They were among the second wave of groups to emerge from The Elephant 6 Recording Company and the group has a style that is typical of many Elephant 6 bands due to their interest in combining musical experimentation with the basic tenets of pop i.e. catchy melodies and sing-along choruses. The band’s style has been influenced by conventional indie pop, psychedelic music, vaudeville and music hall on their earlier releases and by afrobeat, funk, krautrock and reggae on their recent releases.
The band’s style has been known to change between albums. At first, the band embraced a more simple, quirky, lo-fi indie pop sound, which occasionally bordered on twee pop. The band was created by Kevin Barnes and named after a failed romance with a woman from Montreal, though the story changes in various interviews. Barnes was the only member of the “group” prior to his relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, he met Derek Almstead, later of Circulatory System, M Coast, Elf Power etc., and Bryan Poole, who also performs as The Late B.P. Helium.
Together, they recorded their first album, Cherry Peel, as well as The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower and The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy.
A number of singles and a re-release of The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower occurred before the release of the band’s third album, The Gay Parade in 1999. With contributions from several members of the Elephant Six collective at the time, it also featured artwork from Kevin’s brother David Barnes, who would continue to do artwork for future albums.
This album marked that the band had moved to a fuller sound, which is also found on its follow-up, Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse. These two albums contain more narrative lyrics, as opposed to the rather personal lyrical matter of those preceding it, and often imitating the style of old 1950s radio plays.
After production on The Gay Parade began in 1998, Poole left the band to focus on his duties with Elf Power, another Elephant Six band from Athens. Barnes also recruited Jamey Huggins and Dottie Alexander, who had been performing together as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly, to play various instruments. Derek moved from drums to bass. The band was joined soon after by Marshmallow Coast’s Andy Gonzales.
Following the release of The Gay Parade, the band signed with Kindercore Records, who would release a number of singles and compilations. It wasn’t until 2001 that Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse would be released as a new album with original material. The album again featured contributions from across the Elephant 6 spectrum.
In 2002, Aldhils Arboretum was released, with a slightly different sound than its predecessors, as the songs were more directly structured. This album marks the beginning of the change in of Montreal’s sound, with more danceable rhythms than ever before, especially on the album’s closer, “Death Dance Of The Omipapas and Sons For You”. A successful tour ensued, including of Montreal’s first trip to the UK, along with a tour-only EP.
Kindercore Records would fold shortly after the release of Arboretum, and of Montreal’s status was also threatened. Kevin got married, and Andy and Derek left the band. Barnes, being uncomfortable with the unrest, as well as some divisions within the band, took to writing and performing their 2004 album Satanic Panic in the Attic mostly by himself. Released by Polyvinyl Records, it became one of their more successful efforts to that point. The 2004 tour saw The Late B.P. Helium (Bryan Poole) rejoin the band, with some bass played by Kevin’s partner Nina Barnes. The album marked a shift to something more electronic with traditional structures, to be further advanced in later albums and new songs. In their most recent releases and concerts, the band has fully embraced a sort of techno-pop glam image, with little of their previous incarnations surfacing. This style is featured in singles such as Disconnect the Dots. The style would continue to evolve into 2005’s The Sunlandic Twins, which was even more a Barnes solo effort. Recorded in Athens, with the exception of one track recorded in Norway, it was a much more pronounced electronic album. The album became a success, mostly due to the singles “So Begins Our Alabee” and the MTV clip for “Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games)”.
The band released several collections of singles in early 2006. Barnes recorded most of the band’s 2007 release, Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, by himself while living in Norway and Athens, Georgia. The switch to autobiographical themes of suicide, depression and isolation of the album was a direct product of his troubled personal life during that period.
of Montreal released Skeletal Lamping on October 21, 2008 followed by False Priest on September 14, 2010, Paralytic Stalks on February 7, 2012, and Lousy with Sylvianbriar on October 8, 2013. Aureate Gloom is scheduled for release by Polyvinyl Records on March 3, 2015.
Lyrically, their style has changed dramatically throughout the years. In the beginning, many songs were narratives of personal or humorous situations, such as “Tim, I Wish You Were Born A Girl”, from Cherry Peel. This style, however, changed with The Gay Parade, where many songs involve small narratives surrounding invented characters (in songs such as “Jacques Lamure”, “The Autobiographical Grandpa”, “Mimi Merlot” and “Rose Robert”). Others act as extracts from fictional conversations (“Advice From a Divorced Gentleman to His Bachelor Friend Considering Marriage” and “Good Morning Mr. Edminton” as examples). With Aldhils Arboretum came a slight return to the previous writing style, except following more poppy, classical lyrical structures (such as the use of choruses, which are generally absent in the Gay Parade/Coquelicot years). This style continued throughout Satanic Panic and The Sunlandic Twins to some extent. On the album Hissing Fauna: Are You The Destroyer? the lyrics are much more personal than previously used, with songs detailing emotions within the speaker.
Another unique quality of the band is the fusion of ostensibly gloomy lyrics with bouncy, upbeat melodies and hooks. On Aldhils Arboretum, for example, the lyrics for tracks like “Doing Nothing” and “Old People in the Cemetery” focus on apathy, loneliness or death while being contrasted with cheerful instrumentation. Another example of this tendency is shown in their choice of covers; for example, Yoko Ono’s “I Felt Like Smashing my Head Through a Clear Glass Window” from The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower.
True to the style of most Elephant 6 recording artists, of Montreal’s members have been in a variety of side projects and other bands:
The band itself has performed as the backing band for Marshmallow Coast on record and on tour.
My First Keyboard was the pseudonym used by Dottie Alexander to release the song “The You I Created” on the Kindercore singles club. of Montreal acted as her backing band.
Dustin Hoffman Thinks About Eating The Soap
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't swallow mine
It's all fine and dandy
This low betrayal oh
You found friends
To agree and understand
If you wanna be a good monster
Mix bag grab bag
Pop the question
Have a ball runnin wild
Between your spagetti legs
Mix bag grab bag
Dirty pots
You best believe my love
could fix the faucet
You are a locked window
I can see in but can't get in
Locked in your room
Until you've learned your lesson
I am a gift
Which you refuse to open
If you wanna be a good monster
Open me
Mix bag grab bag
Pop the question
Have a ball runnin wild
Between your spagetti legs
Mix bag grab bag
Dirty pots
You best believe my love
Could fix the faucet
Mix bag grab bag
Pop the question
Have a ball runnin wild
Between your spagetti legs
Mix bag grab bag
Dirty pots
You best believe my love
Could fix the faucet
Chasin after honey
Bet you found somethin
Why name me what I want if I am a gift
Just waitin to be opened coming out of my shell
If I am a gift
Why don't you open me?
The opening lines suggest a warning to someone who wants to become a monster, but they should not try to be like the singer. The lyrics may refer to an insecurity in the singer, and they don't want others to take away or consume what they have. The next lines are sarcastic, insinuating that betrayal is acceptable, but it creates tension between friends.
The lyrics then shift to referencing the locked window and doors, insinuating someone's isolation and entrapment. The singer is offering themselves as a gift, but the other person refuses to open it. The chorus repeats multiple times with different verses, suggesting efficiency, struggle, and victory. The last line is an appeal to the person to take a chance and open up, and not to let fear dictate their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
If you wanna be a good monster
Don't swallow mine
If you want to be a good person, don't steal from me or take what is mine.
It's all fine and dandy
This low betrayal oh
It may seem alright, but betraying someone you call a friend is not acceptable.
You found friends
To agree and understand
You have found companions who share your ideas and empathy.
If you wanna be a good monster
Don't bother
If you want to be a good person, don't get involved in things that do not concern you.
Mix bag grab bag
Pop the question
Have a ball runnin wild
Between your spagetti legs
You are experiencing a variety of emotions and thoughts, and are enjoying the freedom that comes with it.
Dirty pots
You best believe my love
Could fix the faucet
Although things may look unclean or broken, my love has the power to fix them and make them better.
You are a locked window
I can see in but can't get in
Locked in your room
Until you've learned your lesson
You have put up barriers and are closed off to those around you until you learn something important.
I am a gift
Which you refuse to open
If you wanna be a good monster
Open me
I am a precious gift that you are ignoring, but if you want to be a good person, you should embrace me and what I have to offer.
Chasin after honey
Bet you found somethin
Why name me what I want if I am a gift
Just waitin to be opened coming out of my shell
If I am a gift
Why don't you open me?
You were searching for something sweet in life and found it, but why label me as something you want when I am a valuable gift that is waiting to be opened and appreciated? Please acknowledge my worth and open me up.
Contributed by Aria R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sumintegrals
These songs are just so charming, one of my favorite albums!
@rakgtr
this song is beautiful, i havent heard anything like this in a while. God bless of montreal
@UncleFido
amazing song
@schtickkicker
true enough.
@DickValentine87
I thought about becoming a monster.....I later decided not to bother
@schtickkicker
polyvinyl, oh no! digital compression artifacts give great low fidelity recordings a sour sound :( listen to the same track uploaded by youtube user worsebrains for better quality.
@friendlymaleaccountanti63t47
Thanks for the tip!
@ClearlyJamming
fuck quality