The Twisterbait line-up solidified around 2001 and was quickly embraced by London's underground scene. In early 2004 Simon Hanson of Death in Vegas heard the band playing at Islington's Bull and Gate and was so blown away by their whacked out combination of catchy hooks with hi-octane gusto that he offered to produce the highly acclaimed "I Spy" E.P.
Now 2008 beckons and Twisterbait are primed and ready to infiltrate: Mr Hanson has produced the debut album, and it's a monster! Two truly out-there animated videos are in production by Nexus (contributor's to BBC 2's "Monkey Dust"), and the boys are gearing up to take their sound around the UK's hellholes. Just one question remains.... What the hell is a Twisterbait? We'll get back to you on that one.
Traffic Lights
Twisterbait Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her movement is gentle and fluid, like water
I bet they share what they have
And give enough love to each other
They say that a child, given patience and time by its mother,
Is safe in the wild where its circuits are wired to discover
That whisper and scurry and gather
In packs to prove their petty importance together
I bet they play games, denying the flame from each other
I bet they have names for people who'd rather not bother
See you at nine... I′ll bring some wine
And we can lie, our legs entwined,
Under the glow of traffic lights
Through your window's Venetian blinds
It's like frost, this feeling
That covers my being in winter
Reducing my grand piano-sized plans to a splinter
I′m fast growing eyes that make me despise every pure
Genetic desire to test that my line is secure
See you at nine... I′ll bring some wine
And we can lie, our legs entwined,
Under the glow of traffic lights
Through your window's Venetian blinds
A temperature is all we have
It′s insecure
It's warm and sad
Inside a stranger, I belong
The lights will change and I′ll be gone.
The opening lines of the song suggest the writer's fascination with Brazilian people, particularly the way they move. The line, “Her movement is gentle and fluid, like water,” is possibly referring to a single Brazilian woman, indicating a romantic interest or admiration. The writer assumes, based on stereotypical views, that Brazilians are hospitable people who share what they have and are generous with love. In contrast, the writer sees robots as creatures that scurry and gather in packs and play games, much like rats. They are petty and require games to establish their importance. The lyrics suggest that robots are cold and lack emotion, in comparison to Brazilians, who are warm and vibrant.
The lyrics following the verse above seem to discuss the human desire for connection and the pain that often arises from it. The next verse highlights the idea of a child being safe with patience and time from its mother. This line could be seen as the writer saying that safety in a relationship can be a rare and delicate thing. Like a child in the wild, safety is not a guarantee, but patience and understanding can help guide someone to it. The verse following this one discusses the feeling of loneliness that can occur when people are more concerned with playing games and proving their importance than with forming sincere connections. The writer seems to want to escape this loneliness, saying, “See you at nine... I′ll bring some wine/And we can lie, our legs entwined/Under the glow of traffic lights/Through your window's Venetian blinds.”
The closing lines of the song express the sense that the human desire for connection is doomed to be incomplete. The phrase, “A temperature is all we have/It′s insecure/It's warm and sad/Inside a stranger, I belong/The lights will change and I′ll be gone”, suggests that intimacy always comes with a cost, and any connection made is temporary. The overall message of the song seems to be one of both admiration for the beauty of a human connection that is deep and lasting, but also an understanding of the pain that it can bring, especially when it is not genuine.
Line by Line Meaning
They like sun, Brazilians
The Brazilians are fond of the sun and enjoy a good weather.
Her movement is gentle and fluid, like water
Her movements are graceful and effortless, just like water flows smoothly.
I bet they share what they have
It is highly probable that the Brazilians share their possessions and resources with each other.
And give enough love to each other
The people of Brazil have a culture of love and extend it genuinely to others.
They say that a child, given patience and time by its mother,
There is a saying that if a mother is patient and kind with her child, the child will grow well and thrive.
Is safe in the wild where its circuits are wired to discover
A child, if raised well, can explore and learn new things without much harm, just like a circuit that is wired to function in a certain way.
They′re like rats, these robots
Robots behave like rats who whisper, scurry, and flock together to prove their importance collectively.
That whisper and scurry and gather
Robots move around stealthily and gather in groups.
In packs to prove their petty importance together
The robots work together to show themselves as significant and valuable, although their work may not be that important.
I bet they play games, denying the flame from each other
Robots, like people, may play games and pretend to be indifferent to each other's success, downplaying their accomplishments.
I bet they have names for people who'd rather not bother
Robots might have names for those who decide not to engage in their petty games.
See you at nine... I′ll bring some wine
Let's meet at 9 pm, and I'll bring some wine along.
And we can lie, our legs entwined,
We can lay down together with our legs touching.
Under the glow of traffic lights
We will be illuminated by the lights of passing cars.
Through your window's Venetian blinds
We will see the lights from outside through the blinds of your window.
It's like frost, this feeling
This feeling is cold and frigid like frost in winter.
That covers my being in winter
The feeling described above engulfs and covers the whole being like winter does.
Reducing my grand piano-sized plans to a splinter
The feeling mentioned above makes the grandiose plans of the person seem minuscule and insignificant.
I′m fast growing eyes that make me despise every pure
The singer seems to be quickly developing disgust and loathing for anything that is genuine and sincere.
Genetic desire to test that my line is secure
There is an inherent impulse in humans to ensure that their lineage and offspring will be secure and prosperous.
A temperature is all we have
All we have is a physical and human warmth.
It′s insecure
This warmth may not be consistently present, and therefore, it lacks security.
It's warm and sad
There is a sense of melancholy to this warmth, evoking feelings that are both warm and sad.
Inside a stranger, I belong
I feel like I belong with someone who is a stranger to me.
The lights will change and I′ll be gone.
The traffic lights will change, the warmth will fade, and the singer will leave soon.
Writer(s): Brendan Fitchew
Contributed by Sydney M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.