Tune-Yards (sometimes stylized as tUnE-yArDs) is the American, Oakland, Cal… Read Full Bio ↴Tune-Yards (sometimes stylized as tUnE-yArDs) is the American, Oakland, California-based music project of musician Merrill Garbus, with long-time collaborator, bassist Nate Brenner. Garbus’s music draws from an eclectic variety of sources and utilizes elements such as loop pedals, ukulele, vocals, and lo-fi percussion. Tune-Yards’ 2011 album Whokill was ranked the number one album of that year in The Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop critic's poll.

Their debut album BiRd-BrAiNs was first released on limited edition vinyl and cassette in June 2009, via the Portland-based imprint Marriage Records. In July 2009, it was announced that tUnE-yArDs had signed to 4AD, and a limited edition pressing of BiRd-BrAiNs was released on August 17, 2009.

A full worldwide release followed on November 16, 2009 (and November 17th in North America). The autumn 2009 pressing was remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Christian Wright, and includes two new bonus tracks: "Want Me To" and "Real Live Flesh."

BiRd-BrAiNs was entirely self-produced and recorded, with Garbus utilizing a hand-held digital voice recorder, ukulele, some noisy off-balance drums, and produced using shareware mixing software. Garbus described their sound as "a patchwork of sound snippets, of history in a present tense. It is a composer's commitment to the preservation of stories, however small and unassuming."

A second album w h o k i l l was released on April 19, 2011, preceded by the single "Bizness". It was produced by Garbus and engineered by Eli Crews at New, Improved Studios in Oakland, California. Comparing the act to Sonic Youth, Frontier Psychiatrist said, "if BiRd-BrAiNs was Garbus’ EVOL, a record bursting with musical ideas that attempted to subvert the notion of song, w h o k i l l is their Sister, a record that embraces the traditional pop song as a vehicle to convey those ideas." The song "Fiya" is featured on a 2010 commercial for the Blackberry Torch.

Find a New Way
Tune-Yards Lyrics

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Find a new way

My dreams aren't about the future
You tried to tell me that I had a right to sing
Just like a bird has to fly
And I wanted to believe him cause he seemed like
A really nice guy
Oh, but I trip on the truth when I walk that wire

When you wear a mask, always sound like a liar
I tried to tell him all the reasons that I had to never sing again
And he replied "You better find a new way"

Find a new way
Find a new way
Find it today
Find a new way
Don't need to look too hard, yeah
Somehow we find a new fine way

And now they say
"He come, he come, he come"
And your sleep is a frame of
He comes, shake 'em, tell'em
"Be unafraid"
And now they say
"Here come, here come, here come"

You and me, never free
Attached by bands
Are cutting off the blood to our hands
You and me are never free
You pull and I bend and I am ready for the end
Cause I've tried, I've tried, I've tried, I've tried
It's a dangerous ride

I'm never free
I bend 'til I break
And every bone is in stake
She tried to tell me that I had a right to scream
Just like a bird had to sing
And I believed her, but in truth
If you're convincing, I'll believe anything
I only speak when I'm feeling sad and lonely
But what I speak doesn't have to do with being sad and lonely

Little white lies
You rode my sight
When I look into his eyes so

Find a new way
Find a new way
Find a new way
Find it today
Find a new way
Don't need to look too hard, yeah
Somehow we find a new fine way

A sippy cup to keep a cap on all the screaming of songs
What happens when the drink is gone?
Nothing, stuffing down a stifled little yell
Desperation now, numb me at night
I pray to learn to pretend so I can sleep tight
But something doesn't feel right

When I see you changing
It makes me think that I could change too
Oh, change-o strange-o
'Nother rearrange-o
Oh, change-o strange-o
'Nother rearrange-o

When I see you changing
I believe that I could change too
Oh, change-o strange-o
'Nother rearrange-o
Oh, change-o strange-o
'Nother rearrange-o
Oh, change-o strange-o
'Nother rearrange-o
Oh, change-o (change-o change-o change-o)

And now they say
"He come, he come, he come"
And your sleep is afraid
But we comes, shake come, tell' em
"Be unafraid" (Ha!)
And now they say
"He come, he come"
(Find a new way)
And now they say
(Find a new way)
"He come, he come, he come"
(Find a new way, find a new way)
But we come she come, tell' em
"Be unafraid"
(Find a new way)

And now they say
"He come, he come"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to tUnE-yArDs' "Find a New Way" explore the struggle for artistic self-discovery and authenticity. The singer initially feels pressured to adhere to someone else's definition of what it means to be a good singer, represented by the line "You tried to tell me that I had a right to sing." However, the singer feels like a "liar" when they try to conform to these expectations.

The chorus, "Find a new way, find it today" emphasizes the need to break free from these expectations and find one's own voice. The singer acknowledges that this journey may be perilous, as expressed through the line "It's a dangerous ride." The second verse depicts a similar struggle, with the added theme of feeling physically constrained in a relationship.

The second half of the song offers a glimmer of hope: seeing others change inspires the singer to do the same. The repeated refrain of "change-o strange-o, 'nother rearrange-o" underscores the idea that artistic evolution is a continuous process.

Overall, "Find a New Way" expresses the difficulty of defining oneself creatively, the need to break free from others' expectations, and the potential rewards of self-discovery.

Line by Line Meaning

Find a new way
The singer is searching for a new path forward.

My dreams aren't about the future
The singer is not focused on the future and has other priorities.

You tried to tell me that I had a right to sing
Someone encouraged the singer to express themselves through song.

Just like a bird has to fly
Singing is a natural and necessary part of life for the artist.

And I wanted to believe him cause he seemed like A really nice guy
The artist trusted and admired the person who encouraged them to sing.

Oh, but I trip on the truth when I walk that wire When you wear a mask, always sound like a liar
The singer struggles to be true to themselves when they feel pressured to hide behind a mask.

I tried to tell him all the reasons that I had to never sing again And he replied "You better find a new way"
Despite the singer's hesitation, they were encouraged to find a way to continue expressing themselves.

Find it today Don't need to look too hard, yeah Somehow we find a new fine way
The artist is optimistic about finding a new path and believes it will come easily.

You and me, never free Attached by bands Are cutting off the blood to our hands You and me are never free You pull and I bend and I am ready for the end
The artist feels trapped in a relationship that is constricting and taking a toll on their life.

Cause I've tried, I've tried, I've tried, I've tried It's a dangerous ride
The artist has made repeated attempts to escape the situation but has not been successful.

I'm never free I bend 'til I break And every bone is in stake
The singer feels like they are at their breaking point and in danger of permanent damage.

She tried to tell me that I had a right to scream Just like a bird had to sing And I believed her, but in truth If you're convincing, I'll believe anything
Another person encouraged the artist to express themselves, but the artist struggles to trust others' advice and guidance.

I only speak when I'm feeling sad and lonely But what I speak doesn't have to do with being sad and lonely
The singer only opens up when they are feeling low, but what they share may not reflect their true feelings.

Little white lies You rode my sight When I look into his eyes so
The singer suspects that they may have been misled or deceived by someone they trusted.

A sippy cup to keep a cap on all the screaming of songs What happens when the drink is gone? Nothing, stuffing down a stifled little yell Desperation now, numb me at night I pray to learn to pretend so I can sleep tight But something doesn't feel right
The singer is using a coping mechanism to silence their true feelings, but they are starting to feel like something is wrong.

When I see you changing It makes me think that I could change too Oh, change-o strange-o 'Nother rearrange-o
The artist is inspired by someone else's positive transformation and is considering making changes of their own.

And now they say "He come, he come, he come" And your sleep is afraid But we comes, shake come, tell' em "Be unafraid" (Ha!) And now they say "He come, he come"
The artist hears promises of change, and encourages themselves and others to not be afraid of it.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Merrill Martin Garbus, Nathaniel J Brenner

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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