 Wincing The Night Away (2007) [ larger cover art ] |
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One hand on this wily comet
Take a drink just to give me some weight
Some Uber-Man I'd make
I'm barely a vapor
They shone a chlorine light on a host individual sins
Let's carve my aging face off
Fetch us a knife, start with my eyes
Down so the lines form a grimacing smile
Close your eyes to corral a virtue
Is this fooling anyone else?
Never worked so long and hard
To cement a failure
We can blow on our thumbs and posture
But the lonely are such delicate things
The wind from a wasp could blow them into the sea with stones on their feet
Lost to the light and the loving we need
Still to come
The worst part and you know it
There is a numbness
In your heart and it's growing
With burnt sage and a forest of bygones
I click my heels, get the devils in line
A list of things I could lay the blame on
Might give me a way out
But with each turn it's this front and center
Like a dart stuck square in your eye
Every post you can hitch your faith on is a pie in the sky, chock full of lies
A tool we devise to make sinking stones fly
And still to come
The worst part and you know it
There is a numbness
In your heart and it's growing
| bb_matt (Hampshire, England) | Posted: Apr 18, 2013 - 07:01 Love it. This particular song reminds me a lot of early Manic Street Preachers. So damn thoughtful, lyrical and quite beautiful. |
| sajitjacob (Christchurch NZ) | Posted: Dec 20, 2012 - 16:29 A cow on whizz: Stingray wrote: If this set will be followed by Cowded House, I agree Bill is a wizzard!
This song is another CLEAR 10! Nearly unbelievably good! |
| pk53 | Posted: Nov 08, 2012 - 23:19 overplayed; barfo-sucko  |
| MinMan (Bay Area, CA) | Posted: Sep 10, 2012 - 11:20 On_The_Beach wrote: Saw them on SNL last night. Hate to say it, but I thought they were pretty bad, especially the second song. : ( With only one band member remaining from the pre-2011 line up - it's pretty much a new group. James Mercer has nearly gone solo. |
| mwc79 | Posted: Jun 04, 2012 - 08:04 Sasha2001 wrote: This song has some of the most beautiful lyrics ever written about trying to make a failing relationship work. At least that's what I think the lyrics are about. Agreed. I have the same interpretation. Amazing Song. |
| joemama (Mil-a-wau-kee) | Posted: Jun 04, 2012 - 07:58 Sounds like a new Jackson Brown song I've never heard. |
| Stingray ("ANONYMOUS INTERNET") | Posted: May 03, 2012 - 14:08 On_The_Beach wrote: Hate to say it, but I thought they were pretty bad, especially the second song. : ( The dumbest comment in years! "Especially the second song...." tzzzzzz... Some people are just out of their minds! |
| Stingray ("ANONYMOUS INTERNET") | Posted: May 03, 2012 - 14:06 If this set will be followed by Cowded House, I agree Bill is a wizzard!
This song is another CLEAR 10! Nearly unbelievably good! |
| calypsus_1 (East of Eden) | Posted: Apr 21, 2012 - 16:21 "It is rare that I listen to one song by any band these days in anxious anticipation of the next song after because the first is just too good, yet not close to over. Yes kids, I have 50 years of music in my ears, my heart and my soul — not to mention garbage cans full of the worst and I can honestly say to you that this band is melodically, lyrically, and very genuinely, the best to consistently improve and put out exceptional contemporary music. Long live Shins." xtranaut |
| On_The_Beach (The Blue Planet) | Posted: Mar 11, 2012 - 17:55 Saw them on SNL last night. Hate to say it, but I thought they were pretty bad, especially the second song. : ( |
| ziakut (The Windy City) | Posted: Mar 04, 2012 - 15:59 Great tune and even better band! |
| ziggytrix (Dallas, TX) | Posted: Feb 20, 2012 - 10:41 unclehud wrote: Aren't they cute little turtles with palms trees on their backs? Am I missing something?!?!  |
| bluecshells (EARTH) | Posted: Feb 17, 2012 - 14:10 My plans for this weekend include listening to this album...supposed to be rainy here...perfect match. |
| Sasha2001 (I can see Zabars from my window) | Posted: Feb 17, 2012 - 14:08 This song has some of the most beautiful lyrics ever written about trying to make a failing relationship work. At least that's what I think the lyrics are about. |
| Shesdifferent (Just visiting this planet) | Posted: Dec 28, 2011 - 18:08 Overplayed |
| ick (...out of the primordial ooze) | Posted: Dec 22, 2011 - 07:22 Up another point because in the 6 years that I've been hearing it, it hasn't lost a bit of its sparkle. |
| Sjaaks (Horst, Netherlands) | Posted: Dec 16, 2011 - 03:13 Aaahhhhh... I know this song for a while now but somehow today this gives me goosebumps like never before. And sadly enough music doesn't do that often for me anymore (no idea why)... 9 —> 1.000.000 |
| unclehud (300 feet above the planet) | Posted: Dec 07, 2011 - 09:27 kulbreez wrote: I don't know why, but the album art freaks me out. Sort of a gross-out reaction, like seeing icky larvae... Enough even to put me off the song (for no good reason). Aren't they cute little turtles with palms trees on their backs? Am I missing something?!?! |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Dec 07, 2011 - 09:26 jktravl wrote: Sad part is I can relate to these lyrics as I age on, the numbness gets stronger. Reminds me of so many lost loves. Numbness is often preferable to pain. |
| bluecshells (EARTH) | Posted: Dec 07, 2011 - 09:24  With burnt sage and a forest of bygones...wow |
| Snoopy2 (A Snoopy Lovin' House) | Posted: Aug 03, 2011 - 08:46 this is also cool  |
| jktravl (Virginia) | Posted: Jul 17, 2011 - 13:58 ick wrote: This song contains some of the saddest lyrical content I've ever heard... "Never worked so long and hard to cement a failure"... "And still to come the worst part and you know it, there is a numbness in you heart and its growing". Taken in the context of relationships, those are some sad, sad lines. Sad part is I can relate to these lyrics as I age on, the numbness gets stronger. Reminds me of so many lost loves. |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: Jul 11, 2011 - 16:23 According to an interview published on Pitchfork Media on May 6, 2009, "keyboardist Marty Crandall and drummer Jesse Sandoval had been replaced by Ron Lewis from Grand Archives and Eric D. Johnson of on bass and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse on drums". In the same interview, Mercer said the next record "is still in its very early stages" and that he's "aiming for a release early next year". Regarding the lineup change, he commented that "I started to have production ideas that basically required some other people", but that he "wouldn't say I'd never work with them again." On August 10, 2009, in a lengthy interview published in The Portland Mercury, former drummer Jesse Sandoval claimed that his departure from the band was not due to "aesthetic differences", but rather that he was fired, saying, "I understand he's probably doing it out of respect for me reading interviews, it might be hard for him to say it, but... I got fired. There's no other way of looking at it. |
| kulbreez | Posted: Jul 11, 2011 - 15:07 I don't know why, but the album art freaks me out. Sort of a gross-out reaction, like seeing icky larvae... Enough even to put me off the song (for no good reason). |
| peter_james_bond (West Of The Burg) | Posted: May 09, 2011 - 08:43 Sjaaks wrote: My thanks goes out to Huey  , who really was so kind as to send me this album, free of charge! I really love this album, especially this track, amazing! Hats off to Huey!  |
| Sjaaks (Horst, Netherlands) | Posted: Apr 20, 2011 - 04:57 Huey wrote: I bought this CD. Hate it. Who wants it?? PM me. the best reason gets it. I pay mailing. My thanks goes out to Huey , who really was so kind as to send me this album, free of charge! I really love this album, especially this track, amazing! |
| Gretchen_+_Music | Posted: Mar 23, 2011 - 06:27 This song stunned me the first time I heard it, years ago. It made me cry, sitting at my desk at work. Life got better, and the relationship I was in and am still in is a million times improved, but at the time, it was like they pulled this out of my head and wrote my thoughts, though much more eloquently than I could have ever done. Great song. |
| Kimberly8 (Washington, DC) | Posted: Mar 19, 2011 - 16:39 Nothing like something to calm me down a bit after a stressful day. |
| Sjaaks (Horst, Netherlands) | Posted: Feb 16, 2011 - 07:55 Huey wrote: I bought this CD. Hate it. Who wants it?? PM me. the best reason gets it. I pay mailing. Considering your location, it would be wise to mail it to me... ;-) |
| StoneyG (Just east of The Rockies; north of the 49th) | Posted: Feb 06, 2011 - 16:04 Huey wrote: I bought this CD. Hate it. Who wants it?? PM me. the best reason gets it. I pay mailing. Haha, that's awesome. |
| Huey (Netherlands) | Posted: Feb 03, 2011 - 07:44 I bought this CD. Hate it. Who wants it?? PM me. the best reason gets it. I pay mailing. |
| More_Cowbell (Northern IL) | Posted: Jan 26, 2011 - 09:32 Stingray wrote: ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! VERY-VERY-VERY-VERY GOOD! PS 16 freaks voted "1". Though they are possible less crazy than the 74 who voted 3's, 4's and 5's! I agree with you on this song, but one might say you are a freak (based on what you might have rate "1"), so what does that mean for the 16? |
| Stingray (EUROPE) | Posted: Jan 26, 2011 - 09:27 ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! VERY-VERY-VERY-VERY GOOD! PS 16 freaks voted "1". Though they are possible less crazy than the 74 who voted 3's, 4's and 5's! |
| casey1024 (SNOWY, CT) | Posted: Jan 19, 2011 - 10:55 8 to 9. This song is so sad. |
| williamlayla | Posted: Jan 03, 2011 - 14:57 zair99 wrote: I don't know when or how I rated this a 6 before, but now it's a very solid 9. The Shins are sporadically brilliant. "Sporadically brilliant" - exactly! |
| Stingray (EUROPE) | Posted: Jan 03, 2011 - 14:55 zair99 wrote: I don't know when or how I rated this a 6 before, but now it's a very solid 9. The Shins are sporadically brilliant. VERY WELL SAID! Just that it's more than a "9". |
| Stingray (EUROPE) | Posted: Jan 03, 2011 - 14:54 NO KIDDING! "11" |
| zair99 (In Cognito) | Posted: Dec 03, 2010 - 00:28 I don't know when or how I rated this a 6 before, but now it's a very solid 9. The Shins are sporadically brilliant. |
| gregormiz (Portland, OR) | Posted: Nov 17, 2010 - 20:05 ick wrote: This song contains some of the saddest lyrical content I've ever heard... "Never worked so long and hard to cement a failure"... "And still to come the worst part and you know it, there is a numbness in you heart and its growing". Taken in the context of relationships, those are some sad, sad lines. Here here. Been there, done that. I'm fortunate enough to have moved on, but I see it in my friends and I feel the scars in my new (15 year) relationship. They do a nice job. |
| ick (S.E. La Jolla) | Posted: Nov 01, 2010 - 08:13 This song contains some of the saddest lyrical content I've ever heard... "Never worked so long and hard to cement a failure"... "And still to come the worst part and you know it, there is a numbness in you heart and its growing". Taken in the context of relationships, those are some sad, sad lines. |
| mineralBOB (Germany/Saxony) | Posted: Oct 13, 2010 - 05:14 Nice. Unfortunatelly, a friend of mine just recorded an acoustic version of this song, which sounds much better and ruined the original for me..  |
| Asmith | Posted: Sep 11, 2010 - 10:46 More shins please |
| ziggytrix (Dallas, TX) | Posted: Sep 01, 2010 - 10:35 Det wrote: just seen a shotting star - not a comet - what does it matter? it 's unique so , just like this song...  you can see a comet soon - around October 20, Comet Hartley 2 is going to be close, and then the next couple of days the Orionids Meteor Shower (AKA shooting stars) should be occurring. :) |
| Det (Lower Saxony Germany) | Posted: Aug 03, 2010 - 16:10 just seen a shotting star - not a comet - what does it matter? it 's unique so , just like this song... |
| nerakdon (Colorado) | Posted: Jun 29, 2010 - 13:13 Such moving lyrics. |
| gregormiz (Portland, OR) | Posted: May 26, 2010 - 00:01 This is some lovely s**t. No, really. I'm not usually big on the mellow melodic stuff, but these guys really work me. The Portland scene is pretty darned outstanding. |
| stephw (From The Great White North) | Posted: May 17, 2010 - 08:13 Bat wrote: I like every Shins song I hear on RP and keep meaning to buy their CDs. To my ear the Broken Bells sounds like a new Shins album Can someone who in more familiar tell me what this guy Danger Mouse brings to the mix that make it different from the Shins? I don't know about that since I've never heard of The Shins until I started listening to RP a few months ago, but I just bought this CD and the Broken Bells CD and they are quite different but equally great! |
| Bat (Austin) | Posted: May 10, 2010 - 08:31 I like every Shins song I hear on RP and keep meaning to buy their CDs. To my ear the Broken Bells sounds like a new Shins album Can someone who in more familiar tell me what this guy Danger Mouse brings to the mix that make it different from the Shins? |
| peacockangel (Phoenix) | Posted: May 10, 2010 - 08:26 7 => 8 |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: May 01, 2010 - 22:05  The Shins-March 7th-sight four by ~tinysherpa ©2007-2010 ~tinysherpa The Shins, March 3rd, The Backyard, Great Show. |