Just prior to forming GLMS, Monger released his debut solo album Summer Cherry Ghosts in 2004. The lush baroque-pop song cycle earned favorable comparisons to Elliot Smith, Electric Light Orchestra and early Bee Gees and was re-released in Japan the following year. Plans for a follow-up, however, would have to wait as GLMS began to take off with the arrival of their self-titled debut in early 2005.
The success of GLMS's literate folk-tinged rock eventually landed them a deal with Michigan indie Quack! Media in 2006 and their sophomore effort Compass Rose Bouquet was released in 2007 to glowing reviews. The two years that followed included several national tours, multiple appearances at SXSW and shows with Patti Smith, British Sea Power, The Hidden Cameras and The Hold Steady among others.
In 2010, with the members of GLMS taking a mutually agreed upon hiatus, Monger finally began recording his second solo album and started performing regularly both as a solo artist and with his newly formed backing band Timothy Monger State Park.
Monger's sophomore album The New Britton Sound is a beautiful melding of elegant pop, and lyrical folk-rock named for the small rural town of Britton, Michigan where the bulk of it was recorded and written. Released in June 2011 on his own Northern Detective record label, the album was a stylistic leap forward for Monger, moving away from the orchestral leanings of his debut in favor of a more organic, rural pop sound.
In the summer of 2014, Monger began recording material for his third LP.
Song Clerk
Timothy Monger Lyrics
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Punching in, punching out
Song clerk
Pens one for regret
And for that lady's eyes
They're stocking up
Before the memory dies
They're stocking up
Tides turn
Coming in, coming out
Time clerk
At home or at your desk
You labor all your life
Each market day
New oysters in the night
So dream away
Forever chasing tides
Songs of joy and hurt
The young and quick to burn
The worn unhurried words
For all the weary world
Another major work
Bound never to be heard
So humbly sung at first
Betraying all its worth
Songs of joy and hurt
The young and quick to burn
The worn unhurried words
For all the weary world
Another major work
Bound never to be heard
They owe a debt to turn
And recognize the clerk
In Timothy Monger's song "Song Clerk", the lyrics depict the life of a songwriter who clocks in and out of their job, referred to as a "song clerk". The song clerk pens songs filled with regret, possibly indicating a longing or a reflection on past decisions. These songs are written for the memory of a particular lady's eyes, as if they serve as a reminder of a lost love or a missed opportunity. The songwriter is stockpiling these songs, ensuring they don't fade away and are preserved before they are forgotten. The imagery of their carts being a mile high suggests the abundance and depth of the emotions and experiences captured in these songs.
Another facet of the lyrics explores the notion of time passing and the cyclic nature of life. The song clerk is compared to a time clerk, emphasizing the monotony of their work and highlighting how they spend their days either at home or at their desk, continuously laboring. The comparison to market days and new oysters in the night symbolizes the recurring nature of their creative process, with each day bringing fresh ideas and inspiration. Despite this constant cycle, the songwriter dreams of continuously chasing after the tides, which could represent their pursuit of meaningful experiences and the need to capture and express them through their songs.
Writer(s): Timothy Monger
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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good bird music