Band member Adam Granduciel (born Adam Granofsky in Dover, Massachusetts) moved from Oakland, California to Philadelphia in 2003, where he met Kurt Vile and began playing music with him. They began playing as The War on Drugs in 2005, and self-released a demo EP. While Vile and Granduciel formed the backbone of the band, they had a number of accompanists early in the group's career, before finally settling on a lineup that added Charlie Hall as drummer/organist, Kyle Lloyd as drummer and Dave Hartley on bass. Granduciel had previously toured and recorded with The Capitol Years, and Vile has several solo albums. The group gave away its Barrel of Batteries EP for free early in 2008. Their debut LP for Secretly Canadian, Wagonwheel Blues, was released in 2008.
Reviewers of the band's music make note of its Americana overtones. The group's sound has been described as influenced by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and My Bloody Valentine.
The lineup underwent several changes, and by the end of 2008, Kurt Vile, Charlie Hall, and Kyle Lloyd had all exited the group. Granduciel and Hartley were joined by drummer Mike Zanghi as the group slimmed to three members.
After Zanghi's exit in 2010, Steven Urgo took over drum duties and Robbie Bennett joined on keys.
A Needle In Your Eye #16
The War on Drugs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You stand and laugh
You stand and laugh
I tried to beg for your pardon
You stand and laugh
You stand and laugh
It's a long way coming down
The ladders in your eye
I think that I would die
I tried to stand in your garden
But you're too tall
You're much too tall
You win the hand, I throw my cards in
You watched me fall
You watched me fall
It's a long way coming down
The ladders in your eye
For a Wednesday in your garden
I think that I would die
I tried to fly in your garden
But you shot me down
Mama you shot me down on the ground
I watched the sky above me harden
And your black gown your long back funeral gown
It's a long way coming down
The ladders in your eye
For a wednesday in your garden
I think that I would die
The lyrics to "A Needle In Your Eye #16" by The War on Drugs are dripping with poetic imagery that is both raw and intense. The song is a melancholic rumination on the consequences of unrequited love that slowly morphs into a tangled web of metaphors that blur the line between beauty and darkness. On the surface, the lyrics describe a forlorn lover crawling through a metaphorical garden, trying to win the affection of a distant and indifferent object of desire. The lover tries to beg for pardon and stand up to the object of their affection but is always met with disdain and rejection.
However, the lyrics can also be interpreted as an indictment of the societal pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. The ladders in your eye could be a metaphor for the pressure to achieve a certain type of physical beauty, while the Black back funeral gown alludes to the suffocating feeling of trying to fit in when you don't feel like you belong. The repeated phrase, "you stand and laugh," highlights the cruel irony of being judged and rejected by someone who you desperately want to please. Ultimately, the song can be interpreted as an ode to the raw and painful emotions that come with unrequited love, as well as a commentary on the damaging effects of societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
As I crawl through your garden
I am trying to navigate through your life and understand you better.
You stand and laugh
You do not take my attempt to understand you seriously, and find it amusing.
I tried to beg for your pardon
I attempted to apologize for any misunderstandings or mistakes on my part.
It's a long way coming down
The repercussions of my actions will be severe and difficult to manage.
The ladders in your eye
You have a narrow perspective and are unable to see past your own biases and expectations.
For a Wednesday in your garden
For a brief period of time spent in your life, attempting to understand you.
I think that I would die
I am overwhelmed by the difficulty and futility of trying to understand you.
I tried to stand in your garden
I attempted to become a part of your life, but was unable to fit in.
But you're too tall
Your expectations and way of life are beyond my reach.
You win the hand, I throw my cards in
You have a stronger position and more power, so I am conceding defeat.
You watched me fall
You were indifferent to my struggles and were not willing to help.
I tried to fly in your garden
I attempted to take control of your life or influence your decisions, but was unsuccessful.
But you shot me down
You actively resisted my attempts to interfere with your life.
Mama you shot me down on the ground
You used your maternal power or authority to prevent me from taking control or influencing your life.
I watched the sky above me harden
I am feeling more and more trapped and oppressed by your life and expectations.
And your black gown your long back funeral gown
Your power and authority are oppressive and suffocating.
It's a long way coming down
The consequences of my actions or attempts to control you will be severe and difficult to handle.
The ladders in your eye
You are unable to see past your own biases and expectations, making it difficult for me to connect with you.
For a wednesday in your garden
For a brief amount of time spent trying to understand or control you.
I think that I would die
The experience of trying to understand or control you has been overwhelming and difficult to handle.
Contributed by Michael L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@buzzicever
Six years ago " Wagonwheel Blues " teached me what is road trip with good sound. Holy shit, six years already...
@ThomasJakobMusic
11 years now...
@SH-cv8ks
crazy! i think the same thing of their music. great traveling music
@thomasdavid1611
still there best!
@Playback007able
the Pueblos look like Taos, NM.
@wesleyharris2184
Fukin yeah Byoy
@JMMJ4791
"...Hey how are you, hey how are you..."
@Koshirozation
i started with "lost in the dream" a few years ago, a guy whose's radio shows my dad loves and has been listening to since i can remember was always playing songs of the album and talking about how he thinks that these people are really important for rock today and how they're even bringing "indie" (whatever that is now) closer to people who think its just sad folk music. it was usually the sunday, around midnight (well that was monday actually but hey im sorry im starting to get derailed here ahaha so sorry) when my dad went to the bathroom to prepare for work tomorrow and he would insert small speakers to his phone and turn on the new weekly show the guy prepared.
mixed with the sound of water that came out of the faucet while he was shaving i heard parts of "red eyes" and "an ocean in between the waves" and "under the pressure" and i was instantly turned on. i was in first grade of high school and i was really into exploring the world of music at that time, guess the cure and the smiths, james, stone roses, oasis, along with the strokes and dandy warhols ahaha were rocking my world at the moment but this had some mystic aura around it. not just the music but how it came out of the bathroom and how it always felt like a sweet safe secret - me walking around the house, packing for school and listening to that guy on the radio talking about how these records really mean so much to him. but i never really got around to go to the internet and listen to the show myself.
well, after few months of him constantly playing war on drugs and talking about how they are really making his days better i decided to check it out. i've listened to "lost in the dream" and kinda started following the guy on the radio. it was like running while hugging the dawn and early morning's mist. after going through the discography they kinda became on of the closest bands to me. and this is one of my favorite songs.
the channel on mixcloud is called gistropop and the shows are called gistrofm and the name of the guy, well the nickname is skoca and i recommend everyone checking it out! its fantastic and the music mix is ranging from everything to anything!
@ikergonzalez14
Sergej Lovrekovic thanks man, great contribution
@wesleyharris2184
Haha yeahByoy.