The band self-released their debut album Unicorns Are People Too in March 2003 through their own record label Caterpillars of the Community, with a limited press run of 500 copies.
In October of the same year they went back into the studio, recording several new songs as well as reworking a number of songs from their debut. The resulting second album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?, was released in November 2003 on the label Alien8 Recordings, and was a notable departure for a label that has traditionally released albums by avantgarde and highly experimental artists such as Acid Mothers Temple and noise pioneer Merzbow.
The album received glowing reviews from The Village Voice, NME, online magazine Pitchfork and numerous other publications around the world, and it quickly earned the band a fanatical following on the indie-rock circuit. The band toured constantly for 13 months following its release, initially supporting fellow Canadian band Hot Hot Heat across North America before proceeding to play to sell-out crowds in Australia, Europe and the UK, as well as touring several more times across the US and Canada.
The band's hectic touring schedule took its toll, however, and by the time of their Australian tour in December 2004 they were showing signs of exhaustion, playing reportedly lukewarm shows and verbally clashing with audience members. On December 28, 2004, a short message appeared on the Unicorns' website reading "THE UNICORNS ARE DEAD, (R.I.P.)," leading fans to speculate as to whether they had broken up. In early February of 2005 pitchforkmedia.com reported that The Unicorns had split. Also the website solidpr.com issued a press statement on the band's behalf confirming the claims of break-up.
Thorburn and Thompson continue to collaborate together as Th' Corn Gangg (a pop/hip-hop project) and Islands (a pop project).
Penner released a 7" on the Melbourne-based Art School Dropout label. The a-side, "The Ghost Of Creaky Crater", was recorded in Melbourne on December 19, 2004 while The Unicorns were touring the country. The release was limited to 100 copies. Penner now performs under the name Dub Intefadah.
From Wikipedia
52 Favourite Things
The Unicorns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
well that's OK
my birthday's a week away
gonna (1) have a cake, (2) swim at the beach
(3) wake up early, & (4) go to bed late
(25) golden loyal dog by the (36) ground well
(38 ) fresh cut grass (42) ocean in the seashell
(49) use potassium iodide to make slugs shrink and die
(51) blaming my sister, until i'm free, it's my 52 favourite thing,
next to (52) being me.
* Please note for this song the numbers next to certain words
correspond to the actual numbers of a condensed version of Nick's
"52 favourite things"
The Unicorns' song 52 Favourite Things is a thoughtful and intricate exploration of the things that bring the singer joy and comfort in life. The song opens with the singer talking about how they're headed to bed on a Sunday, but it's okay because their birthday is coming up soon. They list off a few things that they're looking forward to doing on their birthday, including having a cake, going swimming at the beach, waking up early, and going to bed late. These simple pleasures are presented as sources of true joy and contentment for the singer, and they set the tone for the rest of the song.
As the song progresses, the singer rattles off a series of seemingly random phrases that are actually drawn from a list of the 52 favourite things that they've compiled. These favourite things range from burbly crowns to wearing big shoes to listening to NRBQ, and each one seems to hold a special place in the singer's heart. Some of the favourite things are difficult to parse or decipher, like using potassium iodide to make slugs shrink and die, but they all contribute to a sense of awe and wonder at the world around us. The final favourite thing is simply "being me", which is a powerful statement of self-acceptance and love.
Overall, 52 Favourite Things is a delightfully quirky and heartfelt song that celebrates the small moments and pleasures in life. It's a song about finding joy in unexpected places and appreciating the little things that make us who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
headed to bed on sunday
I am about to go to sleep on a Sunday
well that's OK
There is nothing wrong with going to bed on a Sunday
my birthday's a week away
My birthday will occur in one week's time
gonna have a cake, swim at the beach, wake up early, & go to bed late
I plan on celebrating my birthday by having a cake, swimming at the beach, waking up early, and going to bed late
golden loyal dog by the ground well
I appreciate having a faithful, golden-colored dog by my well
fresh cut grass ocean in the seashell
I enjoy the smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of the ocean when I listen to a seashell
burying robins in the backyard
One of my favorite activities is burying dead robins in my backyard
use potassium iodide to make slugs shrink and die
I find pleasure in using potassium iodide to make slugs smaller and kill them
blaming my sister, until i'm free, it's my 52 favourite thing
When I blame my sister, I feel a sense of liberation which makes it one of my favorite things to do, and it is the 52nd item on my list of favorites
next to being me
My absolute favorite thing to do is to be myself
Contributed by Camilla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@crazysikhguy2369
headed to bed on sunday
well that's OK
my birthday's a week away
gonna have a cake, swim at the beach
wake up early, & go to bed late
golden loyal dog by the ground well
fresh cut grass ocean in the seashell
burying robins in the backyard
use potassium iodide to make slugs shrink and die
blaming my sister, until i'm free, it's my 52 favourite thing,
next to being me.
@ShadowsFall8
Falling in love with the unicorns is one of those golden, rare life experiences you only get once but in turn lasts a lifetime. I love the unicorns.
@crazysikhguy2369
couldn't have been framed any better
@benjaminwheeler390
Beautiful way of putting it. Was a defining part of my formative years. God I love their songs.
@joshk2181
was a dark time for me but really made me feel a lot better
@invertedcrown
@@joshk2181 holy ditto
@DzedajO
This songs sends me back to high school druing long and boring math lessons, when my and my friend used to share earphones listening to this song, not paying attention to class, and just telling stupid jokes and draw on the edge of books. Good times.
@bostenkelp1837
DzedajO fuckin a man. Fuckin a.
@Evveffentide
here I am in 2021, beer in hand. I just wish I could get high again. This song was a great companion in high school. Love to all.
@meaganneff5434
This song found me a week before my birthday. I wish they could've played for me as a gift 🎁I spent all day marinating dreamingly wishing for present memories of future plans....and ahhh my poor sister.
@awkwardhugs7022
Hearing this is always a amazing experience