I quietly tied all my guts into knots
Gave up on trying to make 'em
I figured it'd take 'em too long to look up and besides
It was undeniably clear to me
I don't know why
When every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters
I knew the worthless dregs we've always been
Lucked out, found my favorite record
Lying in wait at the Birmingham Mall
The songs that I heard, the occasional book were the only fun I ever took
And I got on with making myself
The trick is just making yourself
But when they're parking their cars on your chest
You've still got a view of the summer sky
To make it hurt twice when your restless body caves to its whims
And suddenly struggles to take flight
Three thousand miles northeast
I left all my friends at the morning bus stop shaking their heads
"What kind of life do you dream of? You're allergic to love!"
Yes, I know but I must say in my own defense
It's been undeniably clear to me, I don't know why
When every other part of life seemed locked behind shutters
I knew the worthless dregs we are, the selfless, loving saints we are
The melting, sliding dice we've always been
The Shins is an American indie rock band formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1996. The band is the project of singer-songwriter James Mercer, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The band's current line-up consists of Mercer, alongside Yuuki Matthews (bass, keyboards), Mark Watrous (guitar, keyboards, lap steel), Patti King (keyboards), and Jon Sortland (drums). They are based in Portland, Oregon.
The band was formed by Mercer as a side project to Flake Music, who were active from 1992 to 1999. Flake Music released two 7-inch singles and a full-length album, When You Land Here It's Time to Return, on Omnibus Records and were touring with Modest Mouse when the Shins became signed to Sub Pop Records. The Shins' first two records, Oh, Inverted World (2001) and Chutes Too Narrow (2003), performed well commercially and received critical acclaim. The single "New Slang" brought the band to mainstream attention when it was featured in the 2004 film Garden State. Consequently, the band's third album, Wincing the Night Away (2007), was a major success for the group, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 and earning a Grammy Award nomination.
Following this, the Shins signed to Columbia Records and Mercer parted ways with the entire original lineup, deeming it "an aesthetic decision". Following a near five-year hiatus, Port of Morrow, the band's fourth studio album, was released in 2012. Their fifth album, Heartworms, was released in March 2017.
