Thee Oh Sees are no doubt the lightest of his excursions, but in contrast to the rest of his resume one could surmise that there are significant reasons for the change.
Thee Oh Sees have a lo-fi electric-acoustic sound that's usually soaked in reverb, making it as if you can hear and see the exact room they recorded in. It creates a very distinct mood that seems to fit their style, lyrics, and melodies.
What most people focus on is that Mr. Dwyer is in the band. While it's certainly a notable quality, the recent band members bring so much more to the table. The earliest recordings are Dwyer's solo recordings, mostly single instrument/vocal ditties that you can hear him working out. They're an intimate portrait of John, but without the recent material, the portrait would simply be incomplete.
Thee Oh Sees don't subscribe to any one style.
With the addition of Brigid Dawson, Petey Dammit, and a rotating cast of drummers, the sound has grown into the landscape that one man couldn't create alone. Brigid's soprano voice brings an almost hauntingly sensitive aspect to the lyrics and melodies, while Petey and Mike's pounding and insistent backline (and additional drums from Lars Finberg of The Intelligence on recent recordings) complete the frame in its entirety. Their energetic, sweat-laden shows coupled with their prolific recording schedule has garnered them a growing, dedicated fan base.
The catalog that this band has put together is growing and growing, albeit under several different monikers, and several different labels.
in 2017 it was announced that the band would change its name to simply 'Oh Sees'
in November of 2019, the band announced that they would be changing their name yet again to simply 'Osees'
Everything Went Black
Thee Oh Sees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the corner with her legs sticking up
And then that corner was empty again
In the corner stands a man
Out the window when he can
He's disappeared again
The lyrics of Thee Oh Sees' song "Everything Went Black" describe a dark and disturbing moment in which the singer seems to be engaging in sexual activity with a woman. As he reaches for "the top of her crack," everything seems to fall into darkness, suggesting a sense of disorientation or even loss of consciousness. The image of the woman with her legs sticking up in the corner is also unsettling, evoking a sense of helplessness or vulnerability.
The song then takes a sudden turn as the corner is suddenly empty again, leaving the singer alone in the darkness. The arrival of a man in the same corner adds to the sense of danger and uncertainty, as the singer watches him disappear out of the window whenever possible. These lyrics create a sense of unease and anxiety, evoking themes of powerlessness, fear, and mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything went black as i reached for the top of her crack
As I touched her intimately, my world and my perception of reality faded away.
In the corner with her legs sticking up
She was lying awkwardly in the corner, with her legs in the air.
And then that corner was empty again
She disappeared suddenly, leaving the corner empty and void of any presence.
In the corner stands a man
Now a man is standing in the corner, possibly waiting for something or someone.
Out the window when he can
He looks out the window frequently, possibly longing for something or trying to escape reality.
He's disappeared again
The man has vanished, leaving behind only the memory of his presence in the corner.
Contributed by Alice N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Carson Ogden
This is the first Thee Oh Sees song I ever heard, 8 years ago. Been hooked ever since.
Simon Spedding
Vegetable Man lives!!!
rockromance1
in love