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The Meaning of MJ Lenderman’s “Wristwatch”
Published: November 18, 2024

Perhaps the strongest song on MJ Lenderman’s near-universally-acclaimed 2024 album Manning Fireworks is “Wristwatch”. The whole album is excellent, showcasing the best of current-day indie songwriting and speaking to disenchanted youth like the classics. “Wristwatch” is special because of the lyrical element that makes it a sign of the times, as much as it is also about a failed relationship.

Manning Fireworks is the fourth studio album from the Asheville, NC-born MJ Lenderman, with a handful of EPs and a live album also out in the world. He also plays guitar in the rock band, Wednesday. This album represents a breakout moment for the songwriter, who has been known among indie circles for quite some time but is now getting mainstream attention.

This article explores the lyrics to “Wristwatch” and their meaning. Let’s get right into it.

MJ Lenderman – “Wristwatch” (2024)

“Wristwatch” Lyrics Meaning

The lyrics are straightforward, with just two verses, each containing a refrain that circles back around to the image of a wristwatch. In this case, he is referring to a smartwatch, as you’ll hear in the lyrics.

Verse One

So you say I’ve got a funny face
It makes me money
So you say I’ve wasted my life away
Well
I got a beach home up in Buffalo
And a wristwatch that’s
A compass and a cell phone
And a wristwatch that
Tells me you’re all alone

The track opens with an immediate reference to Quiet Riot’s 1983 hit, “Cum on Feel the Noize”, which contains the lyrics “So you think my singin’s out of time? It makes me money,” and “So you say I got a funny face? I got no worries.” Lenderman combines these two lyrics to suggest that his looks are what makes him money, and definitely not his songwriting talent. No way.

Next up, he responds to criticism of wasting his life by pointing out his beach house in Buffalo, NY. While there is a beach in Buffalo, on the shore of Lake Erie, the city is also known for being buried under several feet of snow every winter. Not the most desirable beachfront property in America, that’s for sure.

Map of Buffalo, NY waterfront area. Courtesy of Microsoft Maps.

Then, Lenderman moves on to the main lyrical image: the “Wristwatch”. He points out two capabilities of the watch here, a compass and a cell phone. It is immediately obvious that he’s talking about a smartwatch. In the next line, he presumably gets a text from his lover, which says they’re all alone.

At this point we can assume the relationship is intact, and this message represents the lover’s desire to reach the songwriter. This changes with the second verse, but the watch remains.

Verse Two

I’d still take your Amazing Grace
I’d give all my money
And I’d still take your pretty face
And I’ve got a houseboat docked at the
Himbo Dome
And a wristwatch that’s a
Pocket knife and a megaphone
And a wristwatch that tells me
I’m on my own
And a wristwatch that tells me
I’m on my own

This verse opens with a reference to the Christian hymn “Amazing Grace”, which is about a guiding force that saves us from ourselves. He is saying that he would give up all his money in exchange for his lover’s pretty face.

Perhaps the most puzzling lyric in “Wristwatch” is when he sings about having a “houseboat docked at the Himbo Dome.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek lyric because the Himbo Dome does not exist, but sounds grandiose. “Himbo” is also a slang word for the male version of a “Bimbo”, which Wikipedia defines as: “a sexually attractive, sexualized, naïve and unintelligent man.” The idea is that MJ Lenderman lives at this place, painting himself as a slovenly redneck with money.

In this section he compares his smartwatch to a pocket knife — a metaphor for its variety of different uses — and a megaphone — a metaphor for its ability to amplify a message for the wearer, via the internet.

Finally, his watch tells him that he’s on his own. This suggests that the news about a breakup was shared via text message, which he received on his smartwatch.

Closing Thoughts

I would consider “Wristwatch” to be a timeless representation of life and love in the year 2024, and I believe that this song will remain a staple in indie rock for many years to come. MJ Lenderman has solidified himself as a generational songwriter with Manning Fireworks and “Wristwatch”, and all signs say that he’s just getting started.

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