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)
What We Want
Young Galaxy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shadow in the shine
I don't need no distinction
To make mine what is mine
Inhale the smoking trail
Where lightning struck the sea
I don't need authenticity
I am star shine in the tunnel
A sleeper in the cell
I don't need no condemnation
To make hell what is hell
Trail the great white whale
To the empire of the sun
I don't need no reflection
To see what I've become
What we want is just what we've abhorred
Listless through the ceasefire
Lit up by the war
What we want is just what we've abhorred
Listless through the ceasefire
Lit up by the war
What we want is just what we've abhorred
Listless through the ceasefire
Lit up by the war
What we want is just what we've abhorred
Listless through the ceasefire
Lit up by the war
What we want is just what we've abhorred
Listless through the ceasefire
Lit up by the war
The lyrics in Young Galaxy's song "What We Want" seem to be about the singer's journey to find their own identity and purpose, even if it means going against societal norms and expectations. The first stanza suggests that the singer is different from others and doesn't need validation or labels to define themselves. The next stanza talks about how the singer doesn't need to conform to anyone's expectations, but rather follow their own path. The third stanza talks about the singer's resilience, using imagery of a star in a tunnel and a sleeper in a cell to describe their power even in confinement. The last stanza seems to suggest that despite being listless during peace times, humans are invigorated by the excitement and chaos of war. Overall, the lyrics seem to explore themes of individualism, perseverance, and the allure of conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm an underwater engine
I am a powerful force, moving steadily beneath the surface.
Shadow in the shine
I am a dark presence in a place of light.
I don't need no distinction
I do not require recognition or differentiation to assert my ownership.
To make mine what is mine
What is inherently mine cannot be taken or disputed.
Inhale the smoking trail
I take in the aftermath as a reminder of what has happened before.
Where lightning struck the sea
I acknowledge the evidence of a powerful and natural force.
I don't need authenticity
I do not require external validation or proof of my genuineness.
To make me more like me
I am already true to myself, and cannot be changed or altered in that essence.
I am star shine in the tunnel
I shine bright in the midst of darkness and uncertainty.
A sleeper in the cell
I am at rest and content within my own confinement.
I don't need no condemnation
I do not require judgement or punishment for my actions or choices.
To make hell what is hell
The negative aspects of my existence are simply that, and do not require magnification or elaboration.
Trail the great white whale
I follow a powerful and determined force towards an unknown destination.
To the empire of the sun
I am guided by a strong and radiant source of energy.
I don't need no reflection
I do not require a representation of myself in order to understand who I am.
To see what I've become
I am aware of my own growth and development, without the need for outside confirmation.
What we want is just what we've abhorred
We may seek the very things that we despise and reject.
Listless through the ceasefire
We may experience boredom and detachment in times of peace and stability.
Lit up by the war
We may find excitement and purpose in times of conflict and turmoil.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephen Ramsay, Dan Anders Lissvik
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EmmanuelOyawoye
Love this song....Makes me feel like I am in the 80's
@BryanBedard
This album needs to win the Polaris... so many good tracks.