Their debut album, The Airing of Grievances, was released on the Troubleman Unlimited record label on April 14, 2008 to many positive reviews. The album's loud, heavily distorted guitars are influenced by shoegaze, while the lyrics and song titles are references to various books and other forms of entertainment (such as the album title, from the Seinfeld episode, "The Strike", about Festivus). The Airing of Grievances was reissued on January 20, 2009 on XL Recordings.
The band's second album, The Monitor, was released on March 9, 2010 through XL Recordings to wide critical acclaim, and was cited as one of the best indie albums of the year.
The band has a sizable list of former members, the latest of which, Amy Klein, left the band on October 24, 2011.
Above the Bodega
Titus Andronicus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I keep myself out of trouble, oh yeah, stay one step ahead of the law
And I can keep it from my neighbors, it ain't like they even care
But I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs
It's the patronage of strangers that's keeping me from being broke
But when they hand over the paycheck to me, they have to wonder where it goes
'Cause I never seem to save it, I sure ain't wasting it on clothes
'Cause by eleven in the morning, I'll find him selling smokes
Laughing in another language but we all know a joke's a joke
Half seven in the evening, I'm darkening the door, starting for the door
It's so hard trying to keep a secret in that god damn store, oh yeah
He's there to see me buying cigarettes, he's there to see me buying beer
He's never seen me on the internet and five o'clock is nowhere near
But every day can be the weekend if you can walk a couple floors, take that three story tour
And make sure your talking money when your rocking with the boss at the store
I'm rocking with the boss
I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store
No, I can't keep a secret, I couldn't lie anymore
I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store
Why try like before?
'Cause you can lie with your expression or lie with the things you say
But you can't lie with your dollars, nah, babe, your dollars, they give you away
And the faces on the paper, the faces from the paper glare
That's why I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs
The money in the pocket, there's a fire burning there
That's why I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs
Yeah, it's glaringly apparent why I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs
So why should I attempt it when I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs?
The lyrics of Titus Andronicus's "Above the Bodega" delve into themes of secrecy, trust, financial struggles, and the interconnectedness of people in their daily lives. The singer of the song reflects on their ability to keep secrets from various people in their life - their parents, neighbors, and even the law. They pride themselves on staying out of trouble and one step ahead, but there is one person they cannot keep a secret from - the guy at the store downstairs. This person holds a special significance in the singer's life, perhaps serving as a confidant or a witness to their daily activities.
The singer relies on the patronage of strangers to avoid financial struggles, with the paycheck they receive raising questions about where the money goes. Despite not spending it on clothes, the mystery of their financial choices is known only to the guy at the store. This relationship highlights the intimacy of familiar faces in a seemingly indifferent world. The song paints a picture of a daily routine where interactions with the store owner become a significant part of the singer's life, blending humor, routine, and shared experiences.
The repetition of the phrase "I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store" underscores the inevitable nature of the singer's transparency with this person. Despite attempts at deception or secrecy, the truth is laid bare through the singer's financial transactions and the revealing nature of money. By referencing the faces on paper currency as being unable to hide the truth, the song emphasizes the revealing power of money and the financial struggles that underlie the singer's interactions with the store owner. The fire burning in their pocket symbolizes the discomfort and urgency caused by their financial situation.
In the end, the singer questions the futility of trying to hide the truth from the guy at the store, acknowledging the glaringly apparent nature of their circumstances. The repetitive questioning of "Why should I attempt it when I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs?" conveys a sense of resignation and acceptance of their inability to hide the reality of their life from this significant figure. The song serves as a reflection on the complexities of human relationships, financial struggles, and the inability to conceal one's true self in the face of those who witness our daily lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I can keep a secret from my mama, I can keep a secret from my pa
I am able to hide things from my parents and keep secrets from them
I keep myself out of trouble, oh yeah, stay one step ahead of the law
I manage to avoid getting into trouble and evade getting caught by the authorities
And I can keep it from my neighbors, it ain't like they even care
I can hide things from my neighbors because they are not really concerned
But I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs
However, I am unable to keep secrets from the store owner downstairs
It's the patronage of strangers that's keeping me from being broke
The support from unfamiliar customers is preventing me from being financially destitute
But when they hand over the paycheck to me, they have to wonder where it goes
Even though they pay me, they are curious about how I spend my money
'Cause I never seem to save it, I sure ain't wasting it on clothes
I never save any money and definitely don't spend it on clothing
It's a mystery to you but there's a guy at the store that knows
You may not understand, but the store owner knows my spending habits
'Cause by eleven in the morning, I'll find him selling smokes
At 11 am, he is already selling cigarettes
Laughing in another language but we all know a joke's a joke
Even though he speaks a different language, we all understand humor
Half seven in the evening, I'm darkening the door, starting for the door
At 7:30 pm, I am walking towards the door, ready to leave
It's so hard trying to keep a secret in that god damn store, oh yeah
It is difficult to keep secrets in that store
He's there to see me buying cigarettes, he's there to see me buying beer
He witnesses my purchases of cigarettes and beer
He's never seen me on the internet and five o'clock is nowhere near
He has never seen me online and it's not even 5 o'clock yet
But every day can be the weekend if you can walk a couple floors, take that three story tour
Every day can feel like a weekend if you go up a few floors and interact with the store owner
And make sure your talking money when your rocking with the boss at the store
Focus on financial matters when chatting with the store owner
I'm rocking with the boss
I am in good terms with the store owner
I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store
I am incapable of hiding things from the store owner
No, I can't keep a secret, I couldn't lie anymore
I cannot keep secrets or tell lies anymore
Why try like before?
What's the point of attempting to deceive like I did in the past?
'Cause you can lie with your expression or lie with the things you say
You can deceive with your facial expressions or with your words
But you can't lie with your dollars, nah, babe, your dollars, they give you away
However, you cannot deceive with your money, it reveals the truth
And the faces on the paper, the faces from the paper glare
The faces on the money glare at you, symbolizing judgment
That's why I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs
This is why I cannot hide anything from the store owner downstairs
The money in the pocket, there's a fire burning there
The money in the pocket symbolizes a burning desire or temptation
That's why I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs
This is why I cannot keep secrets from the store owner downstairs
Yeah, it's glaringly apparent why I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs
It's extremely obvious why I cannot conceal anything from the store owner downstairs
So why should I attempt it when I can't keep a secret from the guy at the store downstairs?
There is no point in trying to hide anything when I am unable to keep secrets from the store owner downstairs
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: Patrick Stickles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
del
I was feeling extremely depressed, jaded, and nihilistic back in 2010, the year the monitor came out. y'all seriously helped me get through that period of my life, and I'm glad I'm still here to be able to experience your guys' music. Thanks for being so great and giving me hope when I couldn't muster it myself.
Asif Khan
This is pure joy, love the line about it being "glaringly apparent" that he can't lie to the guy 😂😂
MagusMirificus
Shades of The Band; always a good thing. It's really nice to hear something vaguely resembling some good vibes from Stickles & co.; there's clearly always been some real rock n' roll idealism at the heart of the project, but it's been pretty consistently masked (In the music itself much more than in the band's public personality and stage demeanor) by venom and nihilism. This and "Number One" really bring the righteousness of the greatest rock n' roll records, of "Who's Next" and "Every Picture Tells a Story" and "Revolver" and "Born to Run" and "Exile on Main Street" and "Loaded" and "London Calling" and "Let It Be" (The other one), into the forefront, and as a dedicated and devoted fan who was never quite willing to admit that everything is inherently worthless, that's very gratifying to see.
Also, the best shot is at 2:34.
Alain William van Heerden
Very well said.
T.C. Bramblett
Like I said from "The Monitor" onwards... these guys are the Drive By Truckers of the northeast. They're another great rock band that carries the soul and rock torch from the 70s greats into today, and I hear a lot of the same mood and heart in both of them even though the regional source is completely different.
Anthony John
MagusMirificus well said
Ruth Mc Evoy
God damn - who's writing lyrics about the weird honest connection with you and your local clerk .?This is so damn simple , genius and human -hits home. Stickles for punk wordsmith of this century & long live +@
Dan Miles
This is very good Patrick. Well done. Can't wait for the album.
Ridiculous Rob, The Juggler
The new songs have been fantastic so far. I am really looking forward to the new album!
Kyle Porter
Oh man you guys brought back the ensemble instruments, and that hard soul southern feel. Man oh man am I excited.