Their name was inspired by an awkward conversation with a U-Haul employee who was inspecting a van that the band had rented. The U-haul employee, attempting to make polite conversation, asked the three bespectacled band members if they were brothers. They said no. He asked if they were scientists, as they looked like they could be the kind of people who wear lab coats. They told him that they were musicians, not scientists. To this day, they regret telling the truth. They are not named after the Cap'n Jazz song which bears the name.
They are a franchise of Art Rock band, Art Brut. In fact, they are Art Brut 47.
The band formed while its members attended the Claremont Colleges. Murray and Cain attended Pomona College; Michael Tapper attended Harvey Mudd College.
The band has released three self-made EPs (Bitching!, Safety, Fun, and Learning (In That Order) and In Action). Their debut LP, With Love And Squalor was on Virgin Records, the first three singles of which were "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", "The Great Escape" and "It's A Hit". The album takes its name from the J.D. Salinger short story "For Esme - With Love and Squalor". They have since released LP Crap Attack, which is a collection of B-Sides, covers and other rarities, and their full follow-up album, Brain Thrust Mastery which debuted in the UK on March 17,2008 reached number 11 at the UK Album charts.
On the 1st November 2007, NME reported that Michael Tapper has left We Are Scientists under amicable circumstances, and on September 18, 2007, the band announced on their website that Max Hart, a keyboardist and guitarist who has played live with them before, has joined the band temporarily. As they put it: "There's no easy answer as to how long Max will stick around. Maybe we'll grow to hate his sanctimonious ways, which for now tickle us so. Maybe he'll grow to hate our open-minded, funny, refreshing, handsome ways, thus achieving what psychologists and bookies long ago labeled impossible."
And to make things even more exciting for the band, We Are Scientists is featured in the soundtrack of the 2008 film Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which Bishop Allen - at the time featuring former We Are Scientists drummer Michael Tapper - appears in a cameo.
According to Keith Murray's Wikipedia he was nominated for World's Sexiest Vegetarian 2007 and is predicted that he will be the new face of Louis Vuitton's spring/summer '09 collection.
The Band's 3rd effort, Barbara, was released in June of 2010 and features ex-Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows.
Ambition
We Are Scientists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's classical over-reach in stretch way beyond my station
Wherever I've been drinking lends a small amount of solace
That's emblessly ? proportional to how badly I want it
So long ambition
It's not a competition
I can't win anymore
An odd position
That I got the suspicion
I have been here before
I have been here before
Every single word from you is uncomfortably appealing
And reservations telling me to forget what I'm hearing
Part of me is screaming, you should just come out and ask her
As if there were a chance in hell that got me what I'm after
So long ambition
It's not a competition
I can't win anymore
I can't win anymore
An odd position
That I got the suspicion
I have been here before
I have been here before
For my imagination is a moving ? cloud all working over time
This kind of aggravation just seems perfectly designed to keep me up at night
It keeps me up at night
It keeps me up at night
Alright
So long ambition
It's not a competition
I can't win anymore
I can't win anymore
An odd position
That I got the suspicion
I have been here before
I have been here before
I have been here before
I have been here before
The lyrics to We Are Scientists' song "Ambition" touch on two main themes: the pressure of ambition and the difficulty of balancing it with reality, and the complicated feelings of attraction and self-doubt that can arise when pursuing a goal. The verses describe the singer's sense of being in over his head, trying to achieve something that he may not be capable of and using alcohol to cope with his feelings of inadequacy. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "so long ambition," suggests a turning point, where the singer realizes that he needs to let go of his all-consuming drive and accept that he can't necessarily win at everything.
The second half of the song delves into a different but related struggle - that of expressing romantic feelings and dealing with the possibility of rejection. The singer describes being drawn to someone whose words make him feel both uncomfortable and captivated, but he's also aware of his own doubts and insecurities. He considers the possibility of taking a chance and being honest about his feelings, but ultimately concludes that it's unlikely to lead to success.
Overall, "Ambition" is a poignant and relatable exploration of the emotional ups and downs that come with striving for something, whether it's creative success, romantic love, or something else entirely.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately I've been measuring mistakes that I've been making
Recently, I've been reflecting on my missteps and errors and evaluating where I went wrong.
It's classical over-reach in stretch way beyond my station
I'm experiencing classic over-ambition, reaching for things far beyond my abilities and status.
Wherever I've been drinking lends a small amount of solace
When I've been drinking, I find a small amount of comfort.
That's emblessly ? proportional to how badly I want it
This comfort is directly related to how badly I desire what I'm striving for.
So long ambition
Goodbye ambition
It's not a competition
I don't need to compete with anyone else
I can't win anymore
I can't seem to achieve my goals anymore.
An odd position
I'm in a strange and unusual predicament.
That I got the suspicion
I have the feeling that
I have been here before
I've experienced this situation in the past.
Every single word from you is uncomfortably appealing
Everything you say to me is both attractive and unsettling.
And reservations telling me to forget what I'm hearing
My doubts are telling me to ignore what you're saying.
Part of me is screaming, you should just come out and ask her
A part of me is urging me to ask you directly.
As if there were a chance in hell that got me what I'm after
However, I know there's little hope of me actually getting what I want.
For my imagination is a moving cloud all working over time
My mind is constantly churning with thoughts and ideas.
This kind of aggravation just seems perfectly designed to keep me up at night
This intense frustration seems tailor-made to prevent me from sleeping well.
It keeps me up at night
It causes me to lose sleep.
Alright
Okay, I understand.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER CAIN, KEITH MURRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aram Sánchez
Gracias por subirlo.
Torakisl8
every song from Barbara is a banger
Sebastien Napoleon
favorite of the album
DeVernePersonal
@Sebastian Gutierrez you and i have that same tie
Sebastian Gutierrez
For me, it's a close tie between Ambition and Foreign Kicks. Bangers.