Bait and Switch

“It’s about this hapless man who’s fallen for a girl who’s just way too much for him to handle. Which is such a fucking comic and common thing to have happen, you know; you’ve seen it probably happen with your friends. The guy who ends up dating the stripper, or whatever, and like it’s just classic. Lyrically, it’s sympathetic to this guy who’s just sucked into something; he’s out of his league with his sexual attraction for this woman and her ability to manipulate him, and so on.”

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2012/03/26/magnet-web-exclusive-the-shins-james-mercer-on-the-new-port-of-morrow/

I'd say it's about a plain, ordinary guy who ends up with a wild, bad-girl.

He has his life in a quiet order, but suddenly finds her in the middle of it, unsure of how she got there. He's not sure how he feels about this relationship [his gut (head) and his heart are out of phase]. The "bait and switch" line shows that she might have seemed like a nice girl at first, but then revealed her true self. The "I'll tell her I'll leave if she don't settle down" and "I'm just a simple man, cursed with an honest heart" lines show that he is a shy kind of guy and she has a power over him. Whether he wants it or not, he's stuck in this relationship.

Pretty sure "made of Swiss" should be "bait and switch."

Here are the lyrics as I hear them:

I finally had all my ducks in a row Peace and quiet, a means of subtraction And how she got in, I'm not sure that I know But two weeks on and my spine was in traction My eyes in a basket

My gut in my heart and so out of phase And that kind of girl, she ain't nobody's daughter I'm just not used to these powerful waves She's shining the brass and I'm taking on water What am I to do now?

I call on a beautiful witch With a moral compass, bait and switch

Hide from my psychic derailer Drive this car to sea Spend the night as high as I can in a towering hemlock

But it's no use, it can always be found A creature of habit has no real protection I'll tell her I'll leave if she don't settle down Just easier to lie on closer inspection, like everyone else does

Then rub a terrible charm Hold it smoking in my eyes I'm just a simple man Cursed with an honest heart Watch me go and tear it all apart

Then rub a terrible charm Hold it smoking in my eyes I'm just a simple man Cursed with an honest heart Watch me go and tear it all apart

As for interpretation, it's very straightforward: the narrator, who was just living a simple life, meets a girl who captivates him but disrupts his safe routine in the process. He seems to conclude that he will inevitably go with the girl, despite the consequences.

OK, not a terribly complex theme here. The narrator is yet again falling in love with someone he shouldn't. He knows better, but can't help it.

The first verse is indicating that he'd finally gotten over the last relationship and then BAM, he finds himself in the same situation again, and can't believe it.

The second verse tells us that she's not a "good girl" (nobody's daughter) but he's still drowning in his feelings for her.

The brief chorus is a little more subtle - witches are not traditionally beautiful, nor do they have much of a moral compass. "Bait and switch" is when you lure someone in with the promise of something quality, and then swap it out with garbage once they're committed. Maybe he's wishing he could do this to himself?

The bridge is him spelling out his avoidance tactics.

The following verse is more of the same. He's back in the same old situation, trying the same things to get her to change, but he's not fooling anyone.

In terms of my feeling for the song, it's one of my favorites on the album, mostly because of the fantastic guitar work by Dave Hernandez. I love how he kind of "stumbles" into the guitar solo, and the surf-rock feel of his guitar tone. Great track!!

Going by ear as well, but here's what I think certain lines should/might be:

"I finally had all my ducks in a row" Might be "I finally had 'em like ducks in a row" (the term 'sitting ducks' comes to mind here)

"Peace and quiet a means of subtraction" Might be "Peace and quiet by means of subtraction" (Not a big change, matters little)

"My gut in my heart and so out of phase" Might be "With god in my heart..." (I find this rather strange though, considering a few of the songs on Chutes too Narrow having anti religious or atheistic lines/themes) "I’m just not used to these powerful ways" Becomes "I'm just not used to these powerful -waves-" "What am I going to do now?" Becomes "What am I to do now" (Small change, same meaning. But I'm convinced he sings "to do")

"...The moral compass made of Swiss" Becomes "...with a moral compass; bait and switch" (Hence the song title)

"Spend the night as high as a cannon: a towering hemlock" Becomes "Spend the night as high as I can in a towering hemlock"

"Hold it smoking in my eyes" Might be "Hold smoke in my eye" (Sounds a little more like that, but makes less sense)

"Watch me go and tear it all apart" Might be "Why'd you go and tear it all apart" (Though I personally like your line better. Less... obvious? I like The Shins for not being obvious or predictable with their lyrics)

That's about it. There's only a few I'm fairly certain of though.

And there are a couple lines that I don't quite feel are right, but I haven't got anything better to offer, so... yeah.

A few differences I hear:

"Peace and quiet by means of subtraction" "My gut and my heart are so out of phase" "I'm just not used to these powerful waves" "With a moral compass, bait and switch" and maybe "Why'd she go and tear it all apart?"

This is what I hear folks, some places I'm not sure about.

I finally had all my ducks in a row Peace and quiet by means of subtraction And how she got in?
I mean shouldn’t I know? We’re two weeks on and my spine was in traction My eyes in a basket

My gut and my heart are so out of phase And that kind of girl She ain’t nobody’s daughter I’m just not use to these powerful waves She shined on the brass and I’m taking on water What am I to do now?

I call on a beautiful wish with a moral compass Bait and switch

High from my psychic derailing Drive this car to the sea Spend the night as high as I can in a towering hemlock But it’s no use; it can always be found (?) A creature of habit has no real protection I tell her I’ll leave if she don’t settle down She’s easy to lie on closer inspection (?) Like everyone else does

Then running a terrible charm Hold it smoking my eyes I’m just a simple man Cursed with an honest heart Why’d you go and tear it all apart? Then running a terrible charm (?) Hold it smoking my eyes (?) I’m just a simple man Cursed with an honest heart Why’d you go and tear it all apart?

Sheesh. Mercer enunciates well and it's pretty clear what he's saying.

I finally had all my ducks in a row Peace and quiet by means of subtraction And how she got in, I'm not sure that I know But two weeks on and my spine was in traction My eyes in a basket

My gut and my heart are so out of phase And that kind of girl, she ain't nobody's daughter I'm just not used to these powerful waves She's shining the brass and I'm taking on water What am I to do now?

I call on a beautiful witch With a moral compass, bait and switch

Hide from my psychic derailer Drive this car to sea Spend the night as high as I can in a towering hemlock

But it's no use, it can always be found A creature of habit has no real protection I'll tell her I'll leave if she don't settle down She sees it's a lie on closer inspection, like everyone else does

Then rub a terrible charm Hold it smoking in my eyes I'm just a simple man Cursed with an honest heart Watch me go and tear it all apart

Then rub a terrible charm Hold it smoking in my eye I'm just a simple man Cursed with an honest heart Watch me go and tear it all apart

This reminds me of Turn a Square in sound and subject matter. Seems a little forced, though.

OK, not a terribly complex theme here. The narrator is yet again falling in love with someone he shouldn't. He knows better, but can't help it.

The first verse is indicating that he'd finally gotten over the last relationship and then BAM, he finds himself in the same situation again, and can't believe it.

The second verse tells us that she's not a "good girl" (nobody's daughter) but he's still drowning in his feelings for her.

The brief chorus is a little more subtle - witches are not traditionally beautiful, nor do they have much of a moral compass. "Bait and switch" is when you lure someone in with the promise of something quality, and then swap it out with garbage once they're committed. Maybe he's wishing he could do this to himself?

The bridge is him spelling out his avoidance tactics.

The following verse is more of the same. He's back in the same old situation, trying the same things to get her to change, but he's not fooling anyone.

In terms of my feeling for the song, it's one of my favorites on the album, mostly because of the fantastic guitar work by Dave Hernandez. I love how he kind of "stumbles" into the guitar solo, and the surf-rock feel of his guitar tone. Great track!!