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.
The Keepers
Ty Segall Lyrics
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Be what you be, lonely you know
What you've done, let the sleeper play for fun
And we drink the water, and we drink the wine
We are the animals, we are the swine
Let the keepers keep the time, let the sleepers dream so fine
We read the notes placed in our hands
Forged in the sands, from distant lands
That the dreamers can still shake hands
But we live here now and it smells of death
And the youth is wasting the Earth's last breath
But we can still dream and shake our hands
And sing a song so grime
The Keepers by Ty Segall is a piece on the state of the world and the societal issues that have surfaced. The song urges people to look in the mirror and see what they see, and to be what they are while acknowledging the loneliness they feel because of their actions. The reference to the "sleeper" reflects the dormant potential that humans possess, which they must embrace to lead a fun-filled life. The line "we drink the water, and we drink the wine, We are the animals, we are the swine" reflects the lack of any differentiation between humans and animals, as both suffer in the same way when neglected. The song emphasizes the importance of the dreamers, and how their dreams can empower everyone. The song draws the listener's attention to the timekeepers, who are responsible for managing time and society, so that the sleepers can dream with hope.
The notes that the dreamers receive are from places far away, and the song urges everyone to grow their hair and shake hands in solidarity. The song acknowledges the grave situation that Earth is in, and that the youth's actions may end up wasting the planet's final breath. However, it ends on a hopeful note where everyone can still sing their song and dream, despite the harsh reality of the society we live in.
Line by Line Meaning
Look in the mirror, you see what you see
When you look at yourself, you see who you truly are
Be what you be, lonely you know
Your true self can be lonely, but it's important to stay true to yourself
What you've done, let the sleeper play for fun
Let the past be the past and allow yourself to let loose and have fun
And we drink the water, and we drink the wine
We consume what is offered to us, both good and bad
We are the animals, we are the swine
We are not perfect and can act like animals or pigs at times
Let the keepers keep the time, let the sleepers dream so fine
Let those in charge handle time management while we allow ourselves to dream peacefully
We read the notes placed in our hands
We are given information or instructions that we must follow
Forged in the sands, from distant lands
This information or instructions may come from faraway or exotic places
And let your hair grow and let them know
Allow yourself to change and grow, and let others see the real you
That the dreamers can still shake hands
Even though some people may dream big, they can still connect with others through personal interaction
But we live here now and it smells of death
The current state of things can be bleak and depressing
And the youth is wasting the Earth's last breath
The younger generation is not doing enough to save the planet from destruction
But we can still dream and shake our hands
Despite the negativity, we can still have hope and connect with others
And sing a song so grime
We can still find joy in the midst of despair and sing about it
Contributed by Callie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Adam Vulture
Victory is its own Reward, what an epic scene, this song really made it
Captain Underpants
2021 - This song is Prophetic to those that have eyes to see and ears to hear. 😎
Keith Toffling
Great acoustic set in the middle of woods...Genuine guitarists! Â Â
TheNightmare75II
His voice is so fucking good.
Pizza Spaceman
This is my favourite song from Sleeper.
Rodolfo Godoy Rossler
better than the studio one
Estefano Gomez
+Rodolfo Godoy Rossler You know your shit!
MyMOSHU
So intense that he broke a string
Robert Rozier
Wow! Really really awesome!!! What a find!!!
Ozzy
Amazing