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.
Buenos Aires Beach
The War on Drugs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I leave behind the bridge
With a flag with a western wave and a simple stitch to fix
I'll hold myself together now as you take me through the ditch
Where the sky crumbled on the floors
You'll sweep me off of my back
You'll save me from the rumble you spoke of before
And the one who saved you
When your highs were cutting through my lows
Enter through the side door please
I know you wish to speak with me
Of old neglected promises
Of stolen souvenirs
How you could hear the ocean
But you could not see the breeze
When the sky was setting on a Buenos Aires beach
And the sun was shining on the one I wish to see
And the fates are shifting under land
You're beating on the floors
You're sleeping on the same ones you've been sweeping on
You're the one that saved me
And the one that I was banking on
When your highs were cutting through my lows
So hold me up against the tree
You used to measure me in feet
And set your sights to green
And all the cross-town boys and on
They show up with the sea shells in their eyes
But you know what they want
By the glow of your skin
And you can overdress for him
But it will soon grow old
And this winter it came to pass
So much slower than the last
And now there's nothing left to grasp
In our hands and nothing left to catch
So they'll speak of the past
In the future perfect tense
Of places we will go
Before we grow old
--~~~~
In the first stanza of The War on Drugs's song "Buenos Aires Beach," the singer seems to be leaving something behind and venturing into the unknown. The "barricades" that once protected them feel "open now," indicating a newfound sense of vulnerability. They are taking a flag with a "western wave" and a "simple stitch to fix," which could symbolize their desire for adventure and willingness to face whatever challenges may come their way. The singer is relying on someone else to guide them through this journey, someone who has saved them before from the "rumble" or chaos of life. However, there is a sense of trepidation as the one who saved them before may not be the same person they are "banking on" this time around. The high and low imagery highlights the ups and downs of life and how sometimes we need others to pick us up when we're down.
In the second stanza, the singer seems to be meeting someone who wishes to speak with them. This person is bringing up old promises and stolen mementos, perhaps indicating a desire to reconcile past grievances. The singer reminisces about a time in Buenos Aires when they could hear the ocean but not feel the breeze. They mention someone they wish to see, indicating a longing or yearning for someone they've been separated from. The fates are shifting, and the singer is beating on the floors, perhaps trying to gain control over their destiny. They acknowledge the person they're with as the one who saved them before and who they were relying on during their low moments.
In the final stanza, the singer is being held up against a tree and measured, perhaps by someone who knows them well. They are setting their sights to "green," which could symbolize hope and new beginnings. The mention of "cross-town boys" with "sea shells in their eyes" could represent competition or distractions along the way. However, the singer acknowledges that no matter how much they try, they can't overdress for the one they're longing for. Finally, the singer reflects on the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life. There's a sense of resignation as they acknowledge there's nothing left to hold onto or catch but memories, which they can speak of in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
My barricades feel open now
I feel vulnerable and open now
So I leave behind the bridge
I'm leaving behind something that was once important to me
With a flag with a western wave and a simple stitch to fix
I have a flag with a western wave, which represents my desire to move on and leave the past behind. I also have a simple stitch to fix myself and move forward.
I'll hold myself together now as you take me through the ditch
Even though I feel vulnerable, I'm trying to hold myself together as I move forward
Where the sky crumbled on the floors
I'm leaving behind a place where everything fell apart
You'll sweep me off of my back
You will help me recover and stand up from my struggles
You'll save me from the rumble you spoke of before
You will protect me from the chaos that you once warned me about
And the one who saved you
You were saved by someone else
Ain't the one who you were banking on
The person you thought would save you didn't come through
When your highs were cutting through my lows
When you were doing well, it made me feel worse about myself
Enter through the side door please
Please come in through the less conspicuous entryway
I know you wish to speak with me
I know you want to talk to me
Of old neglected promises
You want to address promises that were made but never kept
Of stolen souvenirs
You want to address things that were taken from you
How you could hear the ocean
You were able to hear the ocean in a specific moment
But you could not see the breeze
You weren't able to fully enjoy the moment because something was missing
When the sky was setting on a Buenos Aires beach
This moment happened on a beach in Buenos Aires
And the sun was shining on the one I wish to see
The person you wanted to see was present during this moment
And the fates are shifting under land
Things are starting to change
You're beating on the floors
You're doing everything you can to cope with the change
You're sleeping on the same ones you've been sweeping on
You're still trying to fix things and clean up the mess
You're the one that saved me
You helped me get through a difficult time
And the one that I was banking on
You were the person I was relying on to help me
When your highs were cutting through my lows
When you were doing well, it made me feel worse about myself
So hold me up against the tree
I want you to physically hold me up
You used to measure me in feet
You used to judge me by how I stood up to your expectations
And set your sights to green
You have high hopes and aspirations for me
And all the cross-town boys and on
Other people in town
They show up with the sea shells in their eyes
They come with excitement and curiosity
But you know what they want
You understand what motivates them
By the glow of your skin
You have a radiant glow about you
And you can overdress for him
You can dress up and look your best for someone
But it will soon grow old
Eventually it won't matter how you dress up
And this winter it came to pass
This winter ended up happening
So much slower than the last
This winter felt slower than previous ones
And now there's nothing left to grasp
There's nothing left to hold on to
In our hands and nothing left to catch
We have nothing left to catch or pursue
So they'll speak of the past
People will talk about what happened in the past
In the future perfect tense
They'll talk about it in a way that suggests it was all perfect and ideal
Of places we will go
People will talk about the future and the places we'll end up going
Before we grow old
Before we age and are no longer able to do those things
Contributed by Ruby D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.