Tune-Yards (sometimes stylized as tUnE-yArDs) is the American, Oakland, Cal… Read Full Bio ↴Tune-Yards (sometimes stylized as tUnE-yArDs) is the American, Oakland, California-based music project of musician Merrill Garbus, with long-time collaborator, bassist Nate Brenner. Garbus’s music draws from an eclectic variety of sources and utilizes elements such as loop pedals, ukulele, vocals, and lo-fi percussion. Tune-Yards’ 2011 album Whokill was ranked the number one album of that year in The Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop critic's poll.

Their debut album BiRd-BrAiNs was first released on limited edition vinyl and cassette in June 2009, via the Portland-based imprint Marriage Records. In July 2009, it was announced that tUnE-yArDs had signed to 4AD, and a limited edition pressing of BiRd-BrAiNs was released on August 17, 2009.

A full worldwide release followed on November 16, 2009 (and November 17th in North America). The autumn 2009 pressing was remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Christian Wright, and includes two new bonus tracks: "Want Me To" and "Real Live Flesh."

BiRd-BrAiNs was entirely self-produced and recorded, with Garbus utilizing a hand-held digital voice recorder, ukulele, some noisy off-balance drums, and produced using shareware mixing software. Garbus described their sound as "a patchwork of sound snippets, of history in a present tense. It is a composer's commitment to the preservation of stories, however small and unassuming."

A second album w h o k i l l was released on April 19, 2011, preceded by the single "Bizness". It was produced by Garbus and engineered by Eli Crews at New, Improved Studios in Oakland, California. Comparing the act to Sonic Youth, Frontier Psychiatrist said, "if BiRd-BrAiNs was Garbus’ EVOL, a record bursting with musical ideas that attempted to subvert the notion of song, w h o k i l l is their Sister, a record that embraces the traditional pop song as a vehicle to convey those ideas." The song "Fiya" is featured on a 2010 commercial for the Blackberry Torch.

Little Tiger
tUnE-yArDs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't depend on me kiddo
Bread made of blood comes from a blood red dough
The inoffensive are the ones you can hear
Playing on the radio
Don't ask me how I'll make ends meet,
I don't know
All you own you owe to someone you don't know
All you own you owe to someone you don't know

Eeny meeny tiny miny catch a little tiger by the toe
All you own you owe to someone you don't know
If every object has its root in a lie
Always check the mirror to make sure you exist
Every time you pass by
The inoffensive are the ones you can hear
Playing on the radio
Calling all out there: Mercy, mercy mercy
All you own you owe to someone you don't know
All you own you owe to someone you don't know
Shucking in the shadows little tricky dick
Shush him or he'll grow
My mother told me never to let him go
Finally you knew
Finally you knew
What you had to do
And you did it right there and then
Don't depend on me kiddo
Don't hang my picture on your rear-view mirror
When you're you're trying to go
The inoffensive are the ones you can hear
Playing on the radio
We'll come at them like a storm
Leaving them with a ratty ear-o
All you own you owe to someone you don't know
All you own you owe to someone you don't know

Eeny meeny tiny miny catch a little tiger by the toe
If you ever hear him holler you will have to let him go

Overall Meaning

The song "Little Tiger" by tUnE-yArDs is a thought-provoking piece that touches on the idea that everything we own and even ourselves are owed to someone we don't know. The line "Bread made of blood comes from a blood red dough" seems to suggest that we are all born into a world that is already filled with violence and cruelty, and we must learn to navigate through it. The phrase "Eeny meeny tiny miny catch a little tiger by the toe" may imply the idea of catching onto something small and insignificant in life but later realizing its massive impact.

The artist critiques the media's influence on society, where the inoffensive and catchy music played on the radio often masks the harsher realities of the world. The line "All you own you owe to someone you don't know" emphasizes the idea that our possessions and wealth are just symbols or representations of a system where we owe everything to strangers, implying the idea of capitalism's toll on people's lives.

The song's last stanza expresses a sense of dread, suggesting that we should never rely on anyone or anything to maintain our existence. Overall, "Little Tiger" is an introspective and critical commentary on capitalism, consumerism, and human nature.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't depend on me kiddo
I can't always be there for you, don't rely on me too much

Bread made of blood comes from a blood red dough
Some things that seem harmless are actually connected to dark and violent things

The inoffensive are the ones you can hear Playing on the radio
Mainstream media tends to promote content that won't offend or challenge people too much

Don't ask me how I'll make ends meet, I don't know
I can't predict my own future or guarantee my own success

All you own you owe to someone you don't know
Most of the things you have or use were made or provided by strangers

Eeny meeny tiny miny catch a little tiger by the toe
Sometimes we make choices randomly, without fully understanding or considering the consequences

If every object has its root in a lie Always check the mirror to make sure you exist Every time you pass by
We can't really trust the world around us to be truthful or real, so we have to rely on our own perception and understanding

Calling all out there: Mercy, mercy mercy
Asking for compassion and understanding from the wider world

Shucking in the shadows little tricky dick Shush him or he'll grow My mother told me never to let him go
We have to be careful with deceitful or manipulative people, because they can become more powerful and dangerous if left unchecked

Finally you knew What you had to do And you did it right there and then
Sometimes we have a sudden moment of clarity or decision-making, and we act on it immediately

Don't hang my picture on your rear-view mirror When you're you're trying to go
Don't get too attached to me or my image, because you need to focus on your own path and goals

We'll come at them like a storm Leaving them with a ratty ear-o
We will be powerful and forceful in our actions, disrupting the status quo and causing a lot of noise and chaos

If you ever hear him holler you will have to let him go
If someone or something causes you distress or harm, you have to let it go and move on

Writer(s): Merrill Garbus Copyright: Garbus The Owl

Contributed by Adeline V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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