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.
I Want to Have Fun
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't want to come down
I get so giddy when you're around
Look, the sun is shining softly
Through the trees and the fluffy clouds
Why does it seem
Like every little bird sings sweetly
Take my hand, let's run away
Go enjoy the day
Go walk in the park or a trip to the sea
Do anything that strikes off and see
Take a bike ride, pick some faeries
Singing songs about sugar plum faeries
What a wonderful day
What a cool exceptional, crazy magical day
And watching it fall into night
It's such a beautiful sight
Oh, why does it seem
Like every firefly glows sweetly
Just for you and I?
Come take my hand, come hold me tight
The stars are so bright
Ah, ah, ah, I just want to have fun
Don't want to come down
I get so giddy when you're around
Look, the moonlight shines softly
Through the trees and the fluffy clouds
Ah, wah, oh, oh
The song "I Want to Have Fun" by of Montreal is a dreamy and whimsical tune that expresses a desire for pure joy and pleasure. The singer states that they don't want to come down from the happiness and giddiness that they experience when their loved one is around. The lyrics suggest that the world seems brighter and more magical when in the company of someone special. They describe the sun shining through the trees and the soft moonlight shining through fluffy clouds, and wonder why it seems like everything around them is so sweet and delightful. The urge to immediately escape to enjoy the day together is expressed in taking a trip to the sea, taking a bike ride or even picking some faeries. All in all, the song evokes a sense of childlike wonder and carefree abandon, a yearning to escape the mundane and embrace the magical.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was released as a single from of Montreal's 2004 album "Satanic Panic in the Attic." The song was later re-released in 2007 as a part of a four-song EP called "Icons, Abstract Thee." It was also featured on the soundtrack of the popular TV show "Grey's Anatomy." The song has been performed live several times by the band, often with a different tempo and instrumentation each time.
Another fact is that "I Want to Have Fun" has been described as a tribute to the 1980s pop song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. of Montreal's lead singer, Kevin Barnes, has cited Lauper as a major influence on his music.
The music video for "I Want to Have Fun" is also visually whimsical and fun, featuring a colorful carnival backdrop and performers dressed in clown costumes, a nod to of Montreal's theatrical and avant-garde stage shows.
The song's opening line "I just want to have fun" has become somewhat of a catchphrase, with the song being used in commercials and as a slogan for various events and activities.
"I Want to Have Fun" showcases of Montreal's eclectic and experimental musical style, incorporating elements of indie pop, psychedelic rock, and electronic music.
The song has been covered by several other musicians, including the Canadian indie rock band The Rural Alberta Advantage and singer-songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs.
Despite its upbeat and joyful tone, the lyrics of "I Want to Have Fun" have been described as implying a sense of longing and even desperation, with the singer expressing a desire to escape reality and find happiness in a world that sometimes feels bleak and oppressive.
Chords (as played on guitar in the key of D major):
Verse: D - Bm - G - D
Chorus: Em - G - D - A
**Note: These chords may vary depending on the cover or live version.
Line by Line Meaning
I just want to have fun
I desire to enjoy and revel in the moment, without any worries or responsibilities.
Don't want to come down
I want this wonderful moment and feeling to last forever, without any interruptions.
I get so giddy when you're around
Your presence fills me with excitement and anticipation, making me feel alive and grateful.
Look, the sun is shining softly
The surroundings seem to glow radiantly, as if nature itself is reveling in our joy and presence.
Through the trees and the fluffy clouds
The beauty and majesty of the natural world enhances our happiness and wonder, completing our experience.
Why does it seem
Like every little bird sings sweetly
Just for you and me?
The birds seem to react positively to our presence, as if they are joining in our celebration and happiness, adding to our sense of elation and euphoria.
Take my hand, let's run away
Go enjoy the day
Let us seize the moment and make the most of our happiness and energy, doing things that make us happy and fulfilled, without any hesitation or worry.
Go walk in the park or a trip to the sea
Do anything that strikes off and see
Take a bike ride, pick some faeries
Singing songs about sugar plum faeries
Let us explore and discover the world together, finding hidden pleasures and delights that we may have missed otherwise, adding to our sense of adventure and curiosity.
What a wonderful day
What a cool exceptional, crazy magical day
And watching it fall into night
It's such a beautiful sight
This moment is truly extraordinary and unforgettable, a mixture of happiness, excitement, love and beauty, encompassing all our senses and emotions in a single perfect experience.
Oh, why does it seem
Like every firefly glows sweetly
Just for you and I?
The fireflies seem to be attracted to us, as if they are cheering us on and lighting our path, adding to our sense of wonder and enchantment.
Come take my hand, come hold me tight
The stars are so bright
Let us enjoy this moment of intimacy and closeness, cherishing this feeling of love and appreciation that we share, surrounded by the beauty and mystery of the universe above.
Ah, ah, ah, I just want to have fun
Don't want to come down
I get so giddy when you're around
Look, the moonlight shines softly
Through the trees and the fluffy clouds
Ah, wah, oh, oh
This experience of joy and celebration has been truly transformative and unforgettable, a moment that will stay with us forever, changing us in ways we cannot yet fathom or understand, yet grateful and exhilarated to have felt it all the same.
Contributed by Savannah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.