Badges and Badges

2008 interview with Andy Hull:

More on "Badges and Badges", which I absolutely adore. When and where did you write the song, and what is the story behind the lyrics?

Andy: That song is from a record called Money that I wrote in October of 2006, right after our first tour where we made profit. I wrote and recorded it like most of my demos - in my walk-in closet that I share with Chris. The song is about weakness and how it can be magnified during extensive touring. "Don't make a badge and sell it too, mark my S's through and through" - that line refers to selling your own band's t-shirt and the power of the dollar sign. Where the line "I think i found the missing link, with your head inside a kitchen sink" refers to a drunk girl I watched puke in a sink for 3 hours one night on that tour in Florida. Each line represents my own weakness and ability to change without batting an eye.

i thought it might be "your body is a tempting tool"...

its also definitely "stepping stool". um, i think its about someone who gets into a scene that hes not necessarily comfortable with...having sex (hence the "body is a tempting tool" part), partying, watching someone vomit into a kitchen sink... and he thinks "what the hell am i doing here, i wasnt raised like this, im not this kind of person... what have i done?" and he looks to god to help him and forgive him... the lyrics from the knitting factory are a bit different and are more spiritual, asking jesus to deliver him. but thats what i got out of it.

lyrics corrected (or at least what i hear)

Don't make a badge and wear it too So mark my S's through and through Cause I'd buy anything for you And I make my badge and sell it, too.

My voice is finally giving in So I TUNED it down another step So I can hit that note you wept When I play that one note again

THE body is A TEMPTING TOOL An argument on what to do We all know there's a truth to truth So I make my badge and sell it, too.

And I think I found the missing link With your head inside a kitchen sink. Throw up until you cannot drink That's got to be the missing link

So what's a boy or girl to do? I've turned into an epic FOOL I'm man, a myth, a stepping STOOL 'Cause I make my badge and screw it too.

Mmm.

So what's a boy or girl to do? I've turned into an epic FOOL I'm a man, a myth, I'm a stepping STOOL 'Cause I make my badge and SELL it too.

Hallelujah, what have I done? Hallelujah, what have I done?

I think this song is about labeling people.

"Don't make a badge and wear it too." ---- Don't condemn someone for being one way and then act the same way yourself

"Cause I make my badge and screw it too" ---- this may be too literal, but to me it's talking about how the person in the song labeled somebody one way and didn't like them, but then eventually fell in love with them or screwed around with them

i also agree with the idea that the person in the song got into a scene they were not comfortable with---- maybe he started hanging out with people he had previously labeled as bad just not for him

a right away, great captain! song =)

this is definitely a manchester song, not "right away, great captain." its on the "let my pride be what's left behind ep." as far as the meaning, when i saw andy play this, he said its about bands wearing their own merch (don't make a badge and wear it too).

i'm pretty sure it's "i've turned into an epic fool," not an epic flu.

its about what he's seen on his tours, a "badge" is the band t's he saying he wouldn't dream of putting on his own band t-shirt, and the "missing link" and "body is a tempting tool" verses are about girls he has seen on tour, a girl that was drunk and had a little too much fun ending in her puking in a sink