Avant Gardener

Album: The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song about a slacker who has a severe allergic reaction while cleaning up her yard was penned by Barnett on the beach. She told NME: "As a song I was really proud of it. But I thought everyone would hate it! Just because, aw, it's a really stupid song. It's so long and has no chorus and it's not catchy, you know?"
  • The lyrics of this half-spoken song describe an event that actually happened. Barnett was feeling ambitious one day and decided to do some gardening. It went horribly wrong when she started having trouble breathing. An ambulance was called and she ended up in the hospital. She explained to Uncut magazine: "'Avant Gardener' is all true, apart from the adrenaline into the heart, like in Pulp Fiction. I just got adrenaline in the top of the thigh... But in the heart sounded so much more exciting."
  • Although this song recounts a real experience, Barnett does it with a sardonic wink, as it expresses that feeling you get when you finally find ambition and it fails miserably, making you wonder if you're better off staying in your comfort zone.
  • The music video quickly got over a million views on YouTube and led to an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The video is a non sequitur, with Barnett playing an awkward match of tennis with her band.

Comments: 1

  • Slug from TaiwanIt's not about a panic attack, it's about a severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock) to something while gardening. Hence the reference to anaphylactic and adrenaline (which is used to treat Anaphylaxis). The song is based on a severe asthma attack the writer had experienced, not a panic attack.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Which Songs are About Drugs?

Which Songs are About Drugs?Fact or Fiction

"25 or 6 to 4" to "Semi-Charmed Life" - see if you can spot the songs that are really about drugs.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Famous Singers' First Films

Famous Singers' First FilmsSong Writing

A look at the good (Diana Ross, Eminem), the bad (Madonna, Bob Dylan) and the peculiar (David Bowie, Michael Jackson) film debuts of superstar singers.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.