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.
The Great Escape
We Are Scientists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I tell myself that everything's in shape
Everything's in shape, but me
How long can we stay, how long can we stay?
I tell myself that everything is great
Everything is great, well how am I doing?
I've got a great idea
I've got a great idea
I'm going to wait right here
While everything is adding
Up, up, up
Everything is adding
Up, up, up
Breaking both my hands, breaking both my hands
Telling me to 'take it like a man'
Take it like a man, I can't
I don't understand, I don't understand
Please repeat whatever you just said
Nothing's making sense, well how am I doing?
I've got a great idea
I'm going to wait right here
I've got a great idea
I'm going to wait right here
While everything is adding
Up, up, up
Everything is adding
Up, up, up
They're breaking both my hands, they're breaking both my hands
They're telling me to 'take it like a man'
Take it like a man, well fuck that
I don't understand, said, I don't understand
So please repeat whatever you just said
'Cause nothing's making sense, well how am I doing?
I've got a great idea
I'm going to wait right here
I've got a great idea
I'm going to wait right here
While everything is adding
Up, up, up
While everything is adding
Up, up, up
The lyrics of We Are Scientists's song "The Great Escape" describe an individual who feels trapped, lost and uncomfortable with their current state. The repetition of lines such as "I'm making my escape" and "Everything's in shape, but me" suggests that the singer is trying to convince themselves that everything is okay, but deep down, they know that it isn't. The line "How am I doing?" indicates a sense of insecurity and uncertainty about their own abilities to cope. The repetition of the phrase "I've got a great idea, I'm going to wait right here" suggests that this character feels powerless to affect change and is waiting for something or someone else to rescue them. The chorus "Everything is adding up, up, up" seems to indicate that the situation is becoming increasingly overwhelming and stressful to the singer. The lines "Breaking both my hands, telling me to 'take it like a man'" suggest that others are forcing the singer to toughen up and deal with the situation, but they are incapable of doing so.
The lyrics of the song seem to depict the classic struggle of wanting to escape from a difficult situation, but feeling paralyzed or unable to do so. The repetition and the use of similar sounding phrases creates a sense of stagnation and hopelessness that makes the listener feel the frustration of the character. The use of profanity in the chorus "Take it like a man, well fuck that" adds an element of anger and desperation to the lyrics, suggesting that the character is feeling increasingly hopeless and powerless.
Overall, "The Great Escape" is a powerful song that speaks to the universal experience of feeling lost in a difficult situation. The repetition and use of repeated phrases underline the frustration and hopelessness of the character, while the use of profanity and anger adds an element of desperation to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm making my escape, making my escape
I'm running away, trying to get away from everything
I tell myself that everything's in shape
I'm trying to convince myself that everything is alright
Everything's in shape, but me
Although everything seems alright, I'm not feeling that way
How long can we stay, how long can we stay?
How much longer can we keep pretending that things are okay?
I tell myself that everything is great
I'm trying to convince myself that things are fantastic
Everything is great, well how am I doing?
Even though things seem great, I'm not feeling that way
I've got a great idea
I have come up with a fantastic plan
I'm going to wait right here
I'm going to stay here and not take any action
While everything is adding
While everything else is getting worse
Up, up, up
Things are getting more intense and difficult
Breaking both my hands, breaking both my hands
I'm hurting myself trying to deal with everything
Telling me to 'take it like a man'
People are advising me to be strong and deal with the situation
Take it like a man, I can't
I don't have the strength to deal with the situation in a stoic manner
I don't understand, I don't understand
I'm struggling to comprehend what's happening
Please repeat whatever you just said
I'm asking for clarification, to try and grasp the situation
Well how am I doing?
Despite everything, I'm trying to gauge how I'm really doing
They're breaking both my hands, they're breaking both my hands
People are putting pressure on me and making things worse
Take it like a man, well fuck that
I'm pushing back against the advice to just 'be strong and deal with it'
So please repeat whatever you just said
I'm still struggling to understand what's happening and what I should do
'Cause nothing's making sense, well how am I doing?
Even though everything is confusing, I'm still trying to assess my situation
While everything is adding
As everything becomes more complicated and difficult
Up, up, up
Things become more and more intense, and I struggle to cope
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SEAN CHAPMAN, ANDRE DAVIS, MOISES JUAREZ, MATTHEW RYAN MCEWAN, PATRICK SALMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-dl2er3ql4b
Verse 1]
Making my escape
Making my escape
Tell myself that everything's in shape
Everything's in shape
But me
How long can this take?
How long can this take?
Tell myself that everything is great
Everything is great
Well, how am I doin'?
[Chorus]
I got a great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
I got a great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
While everything is adding up, up, up
Everything is adding up, up, up
[Verse 2]
Breaking both my hands
Breaking both my hands
Telling me to take it like a man
Take it like a man
I can't
I don't understand
I don't understand
Please repeat whatever you just said
Nothing's making sense
Well, how am I doin'?
[Chorus]
I got a great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
I got a great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
While everything is adding up, up, up
Everything is adding up, up, up
[Verse 3]
They're breaking both my hands
They're breaking both my hands
They're telling me to take it like a man
Take it like a man
Well fuck that
I don't understand
Said I don't understand
Said please repeat whatever you just said
'Cause nothing's making sense
Well, how am I doin'?
[Chorus]
I got a great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
I got a great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
While everything is adding up, up, up
Everything is adding up, up, up
@softHighligher
It looks like he’s being followed around by depression and anxiety, which often go together. He tries to live his normal life, but the stupid things done out of depression and anxiety make him annoyed and they add up. He’s the only thing in the way of his own escape. He tries to escape but then goes back home and falls asleep with them again, the unsuccessful escape adding to the desperation.
@ghostfox13
No thats the drummer and the other guy.
@superads91
Nope. The 2 guys are "the man". "They're breaking both my hands and telling me to take it like a man", the whole meaning is in that line. Typical stuff for a mid 2000s indie band to write about, quite influenced by Gang of Four and the likes.
At the end he tries to escape, but ends up coming back to the 2 guys. Which symbolizes trying to escape the grip of "the man", as in a dehumanizing 9 to 5 or whatever, but still returning to it in the end because it's comfortable and escaping is hard.
@LmfaoConnor
@@superads91 why can’t it be open to interpretation? Everything is subjective
@Headead5231
O
@Nickkk307
I remember me as a weird and confused 14 years old boy being hypnotised by this music video and this song. Now that I'm almost 29 (and I'm still weird and confused) I feel like that was a really magic moment of my life, rock and alternative songs, the beautiful music of MTV and the incredibile desire to fully live my life. I'm in quarantine right now (I live in the North of Italy) I think about my life all the time. I don't know if I'm happy or not, but I certantly know that music was and still is the best part of my entire life. Davide.
@martezjful
same age
@descartergosum
Same here!
@notsotrvgic9104
I’m about to turn 26 but honestly understanding wasn’t much of an objective until I came back to this song randomly and yeah it always had a story to tell
@robexists
Fun fact about the video: directed by The Lonely Island's Akiva Schaffer, before they did the SNL Digital Shorts.