They prefer the sound of vintage musical instruments, particularly the upright piano, and have often recorded at Marcata Recording, a recording studio built in Harlem in 1999 by the three former members of Jonathan Fire*Eater and later relocated to upstate New York.
Each of the members of The Walkmen grew up in and around the Washington, D.C. area, played in many of the same bands from early in their careers, and even attended the same Washington-area high school. The bandmates eventually moved to Harlem and became a part of the burgeoning New York City rock scene.
The band was formed in 2000 following the breakup of two separate bands: Jonathan Fire*Eater, whose members included Martin, Maroon and Barrick, and The Recoys, whose members included Leithauser and Bauer. The three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater, which had recorded for Dreamworks Records, had money left over from that past recording contract and used the remaining funds to construct a rehearsal space in uptown New York. The rehearsal space featured a 24-track recording studio and was dubbed Marcata Studios.
The newly-formed band, who wished to distance themselves from the garage rock sounds of previous bands, released a self-titled EP of songs in 2001 on Startime International, a small Brooklyn-based record label.[4] Shortly after release of the EP, which featured an eccentric blend of upright pianos and other vintage instruments, The Walkmen made their official live debut with a performance at Joe's Pub in the East Village.
The 2002 debut album Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone, released by Startime, was well received by critics. The album was noted for its innovative approach to atmosphere and instrumentation, with sparse bass and drums complemented by plinking piano, jangly guitars and Leithauser's unique vocal stylings. Two of the songs on the album, "The Blizzard of '96" and "That's the Punchline," were adaptations of tracks meant for The Recoys' unreleased full-length album.
Follow The Leader
The Walkmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A loyal man, a steady hand
You'll fall in line, I'll fall in line
It's all that we deserve
It's all for one, and one for all
We're stronger than we were before
It's all for one and one for all
The lyrics to The Walkmen's song Follow The Leader seem to be speaking to the idea of blind trust and loyalty that society often demands from individuals. The opening lines, "You would not find a faithful soul/A loyal man, a steady hand," suggest that it is rare to find someone who is truly loyal and reliable. However, the following lines, "You'll fall in line, I'll fall in line/It's all that we deserve," seem to indicate that despite the rarity of loyalty, people have a responsibility to fall in line and be blindly obedient.
The chorus of the song, "It's all for one, and one for all/We're stronger than we were before/It's all for one and one for all/It's all that we deserve," further emphasizes the idea of unity and the importance of putting the group's needs above individual desires or beliefs. This sentiment is further reinforced by the repetition of the phrase "all for one, and one for all."
Overall, the lyrics to Follow The Leader seem to suggest that while true loyalty may be rare, blind obedience and unity are necessary for the well-being of society.
Line by Line Meaning
You would not find a faithful soul
There is nobody who can be trusted to be faithful
A loyal man, a steady hand
No one is committed and capable of being a reliable support
You'll fall in line, I'll fall in line
We're expected to conform and comply
It's all that we deserve
We deserve to be controlled and subservient
It's all for one, and one for all
We're all in this together, serving a unified purpose
We're stronger than we were before
As a unit, we are more powerful than as individuals
It's all for one and one for all
Our allegiance and obedience is expected to benefit everyone equally
It's all that we deserve
Our worth is based on our ability to follow orders and contribute to the collective
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: JAMES HAMILTON LEITHAUSER, MATTHEW FREDERICK BARRICK, PAUL C MAROON, PETER M BAUER, WALTER R MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind