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The Shins — Caring Is Creepy
Album: Oh, Inverted World
Avg rating:
7.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2196









Released: 2001
Length: 3:14
Plays (last 30 days): 2
I think I'll go home and mull this over
Before I cram it down my throat
At long last it's crashed, its colossal mass
Has broken up into bits in my moat

Rip the mattress off the floor
Walk the cramps off, go meander in the cold
Hail to your dark skin, hiding the fact you're dead again
Underneath the power lines seeking shade

Far above our heads
Are the icy heights that contain all reason

It's a luscious mix of words and tricks
That let us bet when you know we should've fold
On rocks I dreamt of where we'd stepped
And of the whole mess of roads we're now on

Hold your glass up, hold it in
Never betray the way you've always known it is
One day I'll be wondering how I got so old just wondering how
Never got cold wearing nothing in the snow

This is way beyond
My remote concern of being condescending
All these squawking birds won't quit
Building nothing, laying bricks

Hold your glass up, hold it in
Never betray the way you've always known it is
One day I'll be wondering how I got so old just wondering how
Never got cold wearing nothing in the snow

This is way beyond
My remote concern of being condescending
All these squawking birds won't quit
Building nothing, laying bricks
Comments (191)add comment
 a_genuine_find wrote:

Agreed. We saw them at the Capital in Port Chester.

Did they break into 'American Girl' in the middle of an encore performance of 'Sleeping Lessons' in your show too?

Fantastic performance.

Mercer's words lay bare a beautiful soul that I relate too


The cap!!!
 Rick_V wrote:

Wish all pop music was this good.


This is pop?
Just came across this live version. I enjoyed it very much. Hope you do too :)
These guys are special. 
 Rick_V wrote:
Wish all pop music was this good.
 
Wish all people considered Pop music as this kinda stuff :) Cause I do too
 Businessgypsy wrote:
What do you get when you combine Albuquerque weirdness with Portland weirdness? Wonderfully weird Shins!
 
I can't believe I've listened to The Shins for so long, and just today found out they're from Albuquerque (where I lived for the past 6 years)! #themoreyouknow
The Shins würde ich ohne RP wohl nicht kennen. Habe mir schon ein paar LPs gekauft und alle sind klasse. Das gleiche trifft auch z.B. auf Spoon zu.

Greetings from Bavaria to all the listeners outside
Great band. Excellent album.
{#Music}
It's very good to look back on this great record that,  if it hadn't broke through, would have been the end of Mercer and the Shins.
 agd3 wrote:
Bill, Lots of comments tonight.  If you are there in person DJing, delete my comment and tell us a radio story from the 60'S or 70s.  

 
I third that. Bill, your banter is always interesting and always leaves me wanting more.
(Do that on purpose?)
 rlr511 wrote:
saw them live this past weekend.  AMAZING!

 
Agreed. We saw them at the Capital in Port Chester.

Did they break into 'American Girl' in the middle of an encore performance of 'Sleeping Lessons' in your show too?

Fantastic performance.

Mercer's words lay bare a beautiful soul that I relate too
saw them live this past weekend.  AMAZING!
I sure do appreciate the big impact they've made on the music scene, from this record, and when I saw them in '08, to their newer stuff!
In the 15 years I have been listening to RP, this song stands out as one of the constants across all of that time.
I'm not sure I've ever heard a song by this band that I didn't like.
 agd3 wrote:
Bill, Lots of comments tonight.  If you are there in person DJing, delete my comment and tell us a radio story from the 60'S or 70s.  

  
Skydog wrote:

I second that request

 
Bill?
 agd3 wrote:
Bill, Lots of comments tonight.  If you are there in person DJing, delete my comment and tell us a radio story from the 60'S or 70s.  

 
I second that request
Interesting to hear his early voice and compare it to later singing.  He has clearly extended his vocal range and developed his style - a good thing in my estimation because so many singers think that the less they try the better they must be (Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bono etc.).
James Mercer is The Shins at the end of the day.  Kinda like anything Jack White is involved with, IMHO. 
Bill, Lots of comments tonight.  If you are there in person DJing, delete my comment and tell us a radio story from the 60'S or 70s.  
I knew how amazing these guys were before Zach Braff and this was the song that did it for me. 
Bumped it from 7 to 8. The song has really grown on me!
 rluking wrote:
 Sasha2001 wrote:

It's been weird watching the new band members, all much younger than Mercer, interact awkwardly with their boss. He should have changed the name to James Mercer and The Shins. That said, the new band is more versatile and tighter IMHO.

 
 Interesting....care to elaborate?

 
No he doesn't care, he's not some creepy weirdo.
 Sasha2001 wrote:

It's been weird watching the new band members, all much younger than Mercer, interact awkwardly with their boss. He should have changed the name to James Mercer and The Shins. That said, the new band is more versatile and tighter IMHO.

 
 Interesting....care to elaborate?
10 for me too 
 
 Rick_V wrote:
Wish all pop music was this good.

 
Me too
 MinMan wrote:
 lily34 wrote:
caring is definitely creepy to me today. but i do like this song.
Maybe caring is less creepy when you don't give a damn about the needs of the rest of your band mates.

 
It's been weird watching the new band members, all much younger than Mercer, interact awkwardly with their boss. He should have changed the name to James Mercer and The Shins. That said, the new band is more versatile and tighter IMHO.
{#Heartkiss}  fab pop song 8>9 {#Kiss}

10+10+10

POP at it's BEST!


Wish all pop music was this good.
FOR ME A 10!
 MinMan wrote:
 Maybe caring is less creepy when you don't give a damn about the needs of the rest of your band mates.
 
Ha!  Too true!
 lily34 wrote:
caring is definitely creepy to me today. but i do like this song.
Maybe caring is less creepy when you don't give a damn about the needs of the rest of your band mates.
Not my favorite Shins album but there are some gems nonetheless - like this one {#Bounce}
First track of their first album. What followed was a revelation for me. The Shins indeed did change my life. Well at least a bit.
truly love this band! run to turn them up every time :-)
 
caring is definitely creepy to me today. but i do like this song.
 dc_zee wrote:
Can't trust my ears and imagination sometimes; apparently 'Old King's swallows let me in..." is really "All these squawking birds won't quit."  

Of course, I was the girl that thought "You and me endlessly groovin'...'" was 'You, and Me, and Leslie...grooving... on a Sunday afternoon".  (At the time this was a vaguely unsettling, yet intriguing lyric to my tween mind.) 
 
You mean its not, "You and me and Leslie?"  I always pictured a summer picnic in a beautiful park with Mom, Dad, and little Leslie - their daughter. 

Need to flush out my headgear. . .

WONDERFUL!
I've heard they finally have a new album coming out in March!
Can't trust my ears and imagination sometimes; apparently 'Old King's swallows let me in..." is really "All these squawking birds won't quit."  

Of course, I was the girl that thought "You and me endlessly groovin'...'" was 'You, and Me, and Leslie...grooving... on a Sunday afternoon".  (At the time this was a vaguely unsettling, yet intriguing lyric to my tween mind.) 
This song never gets old.  I love RP, too.  Great mixing, Bill.
This is one of the first tunes I ever heard on RP several years ago. I knew right then that I had found a good home.
the shins
 Stingray wrote:
WOOOW - SOOOO WONDERFUL!

so-so wonderful!!!
 

Why don't you give it a 10 then?
What do you get when you combine Albuquerque weirdness with Portland weirdness? Wonderfully weird Shins!
 peter_james_bond wrote:
This good band gets a lot of air play on Radio Paradise. Could it be because RP is a real Shindig? {#Mrgreen}

 
You're gonna end up with a Shiner making puns like that.

By the way...yay.  Gotta get my 2 or 3 Shins songs per day. 

WOOOW - SOOOO WONDERFUL!

so-so wonderful!!!
Some of the best live performances I've ever seen. Fantastic musicianship.
 smdeeg wrote:
I wonder how many songs from the Garden State soundtrack have been played in the last day or so. I know I've heard several. Speaks very well for it (the soundtrack that is).
 
"Garden State" really IS a good soundtrack, innit?  Which reminds me - I need to put it back into rotation in my vehicle...

I like The Shins (glad I have two of them, or I'd never find that table edge!)
{#Roflol}
I usually don't weigh in with "I think it sounds like ..." comments because so much music is derivative or inspired by other stuff (not saying that's a bad thing all), but in this case this song is really reminding me of something, and I think it's Twin Peaks.  Anybody else hearing it, or is it just me? {#Ask}

So these are the Shins, eh?  Have heard this song previously on RP but was probably too distracted to look up.

I don't see the similarity to Porcupine Tree except the shifting time signatures, use of synthesizer, harmonies.


 peter_james_bond wrote:
This good band gets a lot of air play on Radio Paradise. Could it be because RP is a real Shindig? {#Mrgreen}

 
No! Geddoutahere!! ;)

This good band gets a lot of air play on Radio Paradise. Could it be because RP is a real Shindig? {#Mrgreen}

This is a great song.
bubb1971 wrote:
I have this CD and only on this song do I hear this but as crazy as it may seem to say this, during the verse "Hold your glass up, hod it in" the strain in the signers voice reminds me of early Ozzy.

Even crazier, I've spent the last five minutes scratching my head trying to think of what early obscure early 70s
record  that the voice reminded me of and it wasn't Ozzy, it was Roy Wood's singing off the first ELO record.
Anyone with me on this ?

anyone ??

I like the Shins, but I'm not overly fond of this song.  "New Slang" and "Chutes Too Narrow" are far more interesting, IMHO.
Only an 8? Gotta bump this one... coolest song they've done..
Oh yes. Absolutely. More Shins, please!
Saw them last year at the Ryman in Nashville and they just exuded joy and made us all crazy. Delightful, inventive, gorgeous.
treepop wrote:
mmmmm the shins....mmmmmm yummy

Yees, very YUMMY!


mmmmm the shins....mmmmmm yummy
You mean New Slang {#Wink}

this song really did change my life

GREAT!
this song really did change my life thank you also, I automatically hear Zero 7 at the end of this
meydele wrote:
Wow. I quite liked it. In fact I liked it so much I bought it. And I thank Zach Braff for introducing me to The Shins, which I would never have discovered without him, since I live in the ass-end of nowhere.
i didn't care for it much. hey braff, "it says balls on your face". no amount of washing will get rid of it, don't try.
I wonder how many songs from the Garden State soundtrack have been played in the last day or so. I know I've heard several. Speaks very well for it (the soundtrack that is).
The Shins produce the best blend of melody and lyrics I've heard in a long time. Not so much in this song, but still love 'em: It's a luscious mix of words and tricks That let us bet when you know we should fold On rocks I dreamt of where we'd stepped And all the whole mess of roads we're now on.
That song title is just hilarious.
In my small corner of the world, I do think The Shins are one of the finest bands I've heard on the planet these days; thanks to RP I bought all 3 discs.
meydele wrote:
Wow. I quite liked it. In fact I liked it so much I bought it. And I thank Zach Braff for introducing me to The Shins, which I would never have discovered without him, since I live in the ass-end of nowhere.
I agree....
Geo_orc1 wrote:
I like this song. It's just that I strongly dislike the emo-itude of Zach Braff and his self indulgent movie Garden State.
Wow. I quite liked it. In fact I liked it so much I bought it. And I thank Zach Braff for introducing me to The Shins, which I would never have discovered without him, since I live in the ass-end of nowhere.
Geo_orc1 wrote:
I like this song. It's just that I strongly dislike the emo-itude of Zach Braff and his self indulgent movie Garden State.
Thank you, ever so kindly, to the world that I got into this band before Garden State. Sure, New Slang reminds me of Natalie Portman in a helmet, but Caring is Creepy has no such association. Woo. Bill should play some Sea and Cake. Maybe I should figure to suggest some on the review channel.
I like this song. It's just that I strongly dislike the emo-itude of Zach Braff and his self indulgent movie Garden State.
It's an okay song but it's gotten awfully overplayed by now.
A perfect pop song. These guys know how to write great tunes.
I breathed an actual sigh of relief to hear a Shins tune that was not off the most recent album (not that there's anything wrong with that one).
closemindedmoron wrote:
there are 8 other people like me that rated this crap a 1 for being sucko barfo!
...and 277 that rated it 8 or higher. Sounds about right :-)
Frankly I'm baffled by some of the comments I see in here. The Shins haven't put out a bad record yet. They opened for Belle & Sebastian at the Hollywood Bowl and it was a terrific set. Great sense of humor as they played to a not-quite-full house. It was really an intimate set for such a large venue. The new record seems a little overproduced to me, but I've only given it one spin so far.
I like the Shins, but I have to try really hard to find a song here. I find their songs wildly uneven regarding quality. I cannot listen to any of their albums through from start to finish, for example.
I have this CD and only on this song do I hear this but as crazy as it may seem to say this, during the verse "Hold your glass up, hod it in" the strain in the signers voice reminds me of early Ozzy.
meydele wrote:
Love this song, loved Garden State.
As do I. Oh, good, Frou Frou. This soundtrack rocks.
Love this song, loved Garden State.
Irresistably catchy. What's not to like? Reminds me of early Simon & Garfunkle. As for Garden State, I give it a thumbs up. Speaking of S&G and Garden State, "The Only Living Boy in New York" (another great song) is also on the soundtrack.
dbenwen wrote:
I hear you. It is, however, nice to be at shows like the recent Camper Van Beethoven reunion tour stops where everyone was within 5 years of each other (like 35-40). No slam dancing kids. I passed a milestone lately. I actually had a teenager yell "F@*k you, old man!" at me. I'm 35.
Ouch, I am 35 too.
Buzzardcheater wrote:
I saw the Shins at the Austin City Limits festival two days ago. They struck me as solid and entertaining. But nothing phenomenal. What amazed me was the size of the crowd they pulled over to their stage. HUGE amalgamation of people 98% of whom were significantly younger than me... Seems like I'm seeing that "age gap" more and more these days. Sigh.
I hear you. It is, however, nice to be at shows like the recent Camper Van Beethoven reunion tour stops where everyone was within 5 years of each other (like 35-40). No slam dancing kids. I passed a milestone lately. I actually had a teenager yell "F@*k you, old man!" at me. I'm 35.
I saw the Shins at the Austin City Limits festival two days ago. They struck me as solid and entertaining. But nothing phenomenal. What amazed me was the size of the crowd they pulled over to their stage. HUGE amalgamation of people 98% of whom were significantly younger than me... Seems like I'm seeing that "age gap" more and more these days. Sigh.
This is pretty cool - anyone heard the album? Any thoughts?
just saw these guys saturday at austin city limits. great show/great time.
slartibart_O wrote:
What the hell did he say?
It was damn funny.
My fav Shins song.
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
I've got some great bootlegs I made on a wire recorder around here somewhere. Backstage at the circus, the calliope tuner was just riffing in time with a gang of gandy dancers working on the B&O. I wonder if I can get those onto my iPod... **** Last April I had a choice between seeing the Shins or the Wedding Present. Sounds like I made the right decision... WP was great.
What the hell did he say?
tony620d wrote:
Garden State, anyone seen it? thumbs up or down?
Well I rather enjoyed it, but you need to talk to OptimusPrime10 down there. He'll tell you what you like. Any conflicting opinion you might have is, according to him, mere delusion. Just check out his entry for Kronos Quartet - Lux Aeterna: (click here)
tony620d wrote:
Garden State, anyone seen it? thumbs up or down?
thumbs sideways... i guess it's worth seeing, but it's nothing too spectacular.
tony620d wrote:
Garden State, anyone seen it? thumbs up or down?
Worth the rental, quirky characters. ***
Garden State, anyone seen it? thumbs up or down?
meloman wrote:
This is the only song I've ever heard by the Shins, and for the life of me I can't understand what the attraction is. It's a very grating and irritating song.
In my opinion, this isn't one of the Shins best songs. I would try listening to some of their other songs like New Slang. Try giving them another chance.
"It's a luscious mix of words and tricks That let us bet when you know we should fold On rocks I dreamt of where we'd stepped And all the whole mess of roads we're now on. Hold your glass up, hold it in Never betray the way you've always known it is. One day I'll be wondering how I got so old just wondering how I never got cold wearing nothing in the snow" For those of you in disbelief about the popularity of the Shins I think the lyrics are one of the things that really make them stand out. Mercer's writing seems to accomplish strange, poetic, quirky, and beautiful all at the same time. Although the production of this record is less than stellar(and many of us are used to very overproduced records) if you can listen past that you'll hear some unique and ingenious little songs.
zinzarin wrote:
Best song from the Garden State soundtrack. Awesome!!!
That is the only place I have heard them. Is this CD good?
zinzarin wrote:
Best song from the Garden State soundtrack. Awesome!!!
all the songs are great on that soundtrack.
Granada wrote:
I like her voice. But... does'nt reach for a 7. 6
i'm sure if james mercer read that, he'd be all "waaaa? her voice? i'm all man, lady!"
Thought this was The New Pornographers at first. Except not as tight. Still enjoyable, though..
Granada wrote:
I like her voice. But... does'nt reach for a 7. 6
Her?? Am I missing something!?
Great great album.
Actually a great album overall, and worth a listen imo.
I like her voice. But... does'nt reach for a 7. 6
meloman wrote:
This is the only song I've ever heard by the Shins, and for the life of me I can't understand what the attraction is. It's a very grating and irritating song.
I would suggest listening to other songs by the Shins. This is definitely not my favorite song, but most of their stuff is amazing.
LLMikeJ wrote:
well, you won't be surprised at what they sound like live. i'm sure all of us here have been disappointed that some band sounded like crap compared to their cd. or cassete, or 8-track, or vinyl. or wax cylinder.
I've got some great bootlegs I made on a wire recorder around here somewhere. Backstage at the circus, the calliope tuner was just riffing in time with a gang of gandy dancers working on the B&O. I wonder if I can get those onto my iPod... **** Last April I had a choice between seeing the Shins or the Wedding Present. Sounds like I made the right decision... WP was great.
UltraNurd wrote:
Ow. I usually don't get bothered by voices, but there's something about the mix of this one and the cymbals that makes my ears cry.
Yeah, I'm not sure what it is, but every time I hear things song, I just feel like writing and recording it was a bad idea.
This is the only song I've ever heard by the Shins, and for the life of me I can't understand what the attraction is. It's a very grating and irritating song.
SigmaBetaTooth wrote:
The production is rather 1/2
well, you won't be surprised at what they sound like live. i'm sure all of us here have been disappointed that some band sounded like crap compared to their cd. or cassete, or 8-track, or vinyl. or wax cylinder.
Best song from the Garden State soundtrack. Awesome!!!
Despite the production quality, it is a good song. Solid 7.
I have gotten cold wearing nothing in the snow.
SigmaBetaTooth wrote:
The production is rather 1/2
A+ for use of emoticon...
SigmaBetaTooth wrote:
The production is rather 1/2
I like that about it. Hits you like a wall.
I thought Garden State was overrated and a bit too precious, but I still find in hard to change the channel whenever I happen upon it. Sort of sums up my feelings on the Shins, too. Guess I should preach what I practice. Bump this one to an 8.
The production is rather 1/2
BooKitty wrote:
Sounds like it was produced with Fisher Price's "My first recording studio".
Ow. I usually don't get bothered by voices, but there's something about the mix of this one and the cymbals that makes my ears cry.
BooKitty wrote:
Sounds like it was produced with Fisher Price's "My first recording studio".
Agreed.
Sounds like it was produced with Fisher Price's "My first recording studio".