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The Shins — Sea Legs
Album: Wincing the Night Away
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1630









Released: 2007
Length: 5:11
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Of all the churning random hearts under the sun
Eventually fading into night
These two are opening now
As we lie I touch you under fuller light

Girl, if you're a seascape, I'm a listing boat
For the thing carries every hope, I invest in a single lie
The choice is yours to be loved
Come away from an emptier boat

'Cause when the dead moon rises again
Be no time to stall or protocol to hem us in
And when the dog slides underneath the train
There's no time, no use to searching for the mutt's remains

Throw all consequence aside
And a cheerless pyre we will set alight

Of all the intersecting lines in the sand
I routed a labyrinth to your lap
I never used a map, sliding off the land on an incidental tide
And along the way, you know they try, they try

We got sea legs and we're off tonight
Can't have that to which they've no right
You belong to a simpler time
I'm a victim to the impact of these words and this rhyme

And we got sea legs
And we're off tonight
Can't have that to which they've no right
You belong to a simpler time
I'm a victim to the impact of these words and this rhyme

'Cause when the dead moon rises again
Be no time to stall or protocol to hem us in
Darling, when the dog slides, open the door and where'd she go?
There's no time, no use to searching for the mutt's remains

Throw all consequence aside
And a cheerless pyre we will set alight
Comments (154)add comment
I can never forget how the bass player was bouncing around like a pogo stick on this one when I saw them jam it, and the incredible sound at Club Quattro made us feel as if on the heaving deck of a ship. I was mightily impressed by Mercer's singing, and his guitar-playing was fantastic, as well...
fantastic - one of the best albums of the past 20 years!
 1wolfy wrote:
Yes, it sure does..I love the last 60 secs, it is like 'rock and roll stew' by Traffic.  It could go on much longer and I'd love it.. ziggytrix wrote:
this tune chops up into a very sick instrumental groove.  the outro is pure gold.
 

 

Rip Richard Swift.

https://www.gofundme.com/medical-fund-for-richard-swift
This just became my favorite Shins song. 
This my fav track  on this album.  I love covering it on the piano.  {#Bananapiano}

and it sounds like a sampling of Poker Chips being shuffled, wolverine.{#Rolleyes}
Is that bottle caps I'm hearing?{#Ask}
You amaze me again... one more for the 'to be purchased' list.
 
100% original, primo tunes. James Mercer is a musical genius.
 Posted: Feb 03, 2011 - 15:45 Huey wrote:
I bought this CD. Hate it. Who wants it? PM me. the best reason gets it. I pay mailing.

 

6+ years later and I'm wondering if you ever got rid of it. I just might PM you if I think about it later.  I've grown to like the Shins despite the fact I like this track best and the rest of their music is not as good.  Oh well....it can't all be AWESOMENESS!

Long Live RP!


Can I have an extended version with at least 5 min of that outro?
Such a great album overall.
I love this song because the singer uses his full range of vocal gymnastics and that makes it interesting to sing along with!
 TerryS wrote:
This song is soooo good for the swonnicles.

 
I was just thinking the same thing.


This song is soooo good for the swonnicles.
Saw them at Club Quattro in Shibuya on this tour; this song was the highlight; the mad, bass-driven, mass dance trance was incredible
Just came here and saw that the last two people had the exact same thought as me.
Just keeps going up - 8 > 9 - brilliant!
Solid 8 and bumping to 9 for using the word "protocol" in the lyrics.
 bb_matt wrote:

Everyone in your church loves ears.
 
We love all body parts!  This song is marvelous...

hope you have a spring in your step bb_matt on this summer night in the northern hemisphere... 
Good stuff. ↑8 for me
me too, the same reason as well {#Biggrin}

Tippster wrote:
Upgraded to a 9.  This song just works for me.

 


 Sasha2001 wrote:
The word genius gets tossed around too often, but I can't think of another word to describe this particular song.

 

Yea- these guys are pretty darn good. They need to hang out just a little further with the instrumental stuff and they'd be touching Pink Floyd territory.
Upgraded to a 9.  This song just works for me.
The word genius gets tossed around too often, but I can't think of another word to describe this particular song.
now that outro is what i call a groove!
good tune
Very nice!
 Lazarus wrote:

This song is good for the ears...
 

 
Everyone in your church loves ears.

This song is good for the ears...
 
Everyone in my chair loves this song. {#Yes}
I NEED MORE SLINKY!
 drsteevo wrote:
someone should send Bill and email!  {#Eek}

edit: just sent him an email, hope he has a smartphone!
 
LOL, anyways I am always happy to hear this song twice in less than an hour...
someone should send Bill and email!  {#Eek}

edit: just sent him an email, hope he has a smartphone!
I am very curious to see what we hear after Ray Charles - Hit the Road Jack.  If it's Gazpacho - Never Winter, I will be hitting the road...
 

sbegf wrote:
....and here it is second time in an hour...never heard this happen before on RP...glad the set is to my liking...but a third time through might be a bit much. 
 


I predict Stephen Stills, down the road next...haha
....and here it is second time in an hour...never heard this happen before on RP...glad the set is to my liking...but a third time through might be a bit much. 
Déja Vu ! ! !
 ozBillo wrote:
What a fantastic run of songs!!
And the Shins are a great band.
Lucky enough to see them when they came to Melbourne. 
 
Nice tune, too!
What a fantastic run of songs!!
And the Shins are a great band.
Lucky enough to see them when they came to Melbourne. 
I do love this!
More haunting brilliance
i think the cover art is the algae that ate the oil in the gulf of mexico unless i'm wrong
 1wolfy wrote:
Yes, it sure does..I love the last 60 secs.  It could go on much longer and I'd love it.. ziggytrix wrote:
this tune chops up into a very sick instrumental groove.  the outro is pure gold.
 

 



I agree, it's a shame the rest of the song doesnt benefit from a similar treatment.
 sirdroseph wrote:
This does not sound like The Shins which in this case is a compliment. Not that there is anything wrong with the traditional Shins sound, it is just nice to hear something sound totally different from the same group.
 
What I was thinking..
 sdn wrote:
And when the dog slides underneath the train
There's no cry, no use in searching for the mutt's remains.
Throw all consequence aside
And a cheerless fire we will set alight.
 
Yep, the usual highly obscure Shins words. Great sound, gnomic lyrics with metaphors beyond the understanding of most mortals, including this listener. 8 from the head-scratching Nottingham jury.

This does not sound like The Shins which in this case is a compliment. Not that there is anything wrong with the traditional Shins sound, it is just nice to hear something sound totally different from the same group.
Great song, great album, great band. Period.
great album name.


7 > 8 Gets better w/ every listen.
Yes, it sure does..I love the last 60 secs.  It could go on much longer and I'd love it.. ziggytrix wrote:
this tune chops up into a very sick instrumental groove.  the outro is pure gold.
 

this tune chops up into a very sick instrumental groove.  the outro is pure gold.
 Huey wrote:
I bought this CD. Hate it. Who wants it? PM me. the best reason gets it. I pay mailing.
 
Funny, borrowed the CD from a friend because of this song, absolutely love this song.  Did not like another single track, but definitely didn't dislike it enough to pay someone to take it..ha.

I did find the music was very well recorded, very clean.  Especially enjoyed cranking up this song.

In a wierd way i get a little of Caravan out of that. Loads of other little querky influences too.
Still not buying it tho.
I bought the vinyl. That's how much I like this...
 gjeeg wrote:
One of the finest albums of the past twenty years. Endless genuis.
 
What? Why? I like the song too but wow. It's not Earth shattering or anything. Right? I also have the album and don't think much of it. Just okay. Not anything more. I'd love to find out where the genius is.

-J

 splooge wrote:
Hmmm, don't know much about these guys, but, that was a goodern.
 
if you liked this then try listening to Broken Bells. It's Mercers other band. It's actually a duo with one of the Dangermouse guys. there's a video for "the high road" on you tube. you'll probably like a lot. 

 splooge wrote:
Hmmm, don't know much about these guys, but, that was a goodern.
 

Daggnabbitit.
U ned 2 git out mor.

I can't get enough of this song!!    {#Clap}
I bought this CD. Hate it. Who wants it? PM me. the best reason gets it. I pay mailing.
Hmmm, don't know much about these guys, but, that was a goodern.
And when the dog slides underneath the train
There's no cry, no use in searching for the mutt's remains.
Throw all consequence aside
And a cheerless fire we will set alight.


When I heard the intro, I thought we were going to hear Soul Love from the Ziggy Stardust album. (And I have this Shins album, so I should have known better)

wotta band!

The Shins need a new album......It's been far too long....


The more I hear from this band, the more I really find them amazing. I really gotta considering getting this CD! Thank you RP for introducing me to better and better music that I cannot find almost anywhere else!{#Bounce}

One of the finest albums of the past twenty years. Endless genuis.
I would never pick the shins to put up and listen, but always enjoying them when Bill plays them.
 1wolfy wrote:
recently bought this CD and I'm enjoying it
 
I bought it and never play it. Don't like it tbh. Still I enjoyed the outro on this, might have to give the CD another try. If I still don't like it I'll send it to someone who wants it.

THEY SHINE!
Very nice, like the cover too.
Is that a ratchet from a socket set in the background?
Snaky and synchopated.  Sterling song.
Proper Job
Damn......... this is good stuff!


This has got to be my favourite CD of all time! I listen to it everytime I'm in my car. LOVE IT! {#Bounce}
Great song.

James Mercer - The Shins by ~Jantjeh
Jan Mulders   ©2006-2010 ~Jantjeh

The Shins frontman James Mercer, October 2006, Amsterdam. I was the first in a very very very long row of journalists and photographers. (2full days of interviews and photoshoots, at least he was still ''fresh'' here, poor soul)



 ick wrote:
I hear a little "Muskrat Love" by Captain and Tennille in there!
 
Heh, not that there's anything wrong with that

recently bought this CD and I'm enjoying it
 woozurbuddy wrote:
This song is just cool.
 
oh yeah... especially the cool groove outro. solid 9 for me.
I love this song and its whole Album {#Bananajumprope}
This gets a strong 8...
I got a little (over) saturated with this very fine album.  This reminds me how good it is.  Time to get it out again.
 
 EniwaMan wrote:
When I first heard this, my first thought was, "Man, these guys have clearly listened to their share of classical music from India (as I have)."  The melody in that refrain, especially.  It's not that it sounds completely lifted from a raga––the rhythmic structure and instrumentation are obviously not Indian, but the melody and vocal style really do sound heavily influenced, shall we say.

I was sure that others would have mentioned this, so I went back and read all the song comments.  None!  Can I really have been the first to notice this, or am I just off my rocker?  I'm not a musician, so if I'm wrong, I'll defer to more informed opinion.  I wonder further, whether this song even uses the usual (if that's not ethnocentric) pentatonic scale or if, instead, it uses an Indian scale.  I tried to read about this on Wikipedia, but the article on the musical structure of the Indian raga was unreadable by a layman.  Can all you ethnomusicologists (professional or amateur) weigh in?  In any case, this song is just lovely.
 
Pretty well regular western musical scales going on here, perhaps with a few more key changes than the usual rockers. But wot's wrong wif being of ya rocker anyway?! I love it!

 EniwaMan wrote:
..the rhythmic structure and instrumentation are obviously not Indian, but the melody and vocal style really do sound heavily influenced, shall we say.
 
Dunno about India, I'm hearing Cocteau Twins in that singsongy style of theirs.
{#Good-vibes}
When I first heard this, my first thought was, "Man, these guys have clearly listened to their share of classical music from India (as I have)."  The melody in that refrain, especially.  It's not that it sounds completely lifted from a raga––the rhythmic structure and instrumentation are obviously not Indian, but the melody and vocal style really do sound heavily influenced, shall we say.

I was sure that others would have mentioned this, so I went back and read all the song comments.  None!  Can I really have been the first to notice this, or am I just off my rocker?  I'm not a musician, so if I'm wrong, I'll defer to more informed opinion.  I wonder further, whether this song even uses the usual (if that's not ethnocentric) pentatonic scale or if, instead, it uses an Indian scale.  I tried to read about this on Wikipedia, but the article on the musical structure of the Indian raga was unreadable by a layman.  Can all you ethnomusicologists (professional or amateur) weigh in?  In any case, this song is just lovely.


IMHO they sound like The Republic Tigers on this song, or (since The Shins are the older band) should I say The Republic Tigers sound like The Shins? {#Stupid}
Yum! {#Guitarist}
yuck,{#Headache}
Another winner from these guys! I may need to open the wallet.....
indeed!!!

{#Bounce}


 
lophrequa wrote:
magical
 


 8 —-> 9

magical
 kaybee wrote:
WOW!  This is yet another album that I'm going to have to buy, thanks to RP!  This song doesn't sound as much like the others on this album.  I'm hearing a lot of Tull influence and even a bit of Jefferson Airplane.
 
I agree!

Neat!
WOW!  This is yet another album that I'm going to have to buy, thanks to RP!  This song doesn't sound as much like the others on this album.  I'm hearing a lot of Tull influence and even a bit of Jefferson Airplane.
 Odyzzeuz wrote:
Funny, I heard the same echo.
 
Same here.  Browsed the thread just to see if I was the only one.  LOL

Isn't this song COOL?!  See these guys live if you can!  I had the good fortune to see them in the great soundscape of Club Quattro back in November of '07, and they rocked way harder than anyone might have expected.  The supremely talented bass player was absolutely MANIC, and on this song, he seemed to be having the time of his life.  To think that a few short years ago almost nobody knew a thing about The Shins...and hopefully in a few more, everyone will be jamming to new songs that might even top this beauty!
Time to ratchet this from a 7 to an 8. {#Dance}
ick wrote:
I hear a little "Muskrat Love" by Captain and Tennille in there!
Ick!
I hear a little "Muskrat Love" by Captain and Tennille in there!
The more I hear these guys, the more I like 'em.
Most of the shins stuff is exceptionally good music, this one included.
underarmor wrote:
"Dead angels, speak to me sometimes"
Funny, I heard the same echo.
I just bought this cd ... cool
Of all the music acquisitions I've made as a direct result of listening to RP this CD is the one I'm happiest about. I've got it in my car as both a stand alone album and several of the cuts are in the mixes I make.
outstanding
underarmor wrote...
"dead angels speak to me sometimes"
Huh? I listening to both songs, one after the other, and side by side.....no comparison. Also, as lyricists go: James Mercer walks all over Jon Crosby. (I'm also a fan of VAST)
i think i like this one because it doesn't sound anything like the shins. :)
Like this one, but it's not too much CURE?
Finally, a Shins song I like! Very nice sound.
"Dead angels, speak to me sometimes"
kcr89 wrote:
Absolutley amazing....one of my favorites on the CD. I don't know much about it so, does anyone know why a non-swear word is censored in the CD booklet? Or are all the lyric sites wrong?
They are all wrong.
shutter wrote:
What everyone else said. Superb piece of work.
One more vote for that!
buddy wrote:
Exactly! Kinda "funky" for The Shins.
did i miss smth? - this song is the one of worst one from the shins.
What everyone else said. Superb piece of work.
Best song on this amazing CD.
Absolutley amazing....one of my favorites on the CD. I don't know much about it so, does anyone know why a non-swear word is censored in the CD booklet? Or are all the lyric sites wrong?