 Noble Beast (2009) [ larger cover art ] |
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Tenuous at best was all he had to say
When pressed about the rest of it, the world that is
From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans
Greek Cypriots and harbor sorts who hang around in ports a lot uh huh
Here's where things start getting weird
While chinless men will scratch their beards
And to their minds a sharpened axe
Is brushed upon the Uralic syntaxes
Love of hate acts as an axis
Love of hate acts as an axis
First it wanes and then it waxes
So procreate and pay your taxes
Tenuousness, less seven comes to three
Them, you, us plus eleven
Thank the heavens for their elasticity
And as for those who live and die for astronomy
When coprophagia was writ
Know when to stand or when to sit
Can't stand to stand, can't stand to sit
And who would want to know this?
Click, click, click
Who wants to look upon this?
Who wants to look upon this pray tell?
Who wants to look upon this?
Who wants to look upon this pray tell, pray tell?
Tenuousness, less seven comes to three
Them, you, us plus eleven comes just shy of infinity
And as for those who live and die from numerology
| rubella | Posted: Apr 09, 2013 - 15:31 My favorite from another Bird song: "Everyone's sweating but nobody's glistening" Krispian wrote: I love Andrew Bird's super cerebral lyrics! TerryS wrote: "Tenuousness" < start of lyrics >Tenuous at best was all he had to say When pressed about the rest of it, the world that is From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans Greek Cypriots and harbor sorts who hang around in ports a lot uh huh Here's where things start getting weird While chinless men will scratch their beards And to their minds a sharpened axe Is brushed upon the Uralic syntaxes Love of hate acts as an axis Love of hate acts as an axis First it wanes and then it waxes So procreate and pay your taxes Tenuousness, less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven Thank the heavens for their elasticity And as for those who live and die for astronomy When coprophagia was writ Know when to stand or when to sit Can't stand to stand, can't stand to sit And who would want to know this? Click, click, click Who wants to look upon this? Who wants to look upon this pray tell? Who wants to look upon this? Who wants to look upon this pray tell, pray tell? Tenuousness, less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven comes just shy of infinity And as for those who live and die from numerology< end of lyrics > |
| ndrakos | Posted: Mar 26, 2013 - 10:55 as a Greek Cypriot married to a Lisboan this song makes me smile despite having no idea what any of the lyrics mean! 'From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans Greek Cypriots and harbor sorts who hang around in ports a lot uh huh' (and anything cheerful is most welcome given the news about the utter destruction of #cyprus over the last week) n. Krispian wrote: I love Andrew Bird's super cerebral lyrics! TerryS wrote: "Tenuousness" < start of lyrics >Tenuous at best was all he had to say When pressed about the rest of it, the world that is From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans Greek Cypriots and harbor sorts who hang around in ports a lot uh huh Here's where things start getting weird While chinless men will scratch their beards And to their minds a sharpened axe Is brushed upon the Uralic syntaxes Love of hate acts as an axis Love of hate acts as an axis First it wanes and then it waxes So procreate and pay your taxes Tenuousness, less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven Thank the heavens for their elasticity And as for those who live and die for astronomy When coprophagia was writ Know when to stand or when to sit Can't stand to stand, can't stand to sit And who would want to know this? Click, click, click Who wants to look upon this? Who wants to look upon this pray tell? Who wants to look upon this? Who wants to look upon this pray tell, pray tell? Tenuousness, less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven comes just shy of infinity And as for those who live and die from numerology< end of lyrics > |
| scrubbrush (All lost in the supermarket) | Posted: Mar 26, 2013 - 10:51 Just heard this song (instruments only) in a Hilshire Farm breakfast sausage commercial this morning... |
| Hippostar (Portland, OR) | Posted: Feb 26, 2013 - 11:11 SheRidesABeemer wrote: WTF...is he finding lyrics in a text book...painful Thesaurus rock noun 1. Music written by a pseudointellectual accompanied by whistling reminiscent of a Bird. |
| Spiderwoman (Lake Chelan, North Central Washington) | Posted: Feb 20, 2013 - 15:21 WHOA |
| Krispian (Vancouver, BC) | Posted: Feb 05, 2013 - 19:49 I love Andrew Bird's super cerebral lyrics! TerryS wrote: "Tenuousness" < start of lyrics >Tenuous at best was all he had to say When pressed about the rest of it, the world that is From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans Greek Cypriots and harbor sorts who hang around in ports a lot uh huh Here's where things start getting weird While chinless men will scratch their beards And to their minds a sharpened axe Is brushed upon the Uralic syntaxes Love of hate acts as an axis Love of hate acts as an axis First it wanes and then it waxes So procreate and pay your taxes Tenuousness, less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven Thank the heavens for their elasticity And as for those who live and die for astronomy When coprophagia was writ Know when to stand or when to sit Can't stand to stand, can't stand to sit And who would want to know this? Click, click, click Who wants to look upon this? Who wants to look upon this pray tell? Who wants to look upon this? Who wants to look upon this pray tell, pray tell? Tenuousness, less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven comes just shy of infinity And as for those who live and die from numerology< end of lyrics > |
| bachbeet | Posted: Nov 20, 2012 - 23:03 Can't give this more than a 4. I think that's the highest I've rated any of his songs. |
| TerryS (Another SW) | Posted: Nov 03, 2012 - 18:22 "Tenuousness" < start of lyrics >Tenuous at best was all he had to say When pressed about the rest of it, the world that is From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans Greek Cypriots and harbor sorts who hang around in ports a lot uh huh Here's where things start getting weird While chinless men will scratch their beards And to their minds a sharpened axe Is brushed upon the Uralic syntaxes Love of hate acts as an axis Love of hate acts as an axis First it wanes and then it waxes So procreate and pay your taxes Tenuousness, less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven Thank the heavens for their elasticity And as for those who live and die for astronomy When coprophagia was writ Know when to stand or when to sit Can't stand to stand, can't stand to sit And who would want to know this? Click, click, click Who wants to look upon this? Who wants to look upon this pray tell? Who wants to look upon this? Who wants to look upon this pray tell, pray tell? Tenuousness, less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven comes just shy of infinity And as for those who live and die from numerology< end of lyrics > |
| MJdub (Bay Area, CA) | Posted: Sep 16, 2012 - 16:37 The post with the lyrics left out the one line that had me wondering if I heard it right or not... Before "Know when to stand or when to sit," he says "When coprophagia was writ" ... I don't even know what those lyrics are supposed to be about... Don't even Google that word... Just don't...you've been warned |
| zair99 (In Cognito) | Posted: Sep 05, 2012 - 04:17  |
| FrankMc | Posted: Jul 15, 2012 - 18:24 Begs the question: What is terrible about this song? Don't feel like you need to answer because I can't imagine anything you might say in that regard I'd agree with, but I'm shocked when people think really commendable music is "terrible." Stingray wrote: Oh nooooo! Hoooooow terrible!!!! |
| tupicetti (At the verge of the desert, literally...!) | Posted: Apr 28, 2012 - 08:07 Eels — I Like Birds <——- Andrew Bird — Tenuousness ??clearly, Bill likes birds... |
| scrubbrush (Sea of Calm) | Posted: Feb 10, 2012 - 15:28 Stingray wrote: Oh nooooo! Hoooooow terrible!!!! Oh nooooo! You're back?!?! |
| jeremyleo (Canada's Capital City) | Posted: Feb 08, 2012 - 05:58 apd wrote: Did anyone else think this was going to be Flight of the Conchords, "If You're Into It"? That's what I though too. I was thinking how cool - someone's covering a FOTC song... |
| apd (Toronto, On) | Posted: Jan 27, 2012 - 14:38 Did anyone else think this was going to be Flight of the Conchords, "If You're Into It"? |
| Stingray (NWO reloaded) | Posted: Jan 13, 2012 - 10:47 Oh nooooo! Hoooooow terrible!!!! |
| TerryS (Another SW) | Posted: Jan 09, 2012 - 19:45 I'll take a strumpet here, please. |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Nov 07, 2011 - 08:29 "love affair like season X's" - wtf? James, my ear trumpet, please! |
| SheRidesABeemer (Nashua, NH) | Posted: Oct 24, 2011 - 12:18 WTF...is he finding lyrics in a text book...painful |
| maxmox (Broome, Western Australia) | Posted: Oct 10, 2011 - 10:04 gatorade wrote: THX RP for introducing me to AB. Good places, good places. "Procreate and pay your taxes" enuf! don't & don't |
| Jelani (Home of the freak, land of the vague) | Posted: Sep 05, 2011 - 09:39 flyboy wrote: Poacher wrote: OK, I'm going to give it a one. I can't stand this song. There is a certain satisfaction when you rate a song and it actually moves the rating. Mine just dropped this to 6.9 from 7. Alas, your efforts seem to have been in vain, back to a 7 now. I give it an 8.Anybody care to help? Let's see if the rating moves. :-) |
| flyboy (Sarah Palin's Hometown) | Posted: Aug 02, 2011 - 15:24 Poacher wrote: There is a certain satisfaction when you rate a song and it actually moves the rating. Mine just dropped this to 6.9 from 7. Alas, your efforts seem to have been in vain, back to a 7 now. I give it an 8.Anybody care to help? |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Jul 22, 2011 - 02:25 djengs wrote: I think these guys got ripped off! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY8jaGs7xJ0 ROTFL!  |
| DD rabbi_phil (beach) | Posted: Apr 14, 2011 - 21:58 Very funny there Bill. You know.! |
| naldog | Posted: Jan 10, 2011 - 19:36 Poacher wrote: There is a certain satisfaction when you rate a song and it actually moves the rating. Mine just dropped this to 6.9 from 7. Anybody care to help? There with ya Poach....we just need a few hundred more. |
| Poacher (Brighton, UK) | Posted: Dec 31, 2010 - 06:23 There is a certain satisfaction when you rate a song and it actually moves the rating. Mine just dropped this to 6.9 from 7. Anybody care to help? |
| Rooney (Near Paradise) | Posted: Oct 25, 2010 - 08:23 There must be some hidden charm in listening to a guy that sounds like he's doing a slow drip right before surgery. Waa waa tha you sai? noo mmimmia jeeeshhuaa fomm memmmooo plaalall suupa shoshah hooomi. Whatever happened to consonants?  |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: Oct 25, 2010 - 08:13 Shoulda been titled, "Tediousness."  |
| gatorade (Ocean Park, WA) | Posted: Oct 22, 2010 - 23:14 THX RP for introducing me to AB. Good places, good places. "Procreate and pay your taxes" |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Sep 23, 2010 - 15:53 djengs wrote: I think these guys got ripped off! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY8jaGs7xJ0 I've heard a lot about this show, but have never seen it. The video made me laugh so hard... (no, beverage-of-choice didn't shoot out my nose because I have better control than that and why would I wanna waste good vodka on a video, anyway?) Still - pretty funny and inventive. And twisted. Thanks for sharing that link, djengs. *sigh* Yet another series I can't watch because of basic cable... |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Sep 09, 2010 - 11:00 I have this CD (given to me by a very generous friend) and I'm still discovering quirky little treasures on it. Love this guy - he's unpredictable, and boy, can he ever WHISTLE!   |
| Hannio (Austin, TX) | Posted: Jul 19, 2010 - 07:07 fredriley wrote: "coprofagi"? What the feck has dinosaur poo got to do with the price of fish? Talk of "tenuous". Having a mondegreen moment, there, Fred? |
| lophrequa (the very edge of the land) | Posted: Apr 20, 2010 - 19:05 Greek Cypriots and and harbor-sorts who hang around in ports a lot thanks, genuine find... thought that's what i heard a_genuine_find wrote: Tenuous at best was all he had to say when pressed about the rest of it, the world that is from proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans Greek Cypriots and and harbor-sorts who hang around in ports a lot Here's where things start getting weird while chinless men will scratch their beards and to their minds a sharpened axe is brushed upon the Uralic syntaxes Love of hate acts as an axis Love of hate acts as an axis First it wanes and then it waxes So procreate and pay your taxes Tenuousness Less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven thank the heavens for their elasticity And as for those who live and die for astronomy Know when to stand or when to sit Can't stand to stand can't stand to sit Now who would want to know this Click Click Click Who wants to look upon this Who wants to look upon this Pray tell Who wants to look upon this Who wants to look upon this Pray tell Pray tell Tenuousness Less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven comes just shy of infinity and as for those who live and die from numerology |
| djengs | Posted: Mar 30, 2010 - 20:57 I think these guys got ripped off! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY8jaGs7xJ0 |
| sirdroseph (Outer Mongolia) | Posted: Feb 27, 2010 - 06:32 Yea, luv me some Andrew Bird! |
| osbyec | Posted: Feb 16, 2010 - 14:32 Ha! The intro to this song made me think it was "If You're Into It" by Flight of the Conchords. Slightly different song... |
| horseplayer (Lincroft, NJ) | Posted: Dec 09, 2009 - 21:38 How is this not this? |
| OCDHG (Flag-waving, gun-toting, meat-eating liberal) | Posted: Nov 14, 2009 - 09:21 chefatomic wrote: In Asheville NC -October 9th at the Orange peel ,should be a great show plus St.Vincent Well it's tragic that I missed this.  |
| a_genuine_find (not me, Radio P) (3rd stone, sol, orion belt, milkyway) | Posted: Nov 14, 2009 - 09:18 Tenuous at best was all he had to say when pressed about the rest of it, the world that is from proto-Sanskrit Minoans to Porto-centric Lisboans Greek Cypriots and and harbor-sorts who hang around in ports a lot Here's where things start getting weird while chinless men will scratch their beards and to their minds a sharpened axe is brushed upon the Uralic syntaxes Love of hate acts as an axis Love of hate acts as an axis First it wanes and then it waxes So procreate and pay your taxes Tenuousness Less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven thank the heavens for their elasticity And as for those who live and die for astronomy Know when to stand or when to sit Can't stand to stand can't stand to sit Now who would want to know this Click Click Click Who wants to look upon this Who wants to look upon this Pray tell Who wants to look upon this Who wants to look upon this Pray tell Pray tell Tenuousness Less seven comes to three Them, you, us plus eleven comes just shy of infinity and as for those who live and die from numerology |
| houston (Tsawwassen B.C.) | Posted: Oct 13, 2009 - 21:53 started mildly irritated, moved to active listening then a quick jump to total enjoyment. Great song love it. |
| RadioDoc (Chicagoland) | Posted: Sep 12, 2009 - 08:45 I started this as an 8, reduced it to a 7 after a few listens and now the whistling gimmick is starting to get annoying. Down to a 6. |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Sep 01, 2009 - 07:42 "coprofagi"? What the feck has dinosaur poo got to do with the price of fish? Talk of "tenuous"... |
| tugandbuster (Charlotte, NC) | Posted: Sep 01, 2009 - 07:40 Every time Andrew Bird comes on I can't help but bob my head, whistle and tap my toes. Great stuff!  |
| chefatomic (Chattanooga) | Posted: Aug 23, 2009 - 08:09 In Asheville NC -October 9th at the Orange peel ,should be a great show plus St.Vincent |
| lophrequa (the very edge of the land) | Posted: Aug 04, 2009 - 18:09 lovely - is it "That's the Way" i hear in the back of my mind? |
| rdo (DC) | Posted: Aug 02, 2009 - 14:44 Wizzuvv_oz wrote: I went on a little bit of a rant on Oh No about the lyrics. LOVE the tunes. Strongly dislike his lyrics esp. the made up words. Then I found this: " Before I reach for the dictionary I let my imagination run wild and decide that salsify is a burrowing bronchial root like a rickety old mine that burrows deep into something. It turns out that's mostly correct which encourages me further. All I know is "salsify mains" sounds good to me." ~AB http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/words-will-tell/ "What is becoming more challenging of late is dealing with so many fully formed melodies that are unwilling to change their shape for any word. So writing lyrics becomes like running multiple code-breaking programs in your head until just the right word with just the right number of syllables, tone of vowel and finally some semblance of meaning all snap into place." ~AB Strategery. strə-TEE-jər-ee Every word spoken originated somewhere. Why does it bother people so much when new ones spring up? I have never understood this reaction. I much prefer to entrust language creation to the Andrew Bird's of the world and yes, even the George Bushes for that matter, than to pedants. Thankfully that's how it works anyway, so I don't need to waste any more energy on this dull topic. |
| Wizzuvvoz (Land of Nod. East of Eden on Route 66.) | Posted: Jul 24, 2009 - 11:04 deniser wrote: I agree completely; this album is an amazing work of art, every song is phenomenal in its own way. The lyrics are extremely cryptic, and sometimes have no direct meaning, he just likes the way that they sound with the melody. But they usually have extraordinary meaning. I suggest going to songmeanings.net to find out the meaning of them. Also, he wrote a blog on nytimes describing how he writes his music and lyrics, it is really fascinating. Here it is: http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/author/andrew-bird/?scp=1&sq=andrew%20bird&st=cse I went on a little bit of a rant on Oh No about the lyrics. LOVE the tunes. Strongly dislike his lyrics esp. the made up words. Then I found this: " Before I reach for the dictionary I let my imagination run wild and decide that salsify is a burrowing bronchial root like a rickety old mine that burrows deep into something. It turns out that's mostly correct which encourages me further. All I know is "salsify mains" sounds good to me." ~AB http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/words-will-tell/ "What is becoming more challenging of late is dealing with so many fully formed melodies that are unwilling to change their shape for any word. So writing lyrics becomes like running multiple code-breaking programs in your head until just the right word with just the right number of syllables, tone of vowel and finally some semblance of meaning all snap into place." ~AB Strategery. strə-TEE-jər-ee |
| deniser | Posted: Jul 16, 2009 - 07:20 Tana wrote: I bought the CD recently and I would highly recommend it. One interesting, catchy song after another - very enjoyable. This guy is an amazing talent. Lyrics are more than a little cryptic to me, but the album is a fine piece of work. I agree completely; this album is an amazing work of art, every song is phenomenal in its own way. The lyrics are extremely cryptic, and sometimes have no direct meaning, he just likes the way that they sound with the melody. But they usually have extraordinary meaning. I suggest going to songmeanings.net to find out the meaning of them. Also, he wrote a blog on nytimes describing how he writes his music and lyrics, it is really fascinating. Here it is: http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/author/andrew-bird/?scp=1&sq=andrew%20bird&st=cse |
| On_The_Beach (Vancouver, Canada) | Posted: Jun 28, 2009 - 14:17 Painted_Turtle wrote: It almost sounds like he's plucking a Chinese guqin . . . There's no need for that kind of talk. |
| andrewmi (capitoltown) | Posted: Jun 23, 2009 - 14:25 Andrew Bird is a classically trained violinist; he uses his violin in all sorts of ways in his songs (and concerts)... I'm sure in this song he is merely plucking the strings. Incidentally, I would highly recommend seeing him in concert to watch him weave rhythms into elaborate patterns... it's very entrancing. Painted_Turtle wrote: It almost sounds like he's pluckimng a Chinese guqin during this song. Anybody know what he's playing? |