrellas were formed in 2019 by Bay Area musicians Matt Ferrara, Keith Frerichs, Nick Oka, and Morgan Stanley. They took inspiration from a long line of twee and indie pop bands and paisley underground artists and channeled those influences into their first self-recorded tracks. Their four-song Maritime EP was recorded using a drum machine in winter of 2019, and the next year the songs were reissued on a limited run 7" that quickly sold out. The band signed with indie pop institution Slumberland Records for the release of their self-titled debut LP and reconfigured their arrangements to include live drums and expanded production. The album was released in August of 2021.
Biography by Fred Thomas
Emergency
The Umbrellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my left hand shakes
Against your new couch
Control of the situation
Fell through my fingers
I heard her say :
"You can't keep living as if you're dying"
Well, I'm dying
Now in an awkward way
To spend the holiday
In such a deviant way to behave
Its amazing how quiet this house is
When the world outside,
It celebrates their new years
And their new fears
Your addiction is okay,
'Cause its manically approved
And the night has expired
Lay me down to sleep
But one more thing can you say diction
And admit my guilt, emergency
And emergency
Its whispered at night
Now in an awkward way
To spend the holiday
In such a deviant way to behave
Its amazing how quiet this house is
When the world outside,
It celebrates their new years
And their new fears
The Umbrellas' song "Emergency" seemingly talks about a person struggling with their addiction and the inner turmoil it causes. The first verse starts with the singer admitting to trying to be patient while dealing with their addiction. However, their "left hand shakes" while sitting on their partner's new couch, causing them to feel out of control. The situation falls through their fingers, and they hear a voice saying, "You can't keep living as if you're dying." The last line of the verse expresses the singer's feeling of helplessness and desperation saying, "Well, I'm dying."
The second verse describes the singer spending the holidays in an awkward and deviant way. While the world outside celebrates the new year and their resolutions, the singer struggles with their addiction. The lines "your addiction is okay" and "manically approved" may suggest societal acceptance or peer pressure for the singer's substance abuse. In the last lines of the song, the singer begs someone to "admit my guilt" and "emergency" while whispering in the night, possibly expressing the fear of losing control or seeking help that they cannot seem to find.
Overall, the song is a poignant representation of the struggle with addiction and the feelings of desperation and isolation that can result from it. The quietness of the house and the world outside celebrating new beginnings and resolutions only emphasizes the character's struggle and highlights their loneliness and feelings of detachment.
Line by Line Meaning
I always tell myself to be patient
Despite my impatience, I try to remain calm and composed
But my left hand shakes
I am anxious about something and it is visible in my physical actions
Against your new couch
My nervousness is causing me to fidget and move around
Control of the situation
I had hoped to have some control over what is happening
Fell through my fingers
However, things did not go as planned and I feel like I have lost my grasp on the situation
I heard her say :
Someone said to me
"You can't keep living as if you're dying"
That I should stop living in fear or acting recklessly
Well, I'm dying
But I feel like I am out of control and cannot help how I behave
Now in an awkward way
Currently, I find myself in a strange and uncomfortable situation
To spend the holiday
During a normally joyous time of year
In such a deviant way to behave
But my behavior is abnormal or unacceptable
Its amazing how quiet this house is
Despite the outside celebrations, my surroundings are still and almost eerie
When the world outside,
Despite everything going on in the world
It celebrates their new years
People are still able to find joy and celebrate the new year
And their new fears
Even though they may also have new worries or anxieties
Your addiction is okay,
I am accepting of your addiction
'Cause its manically approved
Because society often glamorizes or accepts certain types of addiction
And the night has expired
As the night ends and the situation is over
Lay me down to sleep
I am exhausted and need rest
But one more thing can you say diction
Before I rest, can you please confess to something
And admit my guilt, emergency
Specifically, can you help me address a problem or emergency that I feel guilty about
And emergency
This is a serious and urgent matter, so I need assistance as soon as possible
Its whispered at night
I am scared to confront this issue, and it often keeps me up at night
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SCOTT WINDSOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind