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.
Stop Talking
The Walkmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come together
And I draw in the breath through my teeth
Your curt shots
Sarcastic remarks
Come so often
They're never sincere
That's the problem
You're saying something and my eyes
Open wider
And we grin and we stare at the floor
Your jokes missed
Your hands grow to fists
And your lips purse
Expecting the worst
With every word
That's how it started
That's the problem
And after were done
I can still feel your eyes on my forehead
And after were done
I can still feel the pain in my free time
The Walkmen's song Stop Talking is a song about a relationship that has gone sour due to constant sarcastic remarks and insincere communication. The song starts with the singer's hands coming together and drawing in a sharp breath through their teeth, possibly as a reaction to the expected onslaught of verbal attacks from their partner. The singer feels as if their partner's words are never meant sincerely and are always delivered as curt shots.
The chorus focuses on the deeper issue at hand - a darker sense of amusement sets in as the couple continues to communicate in this negative way. The singer's eyes open wider in reaction to what their partner says, and both parties ultimately end up staring at the floor. The partner's jokes continually miss their mark, and their frustration builds as they clench their fists and purse their lips. The singer feels as if their partner is always expecting the worst and every word is loaded with negativity.
The song concludes with two lines that convey the lasting impact of the relationship's negativity on the singer. They can still feel their partner's eyes on their forehead and the pain of the relationship in their free time. The song leaves the listener with a sense of unease and a deeper understanding of the impact of negative communication on a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
My hands
My hands come together, indicating that I am about to confront you
Come together
My hands come together in a unified manner to demonstrate my readiness to face the issue
And I draw in the breath through my teeth
I take a deep breath and clench my teeth in anticipation of what you're about to say
Your curt shots
Your brief and blunt comments directed at me
Sarcastic remarks
Your comments are tinged with sarcasm
Come so often
Your comments are frequent and repetitive
They're never sincere
Your comments lack sincerity and genuine concern
Darker amusement sets in
As I continue to listen to your remarks, a darker feeling of amusement sets in
That's the problem
The issue is that your comments are never sincere and leave no room for productive conversation
You're saying something and my eyes
Your words are causing me to react both verbally and physically
Open wider
My eyes visibly widen, astonished by your remark
And we grin and we stare at the floor
We both exchange smirks and stare blankly at the ground, unsure of what to say next
Your jokes missed
Your attempts at humor have failed to lighten the mood
Your hands grow to fists
You become increasingly agitated and tense
And your lips purse
You close your lips to prevent yourself from saying something you might regret
Expecting the worst
Both of us are anticipating a negative outcome from this conversation
With every word
Your every word is like adding fuel to the fire
That's how it started
The conversation began with your usual insincere comments
And after were done
After the conversation has ended
I can still feel your eyes on my forehead
I feel like you're constantly scrutinizing me even when the conversation is over
And after were done
Even when the conversation is over
I can still feel the pain in my free time
The negative impact of our conversation lingers long after we've parted ways
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