Portugal.

The Man - Textual Analysis

From their peculiar name to their colorful musical imagery and abstract lyricism,

Portugal. The Man is far from an ordinary band. In order to understand Portugal. The Man, both

formally and conceptually, one must first delve into the band’s history and origin; in order to

understand their history, however, it is important to begin with the life of the founding member,

John Gourley. John Baldwin Gourley was born in 1981 in Willow, Alaska. Gourley’s early

childhood was spent moving around Alaska, at one point staying in a log cabin with no

telephone. His parents instilled in him a fascination with nature and an extremely hard work

ethic. Gourley spent his later childhood exploring the vast Alaskan wilderness with his best

friend, Zach Carothers (​Harmonicait 2016).

Throughout their youths, the two friends were heavily influenced by their parents’ music

tastes. In a 2011 interview with music journal BLANK, Carothers reminisced “We were raised

on everything our parents gave us, so it was a lot of Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin. Also, my

parents listened to a lot of 80s pop. There was just radio then. It was before the Internet, so we

had no idea about the smaller music scene out there” (Bryant 2011). Despite growing up amid

the isolation of Alaska, Gourley and Carothers quickly gained an appreciation for music as a

medium for expressing thoughts and connecting to others; music was essentially the force that

helped them develop a sense of closeness to artists and cultures that they could not experience

first hand. The two discovered themes, ideals, and sentiments that they found to be universal.

At age 15, Gourley dropped out of high school to work construction for his father’s

contracting company. Without a full education or plan for the future, Gourley felt that he was

stuck. His father, who had great influence on his life, ran a contracting company and raced in the
Iditarod every year. It seemed to Gourley that he would be eternally confined to doing hard labor

in Alaska until he was approached by Carothers about a singing position in his emo-punk band,

Anatomy of a Ghost. Gourley had never sung in front of anyone, but his passion for music and

longing for a different life spurred him to pursue this opportunity. Soon, Gourley, Carothers and

the three other members of Anatomy of a Ghost began touring the country and gaining

popularity. In 2004, after a year long tour, the members of Anatomy of a Ghost decided to pursue

their varying artistic visions and break up the band (“Plucked from the Bering Sea”). This left

Gourley to focus entirely on his then side project with Carothers, Portugal. The Man.

From the start, Portugal. The Man was an extremely idealistic and somewhat unfocused

entity. On the topic of the creation of their name, in the previously mentioned 2011 interview

with BLANK, Carothers stated “It’s an interesting name, I guess. It is kind of an alter ego like

Ziggy Stardust and Sgt Pepper. It’s our character to represent us as a band. In picking a country’s

name, it was one name that represents a group of people. It made sense for a while, but we have

regretted it ever since that day” (Bryant 2011). Gourley and Carothers had a seemingly endless

amount of ideas and aspirations, but somewhat intentionally lacked a general focus on what they

wanted to communicate to an audience or accomplish in writing their music. However, they

continued to zealously hurtle further into the world of music.

Together, with Gourley on guitar and vocals and Carothers on the bass, they recruited

three other bandmates hailing from Wasilla, Alaska, and moved to Portland to get serious about

creating new music (Harmonicait 2016). In 2006, Portugal. The Man joined the Portland music

label Fearless Records and released their first studio album, ​Waiter: ‘You Vultures!​ Shortly after,

the band returned in 2007 with the release of their second album ​Church Mouth​. Following the
release of ​Church Mouth​, Gourley decided to pursue his yearning to produce and release his own

music, thus creating an independent record label called Approaching AIRballoons (Heriot 2017).

In 2008, in collaboration with Equal Vision Records, Approaching AIRballoons released

Portugal. The Man’s third studio album,​ Censored Colors​. In the following two years, the band

released two more albums through their independent label: ​Satanic Satanist​ (2009) and ​American

Ghetto​ (2010). At this point, Portugal. The Man had gained an increasingly large international

fan base, but had yet to gain attention from the popular media.

In the later part of 2010, Portugal. The Man was offered a deal to join Atlantic Records,

ending their days as an independent band. With the connections and tools provided to them by

Atlantic Records, the band revamped their style and began looking at their work more

professionally. In 2010, only months after teaming up with Atlantic, Portugal. The Man released

their sixth album,​ In the Mountain in the Cloud​. While they continued to gain critical success

and a cult following, they found that they wished to evolve their sound in order to expand their

audience (Heriot 2017). In the following three years, the band toured and then took time to once

again reflect on their changing sound and ambitions for future work. Teaming up with Danger

Mouse, a reputable hip-hop producer, they released their seventh album, Evil Friends in 2013.

Evil Friends gained the band immediate attention; the songs were universally catchy and

engaging while still applying the band’s original blend of psychedelic rock and a rebellious

spirit. Evil Friends earned the 28th spot the US Billboard 200, as well as making into the top 100

charts in Austria, France, Germany, and Switzerland (Harmonicait 2016).

After an international tour for Evil Friends, Portugal. The Man grappled with questions of

what to do with their recent spike in popularity; the band recognized that for the first time ever,
they had a vast international audience to reach out to. They spent the following three years

working on an album planned to be titled ​Doomin’ and Gloomin’​. However, they continuously

found themselves hitting a brick wall in songwriting. Their original goal was to reach and unite a

universal audience; now that they had accomplished this, the band members felt somewhat

aimless (Heriot 2017). Amid this period of uncertainty, Gourley and Carothers returned home to

Alaska to reunite with their families and their homeland. It was during this stay in Alaska that

Gourley was struck with inspiration.

Upon returning home and explaining the band’s recent creative block, Gourley’s father

merely replied “​What’s taking so long? Just grab your instruments, go into a room, write some

songs.” Gourley’s father later dug out and showed his son his own, original ticket to the 1969

music festival Woodstock. Seeing the ticket, coupled with the earlier conversation with his

father, Gourley formed a vision for a new Portugal. The Man album to be called ​Woodstock

(Levy 2018).The band proceeded to entirely drop their previous idea for album ​Doomin’ and

Gloomin’​ and team up with various artists and producers including Mike D of the Beastie Boys

and Danger Mouse. In 2017, Portugal. The Man released ​Woodstock,​ immediately gaining

international attention and once again gaining the band a spot on the US Billboard 200 as well as

numerous European top 100 charts. The lead single of the album, “Feel It Still,” reached the

fourth spot on the US Billboard Hot 100, gaining Portugal. The Man an immense amount of new

popularity and recognition (Levy 2018).

In this textual criticism of Portugal. The Man and their discography, I will be identifying

continuities, recurring themes, and contradictions among their albums. I will address two songs

from each of their two most integral albums: ​Censored Colors​ and ​Woodstock.​ My criticism will
address recurring themes in their music such as challenging old ideals, rejection of traditional

authority, unity of humans (despite their location or culture), and existence in a sometimes futile

economic system. I will examine the four albums and identify these lyrical themes along with

formal, audible qualities of the albums, and determine the ways that they vary throughout the

albums. Meanwhile, I will identify possible factors in these variances, such as spiritual or

religious influence, musical influence, and a rapidly expanding audience.

Censored Colors​, Portugal. The Man’s third studio album, was released in 2008 by their

record label Approaching AIRballoons in partnership with Equal Vision Records. This album,

running at 53 minutes long, has been described as belonging to a multitude of genres, but it is

​ as a notably
predominantly classified as psychedelic rock or progressive rock. ​Censored Colors w

ambitious project, with the band enlisting the help of twelve other musicians to create a unique

and intricate atmosphere. In addition to Portugal. The Man’s regular arsenal of classic rock

instruments, the album features violin, sitar, organ, harp, cello, and a number of other

instruments (​“Portugal. The Man - Censored Colors,” 2008)​. The album also features various

background vocalists who create a beautiful and sometimes eerie mood. ​Censored Colors i​ s as

ambitious in its thematic content as it is in its musical qualities; it mainly revolves around

growing up in a broken economic and social system, and ways that one can break away from

their seemingly permanent societal restraints. While some songs are lyrically abstract and require

a good deal of analysis, others are straightforward and express their themes explicitly; some

songs contain very descriptive and specific imagery while others are purely idealistic. Both the

lyrical themes and the musical tones of this album are incredibly dynamic, flowing naturally

from heavy to gentle, grounded to ethereal, and blissful to eerie.

 One of the most memorable songs in ​Censored Colors i​ s “Out and In and In and Out.”

Similar to its title, this song has an intentionally recurrent and muddled tone. Beginning with a

distant but quickly building acoustic guitar riff, this track establishes an ominous feel almost

immediately. Next, the vocal track comes in, sounding very close in proximity to the listener.

Background vocals begin to float in and out of earshot, almost resembling a chorus of howling

ghosts. This ominous tone continues to build for most of the of the song, but then dies down into

a quiet and melancholy violin part. The songs ends with a sudden spike in intensity with a heavy

electric guitar solo. In regard to its lyrical content, “Out and In and In and Out” is primarily

about the futility of living as a part of “the system” and being taken advantage of by powerful

institutions. The song begins with “Hear that outside? Go feed the dogs / They're begging,

barking, bashing at their homes / Cold and wet and dirty like the earth / That mashes muddy

molding marching boots.” These lyrics reflect the monotonous and less-than-glorious nature of

attending to responsibilities in everyday life. The next verse begins with “Hear that outside?

They're coming in / They're banging, knocking, shouting at the door / Out and in and in and out

we named / Everything and everyone we've known.” This verse establishes a desperate feeling

and refers to the government invading the privacy of everyday people and violating their rights.

This powerless feeling is amplified in the next verse as Gourley sings “Hear that outside? We

lost our homes / Worth more to us than them so we end / Our lives with backs that strained to

find / A pretty place and life to call our own.” In this verse, Gourley notes the irony in the

government or bank taking somebody’s home in a struggle for money and power, even though

they have a seemingly endless amount. Meanwhile, the ordinary citizens are stripped of the only

possessions that give them life. The song ends with the first verse repeating, signaling a return to
everyday life for everyone else; nothing changes, and nobody knows whether or not they will be

next.

Another key song that appears on ​Censored Colors ​is “And I.” “And I” starts with a

slow-paced and deep organ part which is soon joined by a driven acoustic guitar riff and

atmospheric backing vocals. All of these elements gradually build in intensity until a heavy

electric guitar takes over, accompanied by cello and violin. Both the lead and backing vocals

become increasingly dissonant and chaotic until the song enters a melodic finale with multiple

guitars, cello, organ, and vocals. At the resolution of the song, everything becomes calm; a

serene acoustic guitar riff plays as the synthesizer bleeds out into silence. Just like the song’s

musical structure, the lyrics have a cyclical nature about them. “And I” revolves around the

notion that humanity is essentially connected not only to itself, but also to everything else on

Earth. “We'll be reborn / We’re all the same / And we'll be the colors / That pour through the

streets.” These lyrics reflect Gourley’s view of what happens after death; people’s spirits leave

their former bodies and are repurposed to new life, thus establishing a constant and eternal flow

of energy. Gourley’s message is that everybody is connected through nature, so people are not

entirely different from one another in essence. In the chorus of the song, one line is repeated

multiple times in a row: “Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.” Although simple in its

structure, this chorus is full of meaning. It is a call to begin taking in the energy and life that

surrounds you, and gather with other people to share experiences and connections. The words

“and I” seem to be Gourley’s reassurance that he is only one of many connected humans.

Woodstock​, Portugal. The Man’s eighth studio album, was released in 2017 by Atlantic

Records. This album runs at 38 minutes, which is significantly shorter than any of Portugal. The
Man’s previous albums. The album was produced by Mike D. from the Beastie Boys in

collaboration with Danger Mouse, a well-known producer who has brought hip-hop influence

into the music of many famous artists including The Black Keys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and

Gorillaz. A sizeable production team backed up these two in creating the album. The band’s

intent in making ​Woodstock​ was to focus on spontaneous creation of music and simply enjoying

themselves in the process. Therefore, this album features at least one popular artist on each track,

with some featuring three to four other artists. In contrast to ​Censored Colors​, which featured a

multitude of artists playing their parts in the general atmosphere of the album, ​Woodstock g​ ives

more attention to the featured artists and their own parts in the songs. Given all these factors,

Woodstock ​presents a vastly different sound for Portugal. The Man than their previous albums.

This album derives a large amount of pop and hip-hop influence; it is beat-driven and focuses

less on any classic rock instruments played by the band. The songs are more mechanically

structured, with recurring, dance-oriented choruses. In contrast to ​Censored Colors,​ the songs in

Woodstock ​are less dynamic in their styles and moods. ​Woodstock ​is primarily about the band’s

progress into their newfound fame, and connecting with others along the way.

“Feel It Still” is the most popular song on ​Woodstock,​ garnering success on the charts in

multiple countries. This song begins with a short, repeating riff on the bass guitar, which is soon

accompanied by snaps in the background. When the clear and highly produced vocals come in,

the bass guitar is replaced by a thick electronic beat. This repeats for the rest of the short song,

running at two minutes and 38 seconds. The chorus goes “Ooh woo, I'm a rebel just for kicks,

now / I've been feeling it since 1966, now / Might be over now, but I feel it still,” with Gourley

later replacing the second line with “Let me kick it like it’s 1986.” This song is a celebration of
the undying rebellious and lively spirit that the band prides itself on. The line “I’ve been feeling

it since 1966” is intentionally ironic in that none of the band members were even alive in 1966.

However, they have always derived a great deal of influence from the 1960s and continue to

carry the spirit that was alive in that era.

“Live in the Moment” is another largely popular and significant song that appears on

Woodstock​. This song was co-written by John Hill and Ammar Malik, featuring Ammar Malik

on vocals with Gourley. “Live in the Moment” is perhaps the most pop-influenced song on this

album, featuring bright and eclectic sounding guitar played through an electronic filter. This is

accompanied by a synthesizer and heavily autotuned vocals throughout the song. “Live in the

Moment” resembles new-age disco music and is undoubtedly geared towards being played in a

dance club. In the first verse, Gourley and Malik sing “​When I was young, always gold below

the midnight sun / Those days are done, but I'm still glowing.” These lines refer to the

preservation of a “young soul” in people are aging. They acknowledge that they do not have the

unbounded energy that they once had, but they remain spirited and lively, nonetheless. The

chorus of the song goes “Let's live in the moment / ​Come back Sunday morning / Oh my, oh

well.” This reinforces the song’s tone of taking advantage of opportunities and “going with the

flow.”

There is clearly a vast contrast between Portugal. The Man’s early work, such as

Censored Colors,​ and their newer work, such as ​Woodstock​. While ​Censored Colors ​is heavily

influenced by early psychedelic rock, ​Woodstock t​ akes on more modern feel with pop and

hip-hop influence, as well as electronic means of production. While ​Censored Colors ​is

extremely dynamic and covers a vast array of societal issues and beliefs, ​Woodstock i​ s more
centrally focused on enjoying the company of those around you and maintaining a volatile

attitude throughout life. It is apparent that Portugal. The Man’s spike in popularity had influence

on their changing music. Their focus has now been broadened as their current music is more

widely appealing to a broader audience; the musical style converges on today’s pop music, while

the lyrics are less specific about the issues and more widely available for people to connect to

them. In reference to ​Woodstock​, Gourley said in an interview with Last.FM ​"We worked with

so many rad people on this album - trying to write music that would help people feel they're not

alone, even if they're angry or feeling lost.” ​It is understandable for old fans of Portugal. The

Man to be less than ecstatic about the band’s new music; there has been criticism that they

abandoned their old ideals and passions to gain popularity and money. However, there is

certainly merit to the band’s new objective of reaching the masses and uniting people. This poses

the question: has Portugal. The Man sold out, or are they doing what they set out to do from the

beginning?
 Bibliography

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Levy, Joe. “How Portugal. The Man Finally Cracked the Top 10 With 'Feel It Still'.” ​Rolling
Stone,​
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www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/portugal-the-man-rocks-surprise-heroes-2
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Heriot, Maclay. “With a Timely New Album on the Way,

Portugal. The Man Plays Aspen.” ​Aspen Times,​ 19 Mar. 2017,
www.aspentimes.com/entertainment/with-a-timely-new-album-on-the-way-portugal-the-
man-plays-aspen/​.

“Plucked from the Bering Sea.” ​TheWaster.com,​

www.thewaster.com/interview/portugal-the-man-plucked-from-the-bering-sea/​.

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www.discogs.com/Portugal-The-Man-Censored-Colors/master/35173​.

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