10,000 Claps

*rubbing my stones

Sounds like the song is narrated by someone who is weary of touring and being on the road. More generally, the lyrics speak of being bored with life and the superficial novelties of a well-established routine, to the point of wanting to die. Better to die (go home) than become a crazy cat lady (or artist) who only watches time pass - I'm not sure if that is Phantogram intended for this song but that's what I get out of it lol.

This song sounds like this artist is crying for help. A slave to the music industry making the power rich (10,000 claps). People blindly worshiping a false idol, she calls her fans ''rats'' all waiting in line and she can care less. And yet, she is miserable and going to end up alone (10,000 cats referring to the old lady who lives alone with cats). She is a slave to the music industry, slaving her life away, and as time is passing by (seasonal change, stars rearrange), so is her joy of possibly being able to live a real meaningful life.

Well this is what happens when you sell your soul to the devil. This is a cry for help. I heard her other songs...and its just so sad. I cant believe people still choose to romanticize this song into something that is not.

The song was released on February 9, 2010, as part of the album “Eyelid Movies.” According to the band, the lyrics are open to interpretation, with both members of the group offering slightly different views on the matter. In an interview with “Ladygunn,” when asked, “Is this song a reflection on being tired and on the road touring?”, Sarah stated that the lyrics were written before they had played any shows and before anything else. This leaves the theme of desolation and loneliness during the creation of the album "in the middle of nowhere" as the main theme of the song.

The first couplet, in general, conveys a positive feeling associated with creating a new album, with "10,000 claps" serving as an allegory for the 10,000 beats that compose the entire album. This is then compared to "10,000 cats" to reinforce the positive feeling of creation. However, the lengthy process required to create an album and the hyper-focus on a task can lead to dissociation, where any social interaction is perceived as bothersome.

The second couplet is dedicated to the anxiety surrounding the release of a new album, with the author anticipating many challenges and meaningless tasks in comparison to process of song creation, along with the presence of dishonest people. As Josh Carter stated in an interview: "I kind of imagined a woman accepting an award at a pageant and all these phony people clapping for her. It’s all just full of shit."

The final couplet expresses a yearning for the release of tension and stress associated with writing a new album, and a longing for home and a normal life after a prolonged period of isolation.

Despite understanding the meaning and feeling that the group infused into the song, I prefer to interpret it as a song from the perspective of a deceased person who has been placed in a grave, leaving their significant other to mourn.

In this interpretation, the song depicts a funeral where attendees only vocalize fond memories during the procession, despite not genuinely caring about the person. And the only one who truly cared—the significant other—remains alone in a "parallel" world, mourning the dead each year without the ability to bring them back home.

[Edit: Grammar]