Segall began his recording career as a part-time musician in various underground bands in Orange County and the San Francisco Bay Area, before beginning a solo career in 2008. Segall's first solo release was the cassette Horn The Unicorn released on the Wizard Mountain label (later re-released by HBSP-2X on vinyl record). Around the same time, Wizard Mountain also released a split cassette featuring Segall and the band Superstitions entitled Halfnonagon.
In 2012, Segall released three LPs: His solo album, Twins; a collaboration with White Fence titled Hair and Slaughterhouse, an album with the Ty Segall Band.
Manipulator
Ty Segall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drug rug that's smooth as silk
You are the bloodline guilt
Manipulator
Ooh, ooh, ooh (manipulator)
I use your telephone
My finest bred
Manipulator
Ooh, ooh, ooh (manipulator)
Ooh, ooh, ooh (manipulator)
(Manipulator, manipulator, manipulator, manipulator)
(Manipulator, manipulator, manipulator, manipulator)
In Ty Segall's song "Manipulator," the lyrics seem to be addressing an unhealthy relationship dynamic, with the titular "Manipulator" exerting power over their partner. The first stanza appears to reference the Manipulator's seductive tactics - they lure their partner in with false promises and cheap thrills ("Cheap love, I'm wrapped in milk / Drug rug that's smooth as silk"). The line "You are the bloodline guilt" may suggest that the partner feels guilty for being manipulated or allowing themselves to be taken advantage of. The chorus, which repeats the word "Manipulator" several times, reinforces this power dynamic - the Manipulator is in control.
The second stanza deepens the sense of unease in the relationship. The Manipulator is using the partner's phone to sneak into their home, suggesting a lack of respect for personal boundaries. The final line of the stanza - "My finest bred" - is cryptic, but may imply that the partner is the Manipulator's most prized possession, something they take pride in controlling. The chorus again repeats the word "Manipulator," emphasizing the imbalance of power in the relationship.
Overall, "Manipulator" seems to be a warning against getting too deeply involved with someone who seeks to control and manipulate their partner. The imagery of milk, silk, and bloodline guilt creates a disorienting, almost surreal atmosphere, emphasizing the unhealthy and unsettling nature of the relationship being described.
Line by Line Meaning
Cheap love, I'm wrapped in milk
I am in a shallow love where money can buy affection, and it feels overindulgent and insincere.
Drug rug that's smooth as silk
My drug addiction seems to make me feel comfortable, and it feels like a luxurious problem rather than a serious one.
You are the bloodline guilt
You are the source of my guilt, but I constantly need you in my life anyway because you give me a sense of purpose and control.
Manipulator
I am manipulating you for my needs and desires, and I don't feel any remorse for doing so.
I use your telephone
I invade your privacy, make myself at home, and use your resources to my own advantage without asking for permission.
To sneak inside your home
I manipulate my way into your personal life, physically and emotionally, so that I can have power over you without you realizing it.
My finest bred
I am the best of my kind, a perfect example of a manipulator who can deceive others without getting caught.
Manipulator
I am a master of manipulation, and I use my skills to control and dominate others for my own gain.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: TY GARRETT SEGALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PrinceOpana
Ty Segall is our time's most prolific musical artist. He's got the consistency of a mechanical bread slicer only his cuts are more diverse. So it's safe to declare Ty Segall is better than sliced bread.
Circules
goodbye sliced bread
roy_for_real
indeed, no food needed, feed me music ;)
roy_for_real
it's awesome he is the frontman on 3 projects
Charlie
Most prolific? Maybe over the last several years (if you're just counting number of releases), but of "our time," no. And just because you put out a lot of stuff doesn't necessarily mean you're all that great.
blueprint blue
Omar Rodriguez Lopez is more prolific.
Gary Zajdel
I'm a life long music fanatic/musician who turns 60 this year. I've seen hundreds of shows going back to 1969 but I must say that the post 2000 and especially post 2010 is some of the BEST I ever heard. I only started listening to Ty a little longer than a year ago and I'm floored. For the longest time the BJnstown Massacre were my faves. That was until I heard Ty's newest (Freedom's Goblin) and MANIPULATOR before that. This generation is as lucky as I was growing up in the 70's to have such high quality Indie music. Segall is a treasure when listened to thoroughly......no one off's...Every LP is a side to side complete must listen to. Thanks to Ty for keeping this old ass real interested! peace out ENJOY
jahnsahn76
I'm also in my 60th year but I've only been going to shows since '72. It's nice to know that Neil has someone to pass the torch to when he finally hangs it up. It's also nice to know I'll have someone to see live while I wait for Crazy Horse to hit the road again.
Cam O'Connor
you rule
Nick Johns
Rock on ENJOY