Wolf Parade is an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, based in… Read Full Bio ↴Wolf Parade is an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, based in Montreal, QC. The band went on indefinite hiatus in 2011, but announced its return to recording and performing in January 2016. Wolf Parade was formed when Spencer Krug (also Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes, Moonface and Swan Lake) was offered a gig supporting Arcade Fire. He called Dan Boeckner (formerly of notable B.C. band Atlas Strategic, now also part of Handsome Furs) and they wrote songs with a drum machine before calling Arlen Thompson to play drums. Hadji Bakara joined in 2004. Dante DeCaro (formerly of Hot Hot Heat and currently of Johnny and the Moon) joined in Summer 2005 as second guitarist and percussionist. Though expected to perform again, the band announced their indefinite hiatus on November 27, 2010 and was acknowledged as having ended as a group on August 30, 2012 in an interview with Spoon front-man Britt Daniel.

Wolf Parade released their eponymous debut EP in 2003 with only Spencer, Dan and Arlen performing on it. After Hadji joined the group, they released another independent, self-titled EP in 2004. They were signed to Sub Pop by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse and released their first widely-distributed record, Wolf Parade EP. In September 2005 their debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary was released.

Apologies to the Queen Mary was given this name because, as in rock and roll tradition, Wolf Parade trashed the Queen Mary hotel. It was said that they trashed the hotel worse than any band before them.

Their second album, At Mount Zoomer, was released June 17, 2008, and third, Expo 86 on July 5, 2010. On November 29th 2010 Wolf Parade called an indefinite hiatus.

The haitus ended when the band released Cry Cry Cry on Oct 6, 2017.

Lousy Pictures
Wolf Parade Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where did you go?
Across the sea?
Sat on the beach
With the rusting machines?
Where did you go?
Across the sea?
Sat on the beach
With the rusting machines?

I know there was a time
Before we were born
We stood in the trees
Heads filled with nothing
There was a time
Before we were born
We stood in the trees
Heads filled with nothing

Become an angel with its wings on fire
Here comes an angel with its wings on fire
I'm in the basement delivering the hours

God made mistakes
We threw rocks at the sky
Old cities where they built things high
God made mistakes
We threw rocks at the sky
Old cities where they built things high

I know there was a time
Before we were born
We stood in the trees
Heads filled with nothing
I know there was a time
Before we were born
We stood in the trees
Heads filled with nothing

They had a photograph
A lousy picture of you
Just something too much

Become an angel with its wings on fire
Here comes an angel with its wings on fire

I'm in a basement delivering the hours
I'm in a basement just killing the hours

Overall Meaning

The song "Lousy Pictures" by Wolf Parade is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of the passage of time and the mistakes we make as humans. The repetition of the opening lines "Where did you go? Across the sea? Sat on the beach with the rusting machines?" creates a sense of isolation and loss, as if the singer is searching for someone who has disappeared. The line "I know there was a time before we were born, we stood in the trees, heads filled with nothing" seems to suggest a longing for a simpler time, before the complexities and hardships of modern life. The reference to becoming an angel with its wings on fire is both intriguing and unsettling, implying a sense of danger and risk associated with transformation.

The lines "God made mistakes, we threw rocks at the sky, old cities where they built things high" could be interpreted as a commentary on mankind's desire to conquer nature and build ever higher and bigger structures, even though it ultimately leads to destruction and decay. The reference to a "lousy picture" of the missing person adds to the melancholy tone of the song, as if the memories and images of the past are gradually fading away.

Overall, the lyrics to "Lousy Pictures" are open to interpretation, but they have a poetic quality that makes them both meaningful and evocative. The haunting melody and moody atmosphere of the song only add to its emotional impact, making it a standout track on Wolf Parade's acclaimed album "Expo 86".

Line by Line Meaning

Where did you go?
Asking someone about their whereabouts

Across the sea?
Questioning if the person went far away

Sat on the beach
Visualizing someone resting on the shore

With the rusting machines?
Drawing attention to old and unused devices

I know there was a time
Acknowledging the existence of a past

Before we were born
Referring to a time before the individual's birth

We stood in the trees
Imagery of standing surrounded by nature

Heads filled with nothing
Describing a state of emptiness

Become an angel with its wings on fire
Transforming into a celestial being engulfed in flames

Here comes an angel with its wings on fire
Observing the angelic figure arriving while burning

I'm in the basement delivering the hours
Explaining doing mundane labor in a confined space