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.
Sink-O
Tune-Yards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Peace and love
Love is waiting
For the feeling of discomfort to pass before killing
We argue round then
Unrolls the ground and
The Earth curls up and
Oh the white face brown
World upside-down
World upside-down
Ring-a-ding a dinner bell loud
Sink-O! The Earth will swallow you up
Sink-O! The Earth will swallow you up
It literally ate him up
It literally ate him up
Hmm, it wants your first born kid
Hmm, it's time you ran and hid
Hmm, it will eat you up
It literally ate him up
Peace, peace and love
Love is waiting
For the feeling of discomfort to pass before killing
You'll be ok, you'll be ok
Turn into the sun when the sky goes grey
Turn into an egg when the sky goes salt and pepper
Say nothing and you let her (this time won't last forever)
Sink-O! The Earth will swallow you up
Sink-O! The Earth will swallow you up
It literally ate him up
It literally ate him up
It literally ate him up
It literally ate him up
Sink-O! The Earth will swallow you up
Sink-O! The Earth will swallow you up
I'm holed with popcorn
Holed up with Pop Tarts
VHS The Voice can't wait 'til it starts
Tweedle-deedle oh diddy oh didee-ay
Cannot fall asleep but cannot face the day
If I went up to your door
You wouldn't let me in
So don't say you don't judge by the color of skin
Peace
Love is waiting
Peace
Peace and love
Love is waiting
Peace, peace and love
Love is waiting
For the feeling of discomfort to pass before killing
The song Sink-O by tUnE-yArDs is a mixture of seemingly unrelated lyrics strung together, however, as one delves deeper into the lines, the song conveys a message of hope, peace, and love. The first few lines of the song talk about waiting for the feeling of discomfort to pass before taking any action. This can be interpreted as a suggestion to overcome one's fear and wait for the right time to act. The song then talks about the Earth swallowing someone up, but this can be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling stuck and trapped. The lyrics talk about being okay and finding strength in oneself, even in difficult times.
The chorus, "Sink-O! The Earth will swallow you up, It literally ate him up, Hmm, it wants your first-born kid, Hmm, it's time you ran and hid" can be interpreted as a warning to be careful and watchful of the world around us. It encourages us to be prepared and vigilant, as the world can be unpredictable and harsh. The lyrics "Turn into an egg when the sky goes salt and pepper" and "Say nothing and you let her (this time won't last forever)" can be interpreted as a message to be patient and wait for the right moment to take action, even if it means waiting for an extended period.
Overall, the lyrics of Sink-O convey a message of perseverance, hope, and love, even in the most challenging of situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Peace
Tranquility
Peace and love
A state of harmony and goodwill
Love is waiting
True love always prevails
For the feeling of discomfort to pass before killing
Don't take any drastic action without first waiting for negative emotions to subside
We argue round then
Our arguments go in circles
Unrolls the ground and
The Earth begins to flatten out
The Earth curls up and
The Earth starts to roll up like a carpet
The mulch slaps down
The soil collides
Oh the white face brown
The dirt changes color
World upside-down
The world is flipped on its head
Ring-a-ding a dinner bell loud
We're in for a real shock
Sink-O! The Earth will swallow you up
Bad karma will catch up with you eventually
It literally ate him up
His actions had severe consequences
Hmm, it wants your first born kid
Don't expect things to come easy in life
Hmm, it's time you ran and hid
Sometimes avoiding a problem is the best solution
Hmm, it will eat you up
Negative thoughts can consume you completely
You'll be ok, you'll be ok
Everything is going to work out in the end
Turn into the sun when the sky goes grey
Stay positive even in difficult times
Turn into an egg when the sky goes salt and pepper
Protect yourself when life gets tough
Say nothing and you let her (this time won't last forever)
Sometimes it's better to stay quiet and let things play out
I'm holed with popcorn
Keeping yourself occupied with trivialities
Holed up with Pop Tarts
Eating junk food to feel better
VHS The Voice can't wait 'til it starts
Getting excited about mundane things
Tweedle-deedle oh diddy oh didee-ay
Nonsense words to express emotions
Cannot fall asleep but cannot face the day
Feeling stuck and not knowing what to do
If I went up to your door
If I came to talk to you
You wouldn't let me in
You would turn me away
So don't say you don't judge by the color of skin
Don't deny racial biases when they exist
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Merrill Martin Garbus, Nathaniel J Brenner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Noruego
those two girls in the back have such a cool vibe! you can tell they looove playing their music! pretty cool band with a very very unique sound
@chargere
This is the new direction of music. Originality is not lost.
@rebeccatatkovsky9424
I have such a crush on that lady drummer
@LadislavBehounekable
Rebekah Tatkovsky so easy to fall in crush with anybody from this band :) im in crush in the rap part of this song... waw..bitches...
@jayeff4723
Wow, TuneYards just keeps getting better. Seems like yesterday Real Live Flesh came out. Incredible stuff.
@joaogolko
BEST POP ALBUM OF THE DECADE
@felipemancillaherrera7318
Peace, peace and love, love is waiting! omg it sounds exactly the same and even better than the original, omg this is flawless!
@AsianAsianAsianAsian
awesome percussionist
@jonloganskr
Yay!
@PLYC4EVER252
Madison, WI July 18th! See you on King Street.