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 Under The Sea
We Are Scientists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Everything is great
Everything is great
Well how'm I doing?
I gotta great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
I gotta great idea
I'm gonna 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'm I doing?
I gotta great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
I gotta great idea
I'm gonna 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'm I doing?
I gotta great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
I gotta great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
While everything is adding
Up, up, up
Everything is adding
Up, up, up
The song "The Great Escape Under the Sea" by We Are Scientists is a reflection on the struggle of coping with one's problems and the difficulty in facing reality. The repetitive verse of "Making my escape, tell myself that everything's in shape, but me" indicates the singer's attempt to escape from his problems by convincing himself that everything is fine when he is not.
The lines "Breaking both my hands, telling me to take it like a man, I can't" expresses the singer's frustration with the expectations of society to "take it like a man" and toughen up in the face of adversity, as he is struggling to do so. He is unable to comprehend anything being said to him and nothing is making sense as he falls deeper into his own escape.
The chorus of "I gotta great idea, I'm gonna wait right here" may signify the singer's desire to wait for something good to happen or for a solution to present itself without having to actively confront his problems. The repeated lines of "everything is adding up" alludes to the fear of the situation not improving, but getting worse despite the singer's attempts to cope.
Overall, the song serves as a reminder of the importance of facing one's problems instead of escaping from them and the consequences of continually avoiding them.
Line by Line Meaning
Making my escape
I am trying to get away from a difficult situation
Tell myself that
Everything's in shape
I am reassuring myself that everything is going to be alright
But me
How long can this take
Despite everything seeming to be in order, I am still feeling uncertain and unsure of how long this situation will last
Everything is great
Well how'm I doing?
Although I am putting on a façade of being happy and content, I am really questioning how I am actually doing
I gotta great idea
I'm gonna wait right here
While everything is adding
Up, up, up
I have a plan to just wait and see how everything unfolds before I take any action
Breaking both my hands
Telling me to
Take it like a man
I can't
I don't understand
Please repeat whatever you just said
Nothing's making sense
I am feeling overwhelmed and unable to handle the situation, and am frustrated by people telling me to tough it out instead of actually helping me
Well how'm I doing?
I am still questioning how I am doing and if everything will turn out alright
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NICHOLAS SANDON MURRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind