Wash Off

Album: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 2 (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Wash Off" is an encouragement to take a break, shake off the cobwebs, and seize the day.

    Stop the clocks, pull up your socks
    Go find a fountain to wash it off


    Much of the lyrical content of the first half of Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 2 is about escaping both from imagined and real threats. This song follows on from "The Runner," which is about persevering despite the troubles we are facing. Singer Yannis Philippakis explained to DIY magazine that "Wash Off" alludes to "trying to find selfish reasons to keep on going and enjoy your life."
  • The song's lyric video, released during the ongoing effects of coronavirus panic, plays off the title by turning the clip into a hand-washing PSA. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that to wash your hands effectively, you must scrub often with soap and water for 20 seconds. The clip shows viewers on a loop the 20 second process necessary to wash your hands properly and rid them of COVID-19.
  • Foals collaborated with the London Contemporary Orchestra to re-record their song in the summer of 2022. They also recorded "Life Is Yours" and "2001" as part of their Apple Music Home Session.

    This reunion was a special one for Foals, as they had previously worked with the LCO on their 2013 album Holy Fire. The band sent their tracks to the co-artistic director and co-principal director of the LCO, Hugh Brunt, who transcribed and interpreted their ideas into various instruments.

    "'Wash Off' has lots of instrumentation on it, so it felt good and it's lyrically apt, Yannis Philippakis said. "We did it in a small studio called The Firepit. We got to work with some amazing engineers, and it was a joy to be working with pro orchestral musicians, and to come up with new ideas on the spot in the room."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Graham Parker

Graham ParkerSongwriter Interviews

When Judd Apatow needed under-appreciated rockers for his Knocked Up sequel, he immediately thought of Parker, who just happened to be getting his band The Rumour back together.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Chris Frantz of Talking Heads

Chris Frantz of Talking HeadsSongwriter Interviews

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz on where the term "new wave" originated, the story of "Naive Melody," and why they never recorded another cover song after "Take Me To The River."

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.