Family and Genus
Family and Genus

Shakey Graves - Family and Genus Lyrics

In the delicate space between connection and isolation, this poetic exploration captures the human condition with raw vulnerability. The lyrics paint a portrait of someone yearning for meaningful connection while simultaneously questioning societal… Read more

Oct 7, 2014
13
Family and Genus Music Video

Family and Genus Lyrics

If
If I
If I ever wander on by
Could
Could you
Flag me down and beg me to
Drop what I'm doing and sit beside you?

So did
Did they
Ditch us and leave us with nothing to say?
Where
Where we
Where we will wait for friends and family
To pass away or come in handy

Oh
Oh, dear
A rotten summer, a rotten whole year
Where
Where we
Wait for to lose our friends and family
To fame and fire, to dame or dandy
To pass away or come in handy

Are you married? (No)
Would you like to be? (No)
Why not?
'Cause I'm not ready to get married
Do you play any musical instruments? (No)
What do you look for in a boy?
Looks
Is that all? (Yes)
Don't you look for personality? (No)
What are your plans for the future?
Uh, I don't have any
You don't have any plans at all?
Would you like to go to college? (No)
Would you like to go to business school? (No)
Do you have a nickname?
Sometimes people call me things I'd rather not say

Writer(s): Alejandro Rose-Garcia
Copyright(s): Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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What is the Meaning of Family and Genus?

In the delicate space between connection and isolation, this poetic exploration captures the human condition with raw vulnerability. The lyrics paint a portrait of someone yearning for meaningful connection while simultaneously questioning societal expectations. Through stuttered, hesitant opening lines ("If/If I/If I ever"), we feel the narrator's uncertainty about relationships and belonging. The recurring theme of waiting for friends and family "to pass away or come in handy" reveals a cynical view of relationships as either temporary or transactional. The second half's interview-style format brilliantly contrasts with the poetic beginning, exposing a person resistant to conventional paths (marriage, education, career) yet unable to articulate alternatives. The respondent's focus on superficial qualities ("Looks") and reluctance to share their nickname suggests someone guarding themselves against judgment while still craving authentic connection. This tension between wanting closeness and fearing commitment resonates throughout, creating a melancholic yet relatable emotional landscape. #HumanConnection #ExpectationsVsReality

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