{"id":5846,"date":"2016-04-28T13:15:15","date_gmt":"2016-04-28T17:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/?p=5846"},"modified":"2024-09-03T14:49:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T18:49:59","slug":"favorite-frightened-rabbit-lyrics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/2016\/04\/28\/favorite-frightened-rabbit-lyrics\/","title":{"rendered":"Favorite Frightened Rabbit Lyrics"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m already getting pre-show nerves for the Frightened Rabbit show tomorrow night. I first heard the band on June 20, 2008[1]<\/a> and pretty much since then they\u2019ve held the title as my Favorite Current Band[2]<\/a>. I\u2019ve seen them on TV a few times, listened to a few streamed shows, but this will be the first time I get to stand in the same venue as them and hear them play. Can they deliver on nearly eight years of build-up?<\/p>\n

I imagine only a few of my readers have sampled their music since I began evangelizing for them. A consistent element of my praise for the band is Scott Hutchison\u2019s lyrics. With that in mind, here are my favorite FR lyrics from their five albums, offered in chronological order. All lyrics are pulled directly from the band\u2019s site, thus the British spellings.<\/p>\n

As lyrics that are perfect when listened to often fall flat when read without the music they were written with, I\u2019ve linked to the best YouTube version of each song so you can follow along if you like.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe Modern Leper<\/a>\u201d – 2008
\nMy favorite FR song doesn\u2019t have one single lyric that sticks out. It\u2019s more a sum of the various lines that makes it so great. But I do love this line where Hutchison wonders if it isn\u2019t better to be dead than live through the pain he feels. Favorite song of 2008, favorite song of the \u201800s.<\/p>\n

\nI am ill, but I’m not dead
\nI don’t know which of those I prefer\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cGood Arms Vs. Bad Arms<\/a>\u201d – 2008
\nThe first FR song I ever heard is loaded with amazing lines. Two stand out. First, Hutchison aims his anger at his ex\u2019s new lover.<\/p>\n

\nI am armed with the past and the will and a brick
\nI might not want you back but I want to kill him\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hutchison often builds his songs to devastating closing lines. That\u2019s true here, where he ends with a heartbreakingly honest, and pathetic, confession.<\/p>\n

\nLeave the rest at arm’s length
\nI’m not ready to see you this happy
\nLeave the rest at arm’s length
\nI am still in love with you, can’t admit it yet\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cHead Rolls Off<\/a>\u201d – 2008.
\nBy the fall of \u201908, I was deep, deep, deep into this album. On different days, different lyrics would resonate with me. In the last week or so before L was born, one in particular from this song kept going through my head. If I do nothing else in my life, I\u2019ve made three tiny changes to earth.<\/p>\n

\nYou can mark my words,
\nI’ll make changes to earth
\nWhile I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to earth\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cBackwards Walk<\/a>\u201d – 2008
\nThe Midnight Organ Fight<\/em> slowly moves through all the emotions that hit following a painful breakup. We\u2019ve all reached that point where we say, \u201cToday, I\u2019m starting over. I\u2019m forgetting about her\/him and moving on!\u201d Here, Hutchison points out that that is often easier said than done.<\/p>\n

\nI’m working on erasing you
\nI just don’t have the proper tools
\nI’ll get hammered, forget that you exist
\nBut there’s no way I’m forgetting this\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

His closing line is brilliant here, too.<\/p>\n

\nYou\u2019re the shit and I\u2019m knee deep in it\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cKeep Yourself Warm<\/a>\u201d – 2008
\nSo many FR songs are about regretting your actions taken in the heat of the moment. On \u201cKeep Yourself Warm,\u201d Hutchison faces the truth that a one-night stand does not wash away the pain you were filled with the day before. It is also a fine example of his raw honesty.<\/p>\n

\nIt takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cFloating In The Forth<\/a>\u201d – 2008
\nWhen Hutchison\u2019s mother first heard this song, he had to assure her that, no, he was not really contemplating suicide. But there was a point where he wondered if he could live with the pain he was overwhelmed by. Another one of his techniques is to take a song filled with negative emotions and find a glimmer of hope by the end. That\u2019s most apparent on this, the final song of Organ Fight<\/em>. Following these lines, the music explodes into a bright, glorious, almost angelic coda that is the sound of sun peaking through the clouds, and a promise that things will get better.<\/p>\n

\nTake your life, give it a shake
\nAnd gather up all your loose change
\nI think I’ll save suicide for another year.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cNothing Like You<\/a>\u201d – 2010
\nThe Winter of Mixed Drinks<\/em> treads many of the same areas as the previous album. Once again Hutchison wrote in the time following a breakup. Yet the album doesn\u2019t sound like a rehash of Organ Fight<\/em>. Here, he is admits that for all the good that comes from a new relationship, the new person doesn\u2019t wipe out everything left from the last person.<\/p>\n

\nShe was not the cure for cancer
\nAnd all of my questions still ask for answers\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cFootshooter<\/a>\u201d – 2010
\nPerhaps FR\u2019s best song, it is, again, about the consequences of your actions. This is my single favorite FR lyric. Favorite song of 2010.<\/p>\n

\nLock up your ears, my dear, I’m verbal when I am loaded\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cHoly<\/a>\u201d – 2013
\nHutchison is no fan of organized religion. While this song most directly addresses people telling him that he needs to find God, I\u2019ve always thought it is aimed at anyone who tries to tell you how to live your life. Favorite song of 2013.<\/p>\n

\nI don\u2019t mind being lonely
\nLeave me alone
\nYou\u2019re acting all holy
\nMe, I\u2019m just full of holes\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cDead Now<\/a>\u201d – 2013
\nA gem that does not get played live often, but is full of amazing, alliterative twists and turns. Another song that gets two entries.<\/p>\n

\nI’ve gone devilled my kidneys
\nNow he’s living inside of me\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How fantastic is that line? Then this is just an amazing way to end the song.<\/p>\n

\nThere’s something wrong with me
\nAnd it reads nothing like poetry
\nSo will you love me spite of these
\nTics and inconsistencies
\nThere is something wrong with me\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cI Wish I Was Sober<\/a>\u201d – 2016
\nThe second verse of this song might be the greatest combination of lyrics and music in the band\u2019s history. It\u2019s just phenomenal. This is the second half of that second verse.<\/p>\n

\nMy love, you should know
\nThe best of me left hours ago so
\nShove a rag into my mouth and let me smoulder
\nThe fall out and the damage done
\nI can\u2019t un-sink the things I\u2019ve sunk
\nStill not giving up, though I wish that I was sober\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cAn Otherwise Disappointing Life<\/a>\u201d – 2016
\nI love this little coda added on as the song hits its musical peak, which fits the mood of the entire album: the power of a relationship to lift you above your shortcomings and hangups.<\/p>\n

\nIn the hollow chapel suffering in silence you\u2019re the choir
\nthat sings this otherwise disappointing life back to life\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cBreak<\/a>\u201d – 2016
\nMy favorite song off the new album, which makes it a strong contender for song of the year.<\/p>\n

\nNothing\u2019s worse
\nThan realising who you\u2019ve hurt\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n
\n
    \n
  1. \nI remember this because it was my birthday. I first discovered them by the once wonderful, but no longer posting, I Am Fuel, You Are Friends site. I read Heather\u2019s Post<\/a> in which she interviewed Hutchison, listened to a couple songs, and used my birthday iTunes card to buy the FR album moments later.  ↩<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \nRyan Adams and The War on Drugs have both challenged that title, but FR always reclaims it.  ↩<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I\u2019m already getting pre-show nerves for the Frightened Rabbit show tomorrow night. I first heard the band on June 20, 2008[1] and pretty much since then they\u2019ve held the title as my Favorite Current Band[2]. I\u2019ve seen them on TV a few times, listened to a few streamed shows, but this will be the first time I get to stand in the same venue as them and hear them play. Can they deliver on nearly eight years of build-up? I imagine only a few of my readers have sampled their music since I began evangelizing for them. A consistent element of my praise for the band is Scott Hutchison\u2019s lyrics. With that in mind, here are my favorite FR lyrics from their five albums, offered in chronological order. All lyrics are pulled directly from the band\u2019s site, thus the British spellings. As lyrics that are perfect when listened to often fall flat when read without the music they were written with, I\u2019ve linked to the best YouTube version of each song so you can follow along if you like. \u201cThe Modern Leper\u201d – 2008 My favorite FR song doesn\u2019t have one single lyric that sticks out. It\u2019s more a sum of the various lines that makes it so great. But I do love this line where Hutchison wonders if it isn\u2019t better to be dead than live through the pain he feels. Favorite song of 2008, favorite song of the \u201800s. I am ill, but I’m not dead I don’t know which of those I prefer \u201cGood Arms Vs. Bad Arms\u201d – 2008 The first FR song I ever heard is loaded with amazing lines. Two stand out. First, Hutchison aims his anger at his ex\u2019s new lover. I am armed with the past and the will and a brick I might not want you back but I want to kill him Hutchison often builds his songs to devastating closing lines. That\u2019s true here, where he ends with a heartbreakingly honest, and pathetic, confession. Leave the rest at arm’s length I’m not ready to see you this happy Leave the rest at arm’s length I am still in love with you, can’t admit it yet \u201cHead Rolls Off\u201d – 2008. By the fall of \u201908, I was deep, deep, deep into this album. On different days, different lyrics would resonate with me. In the last week or so before L was born, one in particular from this song kept going through my head. If I do nothing else in my life, I\u2019ve made three tiny changes to earth. You can mark my words, I’ll make changes to earth While I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to earth \u201cBackwards Walk\u201d – 2008 The Midnight Organ Fight slowly moves through all the emotions that hit following a painful breakup. We\u2019ve all reached that point where we say, \u201cToday, I\u2019m starting over. I\u2019m forgetting about her\/him and moving on!\u201d Here, Hutchison points out that that is often easier said than done. I’m working on erasing you I just don’t have the proper tools I’ll get hammered, forget that you exist But there’s no way I’m forgetting this His closing line is brilliant here, too. You\u2019re the shit and I\u2019m knee deep in it \u201cKeep Yourself Warm\u201d – 2008 So many FR songs are about regretting your actions taken in the heat of the moment. On \u201cKeep Yourself Warm,\u201d Hutchison faces the truth that a one-night stand does not wash away the pain you were filled with the day before. It is also a fine example of his raw honesty. It takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm \u201cFloating In The Forth\u201d – 2008 When Hutchison\u2019s mother first heard this song, he had to assure her that, no, he was not really contemplating suicide. But there was a point where he wondered if he could live with the pain he was overwhelmed by. Another one of his techniques is to take a song filled with negative emotions and find a glimmer of hope by the end. That\u2019s most apparent on this, the final song of Organ Fight. Following these lines, the music explodes into a bright, glorious, almost angelic coda that is the sound of sun peaking through the clouds, and a promise that things will get better. Take your life, give it a shake And gather up all your loose change I think I’ll save suicide for another year. \u201cNothing Like You\u201d – 2010 The Winter of Mixed Drinks treads many of the same areas as the previous album. Once again Hutchison wrote in the time following a breakup. Yet the album doesn\u2019t sound like a rehash of Organ Fight. Here, he is admits that for all the good that comes from a new relationship, the new person doesn\u2019t wipe out everything left from the last person. She was not the cure for cancer And all of my questions still ask for answers \u201cFootshooter\u201d – 2010 Perhaps FR\u2019s best song, it is, again, about the consequences of your actions. This is my single favorite FR lyric. Favorite song of 2010. Lock up your ears, my dear, I’m verbal when I am loaded \u201cHoly\u201d – 2013 Hutchison is no fan of organized religion. While this song most directly addresses people telling him that he needs to find God, I\u2019ve always thought it is aimed at anyone who tries to tell you how to live your life. Favorite song of 2013. I don\u2019t mind being lonely Leave me alone You\u2019re acting all holy Me, I\u2019m just full of holes \u201cDead Now\u201d – 2013 A gem that does not get played live often, but is full of amazing, alliterative twists and turns. Another song that gets two entries. I’ve gone devilled my kidneys Now he’s living inside of me How fantastic is that line? Then this is just an amazing way to end the song. There’s something wrong with me And it reads nothing like poetry So will you love me spite of these Tics and inconsistencies There is something wrong with me \u201cI Wish I Was Sober\u201d – 2016 The second verse of this song might be the greatest combination of lyrics and music in the band\u2019s history. It\u2019s just phenomenal. This is the second half of that second verse. My love, you should know The best of me left hours ago so Shove a rag into my mouth and let me smoulder The fall out and the damage done I can\u2019t un-sink the things I\u2019ve sunk Still not giving up, though I wish that I was sober \u201cAn Otherwise Disappointing Life\u201d – 2016 I love this little coda added on as the song hits its musical peak, which fits the mood of the entire album: the power of a relationship to lift you above your shortcomings and hangups. In the hollow chapel suffering in silence you\u2019re the choir that sings this otherwise disappointing life back to life \u201cBreak\u201d – 2016 My favorite song off the new album, which makes it a strong contender for song of the year. Nothing\u2019s worse Than realising who you\u2019ve hurt I remember this because it was my birthday. I first discovered them by the once wonderful, but no longer posting, I Am Fuel, You Are Friends site. I read Heather\u2019s Post in which she interviewed Hutchison, listened to a couple songs, and used my birthday iTunes card to buy the FR album moments later.  ↩ Ryan Adams and The War on Drugs have both challenged that title, but FR always reclaims it.  ↩<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[9],"class_list":["post-5846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-music"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5846"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13826,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5846\/revisions\/13826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}