So Says I

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So Says I is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, the third track of their second album Chutes Too Narrow. It was released as a single, one of three from the album, on 21 September 2003 on Sub Pop Records.

The song was written by the band's lead singer, James Mercer. His lyrics reference and compare life under communist and capitalist economic systems.

This song is performed by The Shins live in the Gilmore Girls season four episode, "Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin' The Twist."

It remains a fan favorite and is often performed as a set closer at their live shows.

Contents

[edit] Music video

The music video was directed and animated by Plates Animation Inc. It features penguins establishing, running and becoming victims of a communist society, only to overcome it finally and become a capitalistic society which in turn includes the seeds for its own destruction.

[edit] Single track listing

  1. "So Says I" - (2:47)
  2. "Mild Child" - (4:28)
  3. "Gone for Good (alternate version)" - (3:07)

[edit] Song Lyrics

An address to the golden door
I was strumming on a stone again
Pulling teeth from the pimps of gore when hatched
A tragic opera in my mind...
And it told of a new design
In which every soul is duty bound
To uphold all the statues of boredom therein lies
The fatal flaw of the red age

Because it was nothing like we'd ever dreamt
Our lust for life had gone away with the rent we hated
And because it made no money nobody saved no one's life.

So we burned all our uniforms
And let nature take its course again
And the big ones just eat all the little ones
That sent us back to the drawing board.

In our darkest hours
We have all asked for some
Angel to come
Sprinkle his dust all around
But all our crying voices they can't turn it around
And you've had some crazy conversations of your own.

We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs
But we still can't just behave ourselves
Even if to save our own lives so, says I, WE ARE A BRUTAL KIND.

Cuz this is nothing like we'd ever dreamt
Tell Sir Thomas More we've got another failed attempt
'Cause if it makes them money they might just give you life this time.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Shins
James Mercer | Martin Crandall | Dave Hernandez | Jesse Sandoval | Eric Johnson
Inactive members
Neal Langford
Albums
EPs
Singles
Related articles
 This 2000s song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Languages