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.
Pancakes for One
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because having breakfast with you was such fun
Pancakes for one are no fun
Cocktails for one are never enchanting
Because having drinks with you was such fun
Cocktails for one are no fun no fun no fun
Waiting for your train
But yet again you're not on it
And I'm crestfallen holding a drooping flower bouquet
A sundae for one is never delicious
Because eating junk food with you was such fun
A Sunday for one is no fun
All I've left of you is a photograph
Which only upsets me
Cause I can't draw your attention
Your frozen in time
Pancakes for one are always depressing
Because having breakfast with you was such fun
Pancakes for one are no fun
The lyrics of "Pancakes for One" by of Montreal are a somber reflection on the pain of loneliness and heartbreak. The song discusses the emptiness and sorrow that comes with doing things alone that were once shared with a loved one. Each verse focuses on a different activity that was once enjoyable in the context of a relationship, but now feels hollow and depressing when done alone. The repetition of "no fun" at the end of each verse emphasizes this idea of the loss of joy and the realization that things will never be the same again.
The final verse of the song is particularly poignant as it describes waiting for a train and being disappointed yet again. This repetition of disappointment and dashed hope is mirrored in the drooping flower bouquet that the singer is holding, suggesting that the relationship has truly come to an end. The mention of a photograph captures the feeling of longing for the past, but also the realization that the person is frozen in time and can never be recaptured or brought back to life.
Line by Line Meaning
Pancakes for one are always depressing
Having pancakes by myself reminds me of how much I miss having breakfast with you and how lonely I feel now.
Because having breakfast with you was such fun
Having breakfast with you was one of my favorite things and I miss it dearly.
Pancakes for one are no fun
Eating pancakes alone is a sad reminder of our past and how much I wish things were different.
Cocktails for one are never enchanting
Drinking alone just brings back memories of how much fun we used to have going out and how much I miss that.
Cocktails for one are no fun no fun no fun
Going out and drinking alone just highlights how much I miss your company and how much I wish you were here with me.
Standing near the vendor on the platform
Waiting for you to arrive at the train station so we can go out and spend time together.
Waiting for your train
Hoping that you'll be arriving soon so we can spend time together and catch up on everything that's happened since we last saw each other.
But yet again you're not on it
Feeling disappointed and heartbroken when you don't show up once again and wondering where you could be or what might have happened.
And I'm crestfallen holding a drooping flower bouquet
Feeling sad and abandoned while holding a gift that was meant for you, but now seems to have lost all meaning and significance.
A sundae for one is never delicious
Eating ice cream by myself just reminds me of how much I miss sharing moments like this with you and how lonely I feel without you.
Because eating junk food with you was such fun
Eating junk food together, laughing and having a good time was one of the highlights of our time together and I miss it terribly.
A Sunday for one is no fun
Spending Sundays alone is a sad reminder of how much I miss spending time with you and how much I long to have you back in my life.
All I've left of you is a photograph
The only thing I have left to remember you by is a single photograph, which makes me feel even sadder and more alone without you.
Which only upsets me
Seeing that photograph just reminds me of how much I miss you and how much I wish you were still here with me.
Cause I can't draw your attention
Feeling helpless and powerless to reach out to you and let you know how much I miss you and how much I want you back in my life.
Your frozen in time
Feeling like our memories and the moments we shared are frozen in time and can never be recaptured, leaving me feeling lonely and heartbroken.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
honeybun
LYRICS
Pancakes for one are always depressing
Because having breakfast with you was such fun
Pancakes for one are no fun
Cocktails for one are never enchanting
Because having drinks with you was such fun
Cocktails for one are no fun no fun no fun
Standing near the vendor on the platform
Waiting for your train
But yet again you're not on it
And I'm crestfallen holding a drooping flower
Bouquet
A sundae for one is never delicious
Because eating junk food with you was such fun
A sundae for one is no fun
All I've left of you is a photograph
Which only upsets me
Cause I can't draw your attention
Your frozen in time
Pancakes for one are always depressing
Because having breakfast with you was such fun
Pancakes for one are no fun
honeybun
LYRICS
Pancakes for one are always depressing
Because having breakfast with you was such fun
Pancakes for one are no fun
Cocktails for one are never enchanting
Because having drinks with you was such fun
Cocktails for one are no fun no fun no fun
Standing near the vendor on the platform
Waiting for your train
But yet again you're not on it
And I'm crestfallen holding a drooping flower
Bouquet
A sundae for one is never delicious
Because eating junk food with you was such fun
A sundae for one is no fun
All I've left of you is a photograph
Which only upsets me
Cause I can't draw your attention
Your frozen in time
Pancakes for one are always depressing
Because having breakfast with you was such fun
Pancakes for one are no fun
Belch
this is beautiful
Staypurple3
i hope everything is going good for you nowadays! c:
Rye
hi
Mia Ayala
@Rye HELLO WHATS IT TO YA MATE??!?!?!
hottapuchi
i don't know how to make pancakes... if i'm alone there are no pancakes.
madiadalia
Getting my Adhils Arboretum tattoo today of the guy & girl laying down holding each other! ^-^ Any ideas for lyrics for next time I go in? It's on my right outter upper thigh running down.
Harold P. Sadwood
If you're still around, what tattoo did you go for? :3 lol
billyboy434
This song reminds me that I haven't had waffles in a while...
Diana Hernandez
because having breakfast with you was such fun :(