Young Galaxy formed in Vancouver, Canada, as duo including Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless. Through that summer of 2005 and the spring of 2006 they recorded with appearances and contributions of friends at Jace Lasek’s Breakglass Studio. Their sound has been described as similar to the bands Slowdive, Galaxie 500 and Luna as well as Pink Floyd and Spiritualized. The band has toured in Canada, The United States and Europe, opening for Arcade Fire, The Album Leaf, The Frames, Peter, Bjorn and John, Stars and Death Cab For Cutie. They later moved to Montreal, where they recorded their self-titled debut. The album was released on April 24, 2007.
They recorded their second album Invisible Republic in Montreal at Hotel2Tango studio with Radwan Moumneh engineering (A Silver Mt. Zion, Pas Chic Chic) and at Breakglass Studios with Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes engineering. Invisible Republic was released independently on August 25, 2009 through Fontana North. It was mixed by Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Snow Patrol) in Glasgow, Scotland. It was subsequently released in July 2010 in the U.S.A. by Paper Bag Records, and received a long list nomination for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize.
The band followed up in fall 2010 with YG No Art EP, an EP comprising unreleased tracks and remixes from the Invisible Republic sessions.
Their third album, Shapeshifting, was recorded in Montreal, Canada, and was produced by Dan Lissvik of the band Studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. The band communicated with Lissvik via Skype over the nine months he spent mixing the recorded vocals.
The album, released in February 2011 on Paper Bag Records, has been described as a massive change in creative direction, eschewing their former shoegaze, dream-pop style for a more electronic pop sound. Stephen Ramsay describes the change in song composition method, "instead of picking up a guitar and finding the most brilliant melody we could, we tried to erase the shape of the songs."
Discography:
Swing Your Heartache (2006, EP)
Young Galaxy (2007)
Invisible Republic (2009)
YG No Art EP (2010)
Shapeshifting (2011)
Ultramarine (2013)
Pretty Boy
Young Galaxy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We found each other
And headed sightless for the city
We had no way
Misfit and stray
Living beyond both means and pity
And I know you feel isolated
I don't care if disbelievers don't understand
You're my pretty boy
Always
I felt no pain
When you changed your name
We were each other's only family
Walking away
Would change the way
But never make your path less heavy
And I know you feel isolated
And I feel what you won't say
I don't care if disbelievers don't understand
You're my pretty boy, always
And I know you feel isolated
And I feel what you won't say
I don't care if disbelievers don't understand
You're my pretty boy
And I know you feel isolated
And I feel what you won't say
I don't care if the disbelievers don't understand
You're my pretty boy, always
Always
In the first verse of "Pretty Boy" by Young Galaxy, the singer reflects on a time when they were lost and alone, until they found each other. Together, they ventured into the city, living beyond what others expected of them, and not caring about the judgment they faced. The second verse speaks of a specific moment when the singer's companion changed their name, becoming each other's only family. Despite the weight that comes with change and the lack of acceptance from others, the singer reassures their companion that they are seen and loved as they are - a pretty boy.
The song conveys a message of acceptance and love for those who may feel isolated or different from societal norms. The phrase "pretty boy" is often associated with derogatory connotations, but the song reclaims and celebrates the term as a compliment. The song acknowledges the struggle of feeling misunderstood by others but emphasizes the importance of finding someone who sees the beauty within.
Line by Line Meaning
When we were lost
We were both feeling aimless and without direction in our lives
We found each other
But then we met and formed a deeper connection
And headed sightless for the city
Together, we ventured forward into the unknown urban landscape
We had no way
We lacked resources and support
Misfit and stray
We didn't fit in with the mainstream and were wandering aimlessly
Living beyond both means and pity
We found a way to survive despite our disadvantaged circumstances without seeking help or sympathy
And I know you feel isolated
I understand your sense of loneliness and detachment from society
And I feel what you won't say
I sense that you're holding back some emotions or thoughts from me
I don't care if disbelievers don't understand
I am not concerned with other people's perception of our relationship or actions
You're my pretty boy
I see you as my beautiful and beloved companion
Always
Forever and unconditionally
I felt no pain
I did not feel any negative emotions or regret
When you changed your name
When you made a significant transformation in your life
We were each other's only family
We relied on each other as our sole source of emotional and social support
Walking away
If you were to leave
Would change the way
It would alter the dynamics of our relationship
But never make your path less heavy
It would not alleviate any of the internal struggles or challenges you face in your own life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Catherine Anne McCandless, Stephen Ramsay, Dan Anders Lissvik
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tedinspirer2258
LYRICS:
When we were lost
We found each other
And headed sightless for the city
We had no way
Misfit and stray
Living beyond both means and pity
And I know you feel isolated
And I feel what you won't say
I don't care if disbelievers don't understand
You're my pretty boy
Always
I felt no pain
When you changed your name
We were each other's only family
Walking away
Would change the way
But never make your path less heavy
And I know you feel isolated
And I feel what you won't say
I don't care if disbelievers don't understand
You're my pretty boy, always
And I know you feel isolated
And I feel what you won't say
I don't care if disbelievers don't understand
You're my pretty boy
And I know you feel isolated
And I feel what you won't say
I don't care if the disbelievers don't understand
You're my pretty boy, always
Always.
@belevezero2279
When this song came out I was in love with it, and for some reason it made me think of my cat Hitchens. It's been several years since I've heard it, and I've only come back to it last week when Hitchens passed away. It was sad bringing him to the vet for cremation but I couldn't get myself to cry it out. When I finally found some alone time had the urge to hear this, so I pulled up my app and played it in the car, I had to pull over as I sobbed like a child for fifteen good minutes. Needless to say it's back in regular rotation.
@Elvisism
This song and the concepts touched on are absolutely beautiful, the visuals too.
@jurpre
I've been listening to this song for five years now and it is still hauntingly beautiful. And the video is so cool too.
@emilianorocha2078
EXACTLY... is “hauntingly beautiful”!
@themrjosuemendez
It has been 9 years here! You will never get tired, man :)
@user-ov5nx6hu7o
YMO - Wild Ambitions
@slurpandshovel
Young Galaxy, I feel life when I listen to you. Thank you.
@AnneMcAyers
Outstanding
@emilianorocha2078
There’s something about this song/video that I find quite mysterious yet quite beautiful. I’ve never heard a song like this before, with such deepness and a particular, attractive way to approach a common topic in music. I love it. I really do. Thank you, Young Galaxy for this.
@patrizioerre93
I don't know if I agree but I'm thankful for your comment