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.
The North Pole
The Walkmen Lyrics
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And maybe that's a problem that we have
'Cause everybody knows
I've seen you with your new boyfriend it's funny how you look at him I
Know we won't be seeing him again
'Cause everybody knows, that's the way it goes
Your Monday morning train takes you uptown
So here's what they're saying
I'm sincerely yours
The lyrics to The Walkmen's song The North Pole are filled with a melancholic tone that speaks to the complexities of relationships, especially those that have ended. The opening lines of the song, "Maybe it's not good and it's not bad, and maybe that's a problem that we have," suggest a sense of confusion and uncertainty in the singer's mind. This ambiguity of good and bad can be a problem because it creates a lack of clarity, which is often essential in relationships. The next lines, "Cause everybody knows, I've seen you with your new boyfriend it's funny how you look at him I know we won't be seeing him again," express the singer's melancholy over the end of a romantic relationship. The relationship has ended, and the new boyfriend is a symbol of a new beginning that the singer will not be a part of.
The following lines capture the sense of routine and monotony in the singer's life after the breakup. "Your Monday morning train takes you uptown, your Friday evening bus brings you back down," show the daily cycle of life that the singer has become accustomed to. The song's final lines, "So here's what they're saying, I'm sincerely yours," indicate that the singer has written a letter or note to his former love interest. This closure may be the first step towards healing and moving on from the pain of the breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe it's not good and it's not bad
Perhaps the situation we are in is neutral and lacks any clear positivity or negativity
And maybe that's a problem that we have
It could be a problem that we cannot easily define whether our current state is favorable or unfavorable
'Cause everybody knows
It is a widely accepted fact
I've seen you with your new boyfriend it's funny how you look at him I
I have witnessed you with your latest partner, and your behavior towards him is quite amusing to observe
Know we won't be seeing him again
I am aware that your latest partner is a temporary fixture and will not last long
'Cause everybody knows, that's the way it goes
As previously stated, this is a widely known and accepted outcome of short-term relationships
Your Monday morning train takes you uptown
You take the train heading towards the city on every Monday
Your Friday evening bus brings you back down
You return back home by bus every Friday evening
So here's what they're saying
This is what people are saying about your lifestyle
I'm sincerely yours
I am truly yours, with genuine intentions
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