Toby used to play bass, piano, guitar and sing on Maudlin of the Well, and has worked with numerous other bands, including Asva, Tartar Lamb (originally created to play his self-written piece Sixty Metonymies), and Tartar Lamb II, and he has played onstage with Secret Chiefs 3, for instance.
His first solo album, In the L..L..Library Loft, was released on Tzadik in 2005. It was released under his name at Tzadik's preference, though most of Kayo Dot still appears on it. He composed the soundtrack to the short film The Pod (2013) and a multimedia project Ichneumonidae (2014). His second solo album, Madonnawhore, was released in 2017 (described by the artist himself as "consisting entirely of dreary ballads"); a live album, Live at Roulette, March 2017, was also given limited release in the same year.
Eptaceros
Toby Driver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black blisters on my family photographs
Blood in my mouth and shit on my fingers
I can't move till light stops touching my face, but I don't think I wanna
I'm turning into stone
Sparrows perching on my shoulder make me forget the taste of blood
My dirty body begs for curtains to be drawn
Long red ribbons touch my eyes to the floor
I can't move till the light stops touching my face, but I don't think I wanna
I'm turning into stone
The sparrow perching on my shoulder made me forget what I was talking about
Beware the white ghost.
The lyrics to Toby Driver’s song “Eptaceros” are incredibly enigmatic and could be interpreted in many different ways. One possible interpretation is that the song is about a physical transformation, possibly into an animal, as suggested by the reference to a cloven hoof and sparrows perching on the singer’s shoulder. The singer is also experiencing physical discomfort, with blisters, blood, and feces on their body, and feels immobilized by light touching their face. The repeated refrain of “I’m turning into stone” further emphasizes this sense of bodily transformation and a loss of agency. The final line of the song, “Beware the white ghost,” adds a sinister note, suggesting that the singer’s transformation may have supernatural or dangerous implications.
Another possible interpretation of the lyrics is that they are a metaphor for psychological or emotional transformation. The singer may be experiencing a profound shift in their worldview or sense of self, leaving them feeling alienated from their family and their own body. The references to blood and shit could symbolize a sense of disgust or shame, while the sparrow perching on the singer’s shoulder and the long red ribbons touching their eyes could represent an attempt to find beauty or solace in the midst of this transformation. The refrain of “I’m turning into stone” could be read as a retreat from the vulnerability and uncertainty of change.
Overall, the lyrics to “Eptaceros” are haunting and poetic, and leave many questions unanswered. The song invites repeated listens and continued reflection, as listeners try to tease out the meaning behind its cryptic imagery.
Line by Line Meaning
I look down and my hoof is cloven
I notice that my foot has transformed into a cloven hoof
Black blisters on my family photographs
My family memories are tainted by dark, painful experiences
Blood in my mouth and shit on my fingers
I am physically and emotionally dirty, with shameful experiences weighing on me
I can't move till light stops touching my face, but I don't think I wanna
I feel trapped by my own inner darkness and am unsure if I even want to escape it
I'm turning into stone
I am becoming numb and unfeeling to protect myself from hurt
Sparrows perching on my shoulder make me forget the taste of blood
Small moments of joy and hope help me forget about my painful past
My dirty body begs for curtains to be drawn
I feel ashamed and uncomfortable in my own skin, wanting to hide from the world
Long red ribbons touch my eyes to the floor
I am brought low by painful memories, feeling trapped by them
My bones bend each hand to six fingers
I feel like I am transforming into something unnatural and unsettling
The sparrow perching on my shoulder made me forget what I was talking about
Moments of happiness can distract and disorient me, making it hard to focus on anything else
Beware the white ghost.
There is something ominous and threatening that I need to be cautious of
Contributed by Skyler R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
It Can't Be a Dream
(00:00) The Scarlet Whore - Her Dealings With the Initiate
(07:16) Avignon
(14:22) The Deepest Hole
(21:50) Parsifal
(26:48) Craven's Dawn
(36:08) Boys on the Hill
Nestor Valentsuela
Sometimes in the sea of modern, mediocre music you find a jewel ...
Rasterisk
Toby's magic grotto. Love.
Matias Saidaku Rojas
Fascinating music.
Justin rensel
I'm gay
Bobby Benoit
Hi gay, i'm dad.
S4D1K
Xd
gerhitchman
same