The Shins - New Slang (Last.fm Sessions)

[@lordofthefly]

This song makes me feel young and old at the same time.

[@walterpiper8947]

Nailed it.

[@20101mariana]

PERFECT description!

[@sosaysthecaptain5580]

I think if I’d written this song and done absolutely nothing else, I could die feeling like my work on earth was done.

[@the420god3]

A million times yes

[@theorytubetv]

@@the420god3 That's the true artist spirit - just one single work imo

[@EbeJay1]

Problem is, you can't write this song unless you have the perspective of having done a bunch of other stuff 🤷‍♂

[@ZimmerSquash]

​​@@theorytubetvI'd love more than one song from the artist 😅

[@peterswellingtonthe3rd513]

you could. go try.

[@toddclaxon]

Was in Iraq, 3am, been up all day and all night. missing my family for about a year. this song is played and i just watched the Arab moon. Loved this song from then on. No way to explain what it was to me and that's ok. I just hope there's a song for you like this was for me.

[@arpitverma6039]

Todd Claxon it's everybody's moon

[@AbstractTheClassAct]

Thank you for your service sir, this song is even more special to me now.

[@askyles91]

Verma Arpit fuck yourself

[@JBird000]

I can’t imagine being there. I’m glad something brought you comfort. This is a great song.

[@SaintGangle]

Qatar, around 1 in the morning for me and I heard the same song. Heard it a million times before, but this time, it spoke words I'd never heard before. I feel you.

[@kyledammann4284]

This is one of those rare songs that people remember there they were and what they were doing when they first heard it. For me it was the Garden State movie. This sparked my love for the Shins that remains to this day. Life is beautiful if you know where to look.

[@ryanberry4994]

Just his voice and guitar, yet the whole room is filled. The whole moment filled in the same way.

[@justinbrown8214]

reverb helps too

[@cristianpacheco5034]

what's?

[@yehoshua6328]

Ryan Berry The glory of microphones.

[@jotohomomoto]

I had a similar reaction to how beautifully crafted the melody is to JUST his lyrics & guitar that I felt nothing was “left out” from the shins version

[@powpowpro]

Man that's a clean, precise bassline with a flatpick. Wish I could do that.

[@robertterry9359]

Hello friend 👋

[@ChadWorthman]

It's all in the pick/strum hand. Start slow and speed it up, you'll get it.

[@henryreinhold9097]

You can! It’s been two years, have you accomplished it?

[@garethmurphy8235]

No you're right man . That A bass note is clean...

[@LeighSmith-l4v]

The power of a j45

[@c.m.bigler]

Can't quite express to you how thankful I am for this song Mr. Mercer

[@hummingnectarbird]

I was at a BBQ gathering with my son and his wife. Most of the people were his age so I hung out with parents in another room. Suddenly, thru the voices and laughter of all the people, moving back and, talking, etc., I heard this song, and I was hooked. I had to ask a lot of people who the singers were, but I did until I got an answer. She even copied it for me and this song still has the power to move me and evoke memories and emotions.

[@Bestdogdad72]

Mercer has one of the best purest voices out there period

[@Mrfontetuc]

One of the greatest works of art ever produced

[@tiffanybuie2263]

Really though is it?

[@SuperSpasticNinja]

@@tiffanybuie2263 For a lot of people it is. Though art is and will always be subjective.

[@josephstalin7803]

Ever since I first heard this song it's been such a big part of my life, I did a song called ''If I had one song to listen to for the rest of my life'' once And I'm not kidding this was the one song I was thinking of, if I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, it'd have to be new slang

[@the420god3]

I agree a million percent. It's the only thing I'm hanging on to rt now I miss all my Dead friends

[@ryanbernier9096]

yall. I just discovered this song. pure bliss at the moment

[@TheDerrickRyan]

Beautifully written song. It transcends time in its essence and form.

[@carolinem2490]

Gold teeth and a curse for this town Were all in my mouth Only, I don't know how they got out, dear Turn me back into the pet I was when we met I was happier then with no mindset And if you'd took to me like a Gull takes to the wind Oh, I'd a-jumped from my trees And I'd a-danced like the king of the eyesores And the rest of our lives would have fared well New slang when you notice the stripes The dirt in your fries Hope it's right when you die, old and bony Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall Never should have called But my head's to the wall and I'm lonely And if you'd took to me like a Gull takes to the wind Well, I'd a-jumped from my trees And I'd a-danced like the kind of the eyesores And the rest of our lives would have fared well God speed all the bakers at dawn May they all cut their thumbs And bleed into their buns 'till they melt away I'm looking in on the good life I might be doomed never to find Without a trust or flaming fields am I too dumb to refine? And if you'd 'a took to me like, well I'd a-danced like the queen of the eyesores And the rest of our lives would have fared well

[@georgecandido8338]

Thanks a lot!

[@georgecandido8338]

Oh thanks

[@dishantgoyal740]

What is the meaning of these lyrics?

[@dylanmassey5597]

Dishant Goyal great song. it really resonates with me, i've been through something almost exactly like this. see, this is how i see it, the song is about how relatiomships can change you for the worst. "gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth, only i dont know how they got out" this line shows that the singer's feelings towards his surroundings have changed like everyrthing else. "turn me back into the pet i was when we met, i was happier then with no mind set" this means that when they had met and even before that, he was a 'pet'(pet here meaning sweet and innocent). "and if you took to me like a gull taked to the wind, i'd have jumped from my tree and i'd have danced the the king of the eyesores and the rest of our lives would've faired well" this is one of those "should-a would-a could-a" moments. basically its saying that is she had seen their relationship as something liberating and carefree (much like a gull-a type of bird-takes to the wind), then he'd havebeen encuoraged to jump from his tree (the tree being a metaphor for disconnection from the world) and the relationship could have lasted. "new slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries" 'new sland is a metaphor for change, kinda like how as you move through different stages of life you begin to speak differently. 'stripes' and 'the dirt in you fries' are metaphors for all the bad or unlikable things about life that you dont see as a young innocent child. thus the line translates to: you grow older and change when you start to see the bad things in life. then the lyrics go on to say "never should have called, but my heads to the wall and im lonley" this is something i directly relate to. it happens when you know someone is no good for you and you know nothing good will come from contacting them, but you are so lonley and they are the one and only familliar face around so you call anyway. "all the bakers at dawn, they all cut thier thumbs and bleed into thier buns till they melt away" bakers with cut thumbs are useless, bloody buns are useless. this is a metaphor for feeling totally and utterly unwanted and not needed - bad relationships do that to you. "I'm looking in on the good life I might be doomed never to find. Without a trust or flaming fields am I too dumb to refine?" these lyrics are a little more abstract. its obvious the the 'good life he may be doomed never to find' is a life with love. the second pare,however, means that he has no one he trusts and he lust or fire in him. he is asking himself if he should refine, or lower his expectations of love and settle for something he knows he doesnt want just to have love. this isnt a love song, its a song about failed love

[@affanfadillah1200]

@@dylanmassey5597 wow! thank's a lot

[@xXRedTheDragonXx]

When I was in school, a friend used to download random songs from online and burn them to discs that got passed around. One day, this song was on the disc, but it was not labeled right. I ripped the disc onto my computer and had this song saved as just "good song". I lost the song eventually and I was devastated. Eventually, I found it again, and it's just as good as I remember it.

[@johnnyalias9596]

Absolutely gorgeous. The words of this one always get me.

[@kx100dk]

+Johnny Alias Totally Agree, the best!

[@drakebunch9807]

Such a brilliant songwriter. Seeing them live in a week. Taking my buddy who's 16 and I can't wait to watch them blow his young mind.

[@betsyh403]

Pure magic. It takes me back to all the places I listened to it before and who I was then, but now all of us here in one and it’s comforting to have all the sadness, emptiness, happiness, anger, excitement, wonder, pain, love, joy, fear, hopefulness, hopelessness all rolled into one.

[@DavidLaughlinMusic]

What a beautiful, well written song. One of the very best songs in my opinion.

[@viktorkopinc4055]

Masterpiece if there ever was one. Take a bow.

[@craigslistdave2086]

“Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall, Never should have called, But my heads to the wall And I’m lone-ly”... For how much I feel this I could write a book

[@AstroGremlinAmerican]

This song came into my mind though KZbin. I don't have the record. I don't understand all the lyrics. I love this song. It makes my heart fly.

[@cassandralabrum8730]

He's so amazing.

[@mattakermanmusic]

Always loved this recording.

[@ericwilson6994]

This has got to be one of My favorite songs of all time.

[@AdventureKing16]

I love all 3 versions I've seen of this song!

[@philmontgomery95]

Can’t hear this song without thinking of Natalie Portman saying that it’ll change my life. She was right.

[@carolynking9412]

They played our town in Bend, Oregon last year and it was amazing!

[@zool8looz806]

so beautifull! thank you James, truly ❤

[@poetrees1]

He seemed to shed a tear at the end, but don't we all.

[@ParthaSreenivas]

Very true :')

[@TheCunctator]

I have just discovered this band. What to say? They are outstanding, their songs are wonderful... hope to see them in Europe soon!

[@simplemann101]

Watching this brings it back, might be dated but still holds all the water!

[@jameshood1928]

Beautiful ballad of love lost and deep regret. Outstanding performance by Mercer. Comforting message to all of us.

[@TheZenith12345]

Absolutely brilliant 👏

[@kevo1177]

My god how I love James Mercer!

[@gipisces18]

one of my favorite song from The Shins 😍😍😍

[@cal3blipa]

If I could choose a song from the early 2000s it would be this song! I never got into the shins but this song is just memorable. I saw them in ACL 2012 just passing by, nice band always a joy

[@bendor5151]

Very smooth voice!!!

[@luisnava3239]

I always come back to this video

[@topseykretts7608]

We all have that woman our life that never noticed us.....would have never selected us because she was unobtainable.....perhaps because she was perfect and I was nothing but an "eyesore".....but if the heavens would have aligned and she had picked me......then certainly I would have jumped down from my tree and joyfully danced like the king of the eyesore's......perfect song!!

[@switowsky90]

You're not alone bro...

[@3581tossit]

Beautiful simplicity

[@paulmampilly9828]

Looks like a guy who had finished a job interview for an office job, and went straight to an open mic, living the dream but realising he needs to get paid.

[@mattrobins2002]

What a great version of my favourite shins song

[@SweetTone76]

Solid gold man.

[@ishmaelsix7581]

Sometimes it feels as if all the truly great songs have been written, at least that's my jaded old take. But then you find a song like this and everything's alright again. For me, it was like hearing, for example, Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" for the first time. Wow.

[@angeloc700]

From the heart.

[@leecardiel283]

Wow never expected Hugh Cornwell to cover this song... A great song and a great artist :-D

[@JonatanGGomes]

What?

[@robertterry9359]

Hello friend how are you doing today

[@leecardiel283]

@@robertterry9359 good. You??

[@robertterry9359]

Fine thanks for asking

[@leecardiel283]

@@robertterry9359 why??

[@misssandycandy]

Love this so much

[@i-am-very-real]

This song will always remind me of my senior year of high school

[@schrodingerscat3912]

legendary song

[@DirtCheapFU]

I picked this song up in '09 when I got back to Ft Gordon from my first deployment (Iraq). Just sitting there trying to figure out myself all over again mentally and emotionally. Midwest kid that just wanted to get out and see the world. Went on a tour. Now I'm like, Tyler Durden. "Now what?". Go home, tell my stories of intrigue and adventure? I guess, sit here and act like everything is ok? (It's not and won't be).

[@Friendsforgood270]

I got to be James Mercers waiter a few years ago he was really nice. and That’s all I got to say about that nothing else really interesting happened.

[@thegorn]

Hope there was no dirt in his fries

[@james11h]

Beautiful. Going to try to work that bass line in when I play, sounds so clean

[@julieromero8694]

Takes me back

[@kajida]

you gotta hear this one song, it'll change your life, i swear.

[@dmitry1909]

So beutiful!!!

[@luisoncln]

no tengo idea lo que dice esta cancion pero me encanta. Buena mota

[@alexdunhill4271]

this is really good

[@kikisewcayot]

love love love

[@87Brandonw]

This song is amazing, but always makes me sad

[@kristensorensen2219]

This simple solo revealed the lyrics for me. First heard some of the album version on the movie "Garden State". If look for it 💛

[@HITHEREFOLKS]

best song ever of the shins

[@HoratioAccel]

I need to find more poetic lyricists like this.....

[@johnhurn1321]

CapnHMCrunch jason isbell friend

[@JBird000]

The Shins have so many great poetic songs.

[@JohnDoe-fv3vs]

Lord Huron

[@zuleyhaozgen9188]

Love. 😍

[@jennamcgrath2579]

I would give anything to play with J Mercer in Boston

[@sizers]

Play wut?

[@Elprofesormisterioso47]

EMOCIONANTE 🎶🕊️💕MUY EMOCIONANTE 🎶🕊️💕🎶🕊️💕

[@subterreanhighrise]

Very good.

[@MajoringTom]

People : What kind of dad do you wanna be ? Me : James Mercer type.

[@seanmcaleavy2369]

I would still have to go with the Atticus Finch type. And although it's true that Atticus couldn't sing to save his life he made up for it with his mad break dancing skills.

[@rasbrito]

Thank you mr. Zach Braff for introducing me to that song. # Scrubs

[@baconlatte]

Great tune. He looks the cool university professor from central casting.

[@JoeTheDude]

Oh man wheezy waiter has a great voice

[@mouniabarakat912]

extreme love

[@kalloyd05]

Excellent. Love it when artists do their shit acoustic. Well done Shin-man.

[@thelastcall8271]

I've been listening to this song for years, but I guess I've always dismissed the lyrics...? Which is pretty odd for me, because that's my thing to listen to lyrics. Then one day, I had some things go down with a hopeful prospect (Lack of better word) and when I listened to this song, it just clicked and the the lyrics just made since. It's been a new song to me ever since and I just can't get enough... The line "I never should of called, but my head is to the wall and I'm lonely" - Is amazing... How did I never hear this before? Mr. Mercer is a lyrical genius...

[@jay1jayf]

And if you turned to me like a gull takes to the wind.

[@dylanmassey5597]

great song. it really resonates with me, i've been through something almost exactly like this. see, this is how i see it, the song is about how relatiomships can change you for the worst. "gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth, only i dont know how they got out" this line shows that the singer's feelings towards his surroundings have changed like everyrthing else. "turn me back into the pet i was when we met, i was happier then with no mind set" this means that when they had met and even before that, he was a 'pet'(pet here meaning sweet and innocent). "and if you took to me like a gull taked to the wind, i'd have jumped from my tree and i'd have danced the the king of the eyesores and the rest of our lives would've faired well" this is one of those "should-a would-a could-a" moments. basically its saying that is she had seen their relationship as something liberating and carefree (much like a gull-a type of bird-takes to the wind), then he'd havebeen encuoraged to jump from his tree (the tree being a metaphor for disconnection from the world) and the relationship could have lasted. "new slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries" 'new sland is a metaphor for change, kinda like how as you move through different stages of life you begin to speak differently. 'stripes' and 'the dirt in you fries' are metaphors for all the bad or unlikable things about life that you dont see as a young innocent child. thus the line translates to: you grow older and change when you start to see the bad things in life. then the lyrics go on to say "never should have called, but my heads to the wall and im lonley" this is something i directly relate to. it happens when you know someone is no good for you and you know nothing good will come from contacting them, but you are so lonley and they are the one and only familliar face around so you call anyway. "all the bakers at dawn, they all cut thier thumbs and bleed into thier buns till they melt away" bakers with cut thumbs are useless, bloody buns are useless. this is a metaphor for feeling totally and utterly unwanted and not needed - bad relationships do that to you. "I'm looking in on the good life I might be doomed never to find. Without a trust or flaming fields am I too dumb to refine?" these lyrics are a little more abstract. its obvious the the 'good life he may be doomed never to find' is a life with love. the second pare,however, means that he has no one he trusts and he lust or fire in him. he is asking himself if he should refine, or lower his expectations of love and settle for something he knows he doesnt want just to have love. this isnt a love song, its a song about failed love

[@tonijintabunyat8362]

On repeat!!

[@RicZalewski]

going from Piazzola to this it is just perfect. few will get it :)

[@sevanilani2135]

Hey guys, Vsauce here!

[@jimsmint]

lol

[@BudEightySeven]

ty sir

[@SeriouslyWTFAndre]

2020 wuhan virus quarantine. Thinking of new slang to think of. Timeless performance for this song.

[@roryspeirs6881]

People who have never played the guitar ever: this is beautiful. People who play guitar (even just a wee bit well) : this is fucking insane...

[@cokezero1]

everything else is pretty obvious but what is godspeed all the Bakers at dawn mean

[@cloudyphiz]

I think he's sitting outside the good life looking in, wondering if he may never get there himself, and making a snide remark with a tinge of jealousy towards the people who lead mundane repetitive lives but at least have a routine

[@liamoakham]

Hi Josh! Love you bro :D

[@lillygerty]

wooooow

[@RdandTrk1]

Man, like, I know this is a silly comment and missing the mark because this is such a great song. That said, if Conan did an "If They Mated" with Hugh Jackman and Kevin Spacey, you'd get James Mercer.

[@patricktaylor1]

😂😂😂

[@blueTwl]

is it just me or this song performed alone makes it extra sad?

[@jimsmint]

anyone else get the feeling that James is quite a troubled man? I hope he's ok...

[@droid327]

Looks like Kevin Spacey and sings like Paul Simon :)

[@1980futureclone]

I like this comment.

[@vestorflipsters6491]

adam meredith I like turtles

[@JBird000]

I said the same thing!!! 😄

[@acendubs3281]

:/

[@beckstairs]

It’s so real , emotion from lyrics to our ears , beautiful .

[@joshuasunn007]

It like watching water flow!

[@binzianer]

someone know the chords he plays during the "solo"?

[@zentile]

its a mix of G, C, Am, and F

[@genova3722]

Love

[@genova3722]

Love

[@Teromi]

Guitar players - is he muting the strings on that down stroke to create that raking sound?

[@nicholas1828]

He's palm muting on the downstroke, super cleanly too

[@ChrisTopher09]

Does he not play the F chord with his whole finger?

[@jdk0777]

If time ever travels as slow as a sloth, just turn this song on. Holy fuck.

[@stevenkramer6217]

Isn’t this song written by a band? Where is everyone else?

[@DepthUnchecked]

died

[@arifqureshi4873]

❤

[@jimsmint]

where are the shins?

[@thegorn]

On your lower legs

[@user-hm5hg9jy2t]

garden state anybody?

[@morgenparker-houghton1744]

SO lonily

[@crazyant80able]

Garden state... By Zach Braff

[@moz7777]

It'll change your life.