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
Thunder & Lightning
The Unicorns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
leave their corpses in my underwear
Nick: Smoke plumes become clouds
you just blend in
tu vas est tu vien
Alden & nick:
leave their corpses in my underwear
The lyrics to The Unicorns' song Thunder & Lightning are somewhat cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to convey a sense of detachment and defiance in the face of danger or threat. The repeated lines "I don't care, I don't care" suggest either a lack of concern or a deliberate effort to appear unafraid, while the image of leaving corpses in one's underwear implies a disregard for the consequences of one's actions.
Nick's verse adds a surreal element, with the reference to smoke plumes becoming clouds and the phrase "tu vas est tu vien," which translates to "you go, you come" in French. This could suggest a sense of impermanence or fluidity, as well as a distancing from reality. Overall, the song seems to be a statement of self-assurance or even defiance in the face of chaos or danger.
Line by Line Meaning
Alden: I don't care, i don't care
I have no concern or interest, truly none at all
leave their corpses in my underwear
I am completely apathetic towards any consequences or aftermath
Nick: Smoke plumes become clouds
Smoke rising from combustion transforms into condensed water vapor in the atmosphere
you just blend in
You conform and assimilate with your surroundings in order to avoid standing out or being unique
tu vas est tu vien
You come and go, you are constantly in motion without making a lasting impact
Alden & nick: I don't care i don't care
Together, we share this unyielding indifference
leave their corpses in my underwear
We are unaffected by any turmoil or distress that surrounds us
Contributed by Sydney C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jimmy Shrimbe
My god I’m gonna cry while my heart explodes because this is so good it melted my brain down my neck to my heart. It was hot, my heart was combustible apparently. I love these guys! So glad they re used this riff with Islands ❤️
The Family Dog
Leave it to The Unicorns to take lyrics like "I don't care, leave their corpses in my underwear" and make them sound absolutely profound.
David Rod
this really hits the spot in my soul!
cgwhip
The fact that i heard swans 1000 times before I ever heard this one makes this so nostalgic and way better for a first time listen.
Angelo Rosales
I wish they’d come back so much
jornmann
perhaps in 2024
little ghost
@birdflesh remember how "Unicorns 2014" ended tho? "Lie lie lie lie lie lie". They told us from the beginning lol
birdflesh
I thought for sure they were going to reunite for good in 2014 and as the year wrapped up, so did my hopes for that happening. 😥
felip v
hi
Darren Nelson
I love the album artwork, it's a little more avant garde than the norm. I absolutely adore ink washes as well. This may not actually be an ink wash, but it very closely resembles one. Regardless, neato. The song is pretty amazing too, but so are all of the songs by the Unicorns.