Aberdeen by Cage the Elephant

Album: Thank You, Happy Birthday (2011)

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This bass driven tune is a track from American rock band Cage the Elephant's second album, Thank You, Happy Birthday. The song, along with much of the rest of the album, reflects lead singer Matt Shultz's difficulties in growing up whilst in a rock 'n' roll band. He told Spinner: "After really trying to control everything in my life, it just unraveled before my eyes. I had a huge hypocrisy in my own world. A lot of the songs are written about that, discovering that."

"I had this personal revelation," he added. "I'd continue to see myself go back to the same thing that enslaved my life; over and over, putting my hands in the fire, even after I realized what I was doing to myself and the people around me."
This song didn't get written straight away and required three days of agonizing work. When the band slowed down the chorus, the tune finally clicked and a lesson was learnt. "It was definitely realizing you don't always have control of a situation," said Shultz. "If you want to make something you love it doesn't always happen the first time around."
The Aberdeen in this song refers to the city in Scotland, not the one in Washington State famous as being the hometown of Kurt Cobain. "We had a rehearsal and for some reason I kept singing that," Matt Shultz said in a Reddit AMA.

Comments: 3

Anonymous@ Cole from Suwanee, it's not even about "outward appearances" though. That's important to understand, from a philosophical point. It's about the dragons very Inherent NATURE of being a "monster." Destructive and everything it touches turns to s--t. It's not intentionally malevolent or "bad" yet it causes harm and destruction everywhere. It just wants to be understood and loved like everyone else, but never will.

I always loved the band, song and yes video, even though it's depressing.

Watched the video again for the first time in many yrs and it's now reminding me of someone who I love very much, who also happens to be very sick. It's extremely poignant for an animated music vid.
Jon from AberdeenThe name doesn't come from Washington, it comes from Aberdeen, Scotland after Matt Shultz couldn't stop saying the city's name while rehearsing there.

It's kinda a local pride point for us.
Cole from Suwanee, GaKina of a depressing video if you think about it. Trying to be friends but you cant because of your outer appearnce to people

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