Tag Archives: be your own pet

My iPod #142: be your own PET – Bummer Time

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The song is not called ‘Blummer Time’*, the person who spelt that is dumb. It is ‘bummer’, to feel down, to be depressed, to be disappointed in something. A bummer.

For today’s post, I’m going to change things up a bit. I will take you through the song, and analyse the lyrics with you. Let’s go.

Bummertime! Bummertime!  – The song’s name is “Bummer Time”
It’s bummertime!
BUMMER!  – Why is it called “Bummer Time”? We don’t know. We’ll see soon.
(x4)

I’d think about you all week long  – She’d think about who?
My mind constantly singing your theme song  – Oh, so it’s like a character in a cartoon or something?
And did you know i looked up to you? – I’ve felt that way people on the TV at some point in my life.
I wanna be just like you! – Like a superhero kind of thing.

No one knows how it was for me – She was a true fan of this person. No one else cared.
No one knows what you meant to me – She loved this person/cartoon? A bit weird.
Everyone talks about it like they were there  – Self explanatory.
All this nostalgia but nobody cares!  – Talking is cheap. Narrator is stunned at people’s ignorance.
Everyone talks about it like they were there
All this nostalgia but nobody cares!  – So stunned, she had to repeat it twice.

I woke up early just for you – Understandable.
I waited all week long for you too – Any child does that if their favourite programme is weekly.
And there you were on my TV – Yep.
It’s like you were there just for me!  – Yeah!

Bummertime! Bummertime! – Still don’t get why there’s a bummer involved.
It’s bummertime! – It is annoying when someone doesn’t appreciate greatness.
BUMMER! – What more could possibly happen?
(x2)

When the time came I’d play along – Like Dora the Explorer? Man, I hate that shit.
I didn’t know that you’d soon be gone – Show got cancelled. Narrator gets older.
And now you’re back what can I say? – Show comes back on TV. Person she admired is older.
I can’t even look at you the same way! – He looks like crap. Narrator is disappointed.

No one knows how it was for me
No one knows what you meant to me
Everyone talks about it like they were there            SHE CARED SO MUCH FOR HIM.
All this nostalgia but nobody cares!                        ALL THOSE TIMES WERE IN VAIN.
Everyone talks about it like they were there
All this nostalgia but nobody cares!

I woke up early just for you!
I waited all week long for you too     PERSON SHE ADMIRED WAS NOTHING SPECIAL.
And there you were on my TV            HER CHILDHOOD WAS A LIE.
It’s like you were there just for me!
BUMMERTIME!                               So that’s why the song’s called “Bummer Time”.

“Bummer Time” is on be your own PET’s second album “Get Awkward”. It’s short and sweet, and totally encapsulates that feeling of disappointment when your favourite TV show returns when you’re older and you can barely look at it in the same way you did with amazement when you were a child.

Life’s a bitch.

Jamie.

09/06/2020* I’m guessing the title on the video was mispelled as ‘Blummer Time’ at the time this blog was originally uploaded. I don’t know, it’s been a while.

My iPod #102: be your own PET – Black Hole

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Well, I never thought that I would ever be locked out of my own house. And yet, I’m typing this to you from my aunt’s house because that is exactly what has happened. My sister has my mum’s key – I didn’t know, my mum didn’t know, my sister didn’t tell my mum, mum and I went out shopping and now I’m here.

It’s fine though. It’s fine. Sometimes you just have to laugh about these things. It’s just another day, that we’ll laugh about in the future. Maybe just me, I don’t know about Mum.

So, the song. “Black Hole” is the second song from be your own PET’s sophomore and final album “Get Awkward” in 2008. During the time between then and their first album, the band’s original drummer left and was eventually replaced by another. I never thought such a small change could affect a band’s sound so much, but it apparently did. The songs on the album had clearer melodies, Jemina Pearl drops her singing-talking-wailing delivery that she used for most tracks on the band’s debut, only using it for some on “Get Awkward”. The band still had the same energy, but there was a clear maturation in their sound.

“Black Hole” is the song for someone who loves violence, hates being bored and loathes the town they reside in because there’s nothing to do. When there is something to do, they always end up repeating the same routine. And this sucks for the person in question. The song’s not on the international release (it’s only found on the UK version) due to ‘controversial lyrics’ and was instead released separately alongside 2 other songs on the “Get Damaged EP”. That’s pretty dumb, if you ask me. Sure, ‘wanna choke myself on a telephone cord’ is a bit rough, but people know that it’s not a cool thing to do. Don’t they?

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #93: be your own PET – Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle

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Ah… the joys of riding a bicycle. Something I can’t relate to seeing as I’ve never owned one. However, it’s an activity that be your own PET profoundly express their fondness in this song, and in just over two minutes.

The band are a force that ought to be recognised according to the track. The sky will turn brown, they’ll change the eye colour of every lady (which could only suggest that some violence may occur), the sleepyheads will wake up due to their presence, they’ll fuck shit up too! All this because they are on their bicycles, because cars are for idiots.

I didn’t even make that paragraph up, those are all lyrics in the song. These are backed up with a very aggressively shouted vocal by lead singer Jemina Pearl and the rest of the band, and a rapid guitar riff capturing the urgency of theme. The instrumental break fools you for a bit, starting off slow like a train pulling out of a station but it then gradually becomes faster and faster before returning back to its normal velocity and in regards to the song, the final verse and chorus.

They’re on two wheels, baby.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #10: be your own PET – Adventure

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I miss be your own PET.

2006 was the year. That’s it. It was the best year. Ever. For me.

I was eleven. Last year of primary school. Arctic Monkeys released their first album, The Strokes had released First Impressions of Earth, Billy Talent released Billy Talent II, The Fratellis, The Killers…….. Muse….. my god. I practically watched MTV2 everyday, there was so much good music at the time.

The first song I heard by be your own PET was ‘Damn Damn Leash’, but that’s for a blog much later in time. But it was ‘Adventure’ that actually managed to get into the UK charts at a place of #36. That’s pretty sick. Barely anything credible would be able to get a spot like that nowadays.

be your own PET was the newest band around. Yeah Yeah Yeahs comparisons were slippin’ n’ slidin’ all over the media. And why not? They both have female lead singers, and they make rockin’ music.

‘Adventure’ was the first single of the band’s debut album, which was very well received by critics. The album itself is not one filled with solos, or intricate guitar playing, (you wouldn’t really expect that from a punk/indie band), but it is definitely one that should be blasted at full volume out of your speakers. Or at least into your ears. All of the songs are able to fit into that category. Screw your neighbours. Just do it.

The video for Adventure is quite weird. That’s what I thought of it when I saw it for the first time. But that is when I decided that Jemina Pearl was fit. So all in all it was fine.

be your own PET split up in 2008 after two albums 😦

But I will remember the band for the good songs that those albums provided, especially in 2006.

Until next time.

Jamie.