1991 - 2000
Brian, Paul, Dom and Damien Rice form Juniper, having met in school. They go to college, play some weddings, 21st's and Bar Mitzvahs... and for a while have a Sunday night residency in the Kildrought Lounge and Bar, Celbridge. They meet Dave, who weans them off the Neil Diamond and Roxette covers. Band move into house in country, release EP, Manna, and two singles in Ireland. Damien leaves band, the others read about Chuck Yeager and his Right Stuff. They call the new band Bell X1. Bell X1 support Elliott Smith and Bon Jovi in the same 1 week period, leading to severe identity crisis, making small music with big hair. They make their first album, Neither Am I, in the summer/autumn of 1999 with Nick Seymour of Crowded House and release it in Ireland a year later, after much touring and a couple of old singles.
2001
Band take some time to indulge musical differences. Paul records and tours as drummer with Tipperary siren Gemma Hayes, Brian's away with Offaly hearthrob Mundy, and Dave and Dom join Richie Mullen of Lino Richie Carpets, Finglas, in touring cabaret show. Bell X1 regroup in late summer and write songs for what would become Music in Mouth in a house by the sea in Wexford.
2002
Second album recording starts in Ridge Farm studios in Surrey, with producer Jamie Cullum. After 4 weeks they move to the Fallout Shelter, London. The studio has no teapot!! Some moaning. The band take turns to make dinner. Some of it is shit. The world Cup happens. Mixing finishes in July and everyone goes away for a while. Come back and mix it all again. Borrow a friend's house in Kilkenny, record some more songs, play hurling, are laughed at by locals. Music in Mouth finally finished in December, a few days after the birth of Jamie's daughter Ellie, who was both conceived and born during the making of the record.
2003, 2004
The album Music in Mouth is released on July 21st 2003, to tremendous applause, and the band play with all sorts to try to flog it. Tom McRae, Keane, Starsailor, Aqualung and Snow Patrol show them the highways and byways of the UK and continental Europe. Songs from the record appear in many TV series, from Teachers to The OC, and at home the album goes double platinum, with four top 40 singles. In July 2004, the band gather in yet another house in Wexford to write a new record.
2005
Flock is recorded in Dublin and mixed in London, with Roger Becherian producing and Phil Hayes knob twiddling. A shrine to Daniel O' Donnell (Irish singing deity, ref Cliff Richard without ever having had a brush with cool) is created in the green room, Dave creates Pistachio Nut Shell Installation and mustaches are grown. The band take a break from recording and sell out a mini tour in the USA, where they record a live session for Nic Harcourt’s essential show on KCRW in L.A.
Flock is released in Ireland and hits the heights of #1 in the album charts. The band leaves Island Records and sets up its own record label called BellyUp records. A live album called Tour De Flock is released - it is a 2-disc compilation featuring 16 tracks from their sold-out gig at The Point Theatre, Dublin on December 1, 2006.
In 2008, Flock is released in the USA and the band appears on the St. Patrick's Day edition of the Late Show with David Letterman.
On 2nd October, Brian Crosby quits saying "It's been an extraordinary privilege to be in a band with your mates for more than 15 years. I'm really grateful for everything I got to do with Bell X1, for all the adventures we had and for the great support of our fans. It's been particularly wonderful to have connected with so many people and to have got to meet people all over the world doing what I love. I look forward to continue making those connections. At the same time I'll be applauding the boys continued success."
As well as promoting Flock in the USA, the band gets busy recording a new album Blue Lights On The Runway. It finally sees the light of day in 2009, with lead single The Great Defector becoming their biggest hit to date (no. 3 in the Irish charts).
2011
The band will release its newest album Bloodless Coup in stores and online on April 1 in Ireland, April 4 in the UK, April 8 in Germany and Benelux, April 12 in the USA and Canada, and April 26 in France. The album's lead single is “Velcro,” which the band performed on The Rachael Ray Show on St. Patrick's Day.
Eve The Apple Of My Eye
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want it back
You left it, I sent it
I want it back
If I had you here, I'd clip your wings
Snap you up and leave you sprawling on my pin
This plan of mine is oh so very lame
Can't you see the grass is greener where it rains
You left, I died
I went and you cried
You came, I think
But I never really know
I've served my time
I've watched you climb
The wrong incline
But what do I know
Accept it, don't let it
Turn the screw
Accept it, and let it
Scream back at you
Now this applies both equally to you and I
The only thing we share
Is the same sky
These empty metaphors
They're all in vain
Like can't you see the grass is greener where it rains
You left, I died
I went and you cried
You came, I think
But I never really know
I've served my time
I've watched you climb
The wrong incline
But what do I know
But what do I know
In the garden Snake was a charmin'
Eve said let's give it a try
Now lead us not into temptation
But no matter how hard I try
When in the garden snake is a charmin'
Eve says let's give it a try
Eve is the apple of my eye
Eve is the apple of my eye
Eve is the apple
And I lie behind you
And I cradle you in the palm of me
And I pat your hair down
I think will we sink or swim?
'Cause we could do either or none
The song "Eve, The Apple Of My Eye" by Bell X1 is a melancholic ballad that tells the story of a failed romantic relationship. The opening lines, "You left it, I sent it, I want it back" reflect a yearning for an object or perhaps something intangible that was lost due to someone's departure. The next lines, "If I had you here, I'd clip your wings, snap you up and leave you sprawling on my pin" depict a feeling of bitterness, as if the singer wants revenge, but he is not capable of harming the other person, given their past, at least not without harming himself in the process. The singer refers to his plan as lame, conveying a sense of helplessness in his inability to let go of his feelings.
The metaphors used in the lyrics suggest that the grass is greener where it rains, indicating that sometimes things are better when they are harder to achieve. It's a way of saying that sometimes the struggle is worth it, and that easy things usually don't hold much value. The chorus, "You left, I died, I went and you cried, You came, I think, but I never really know, I've served my time, I've watched you climb, The wrong incline, But what do I know," repeats this underlying theme of regret, confusion, and longing.
The final verse of the song refers to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, and how the serpent tempted Eve with the forbidden fruit. The singer portrays himself as powerless to resist the temptation Eve represents, always falling back into the same pattern that led them to their current state. The line "I think will we sink or swim? 'Cause we could do either or none" ends the song on a note of uncertainty, suggesting that the future is unpredictable, and that despite their past, there may still be a chance for the relationship to flourish or, conversely, that it may fail completely.
Line by Line Meaning
You left it, I sent it
I returned something that you left with me
I want it back
I want that thing back
If I had you here, I'd clip your wings
If I had control over you, I'd limit your freedom
Snap you up and leave you sprawling on my pin
I want you to be helpless and under my control
This plan of mine is oh so very lame
My idea to control you is not well thought out
Can't you see the grass is greener where it rains
What you already have is better than what you think you want
You left, I died
You leaving me hurt me deeply
I went and you cried
I left and you were upset about it
You came, I think
You returned, but I'm not certain
But I never really know
I'm not sure what's going on with you
I've served my time
I've stayed around long enough
I've watched you climb
I've seen you make progress
The wrong incline
But you're pursuing the wrong path
But what do I know
But who am I to judge
Accept it, don't let it
Don't let it bother you
Turn the screw
Don't make it worse than it already is
And let it scream back at you
And deal with the consequences of it
Now this applies both equally to you and I
Both you and I are in the same situation
The only thing we share
The only thing we have in common
Is the same sky
Is the sky above us
These empty metaphors
These meaningless comparisons
They're all in vain
They don't serve a purpose
In the garden Snake was a charmin'
In the garden of Eden, the snake was charming
Eve said let's give it a try
Eve wanted to try what the snake was offering
Now lead us not into temptation
Let's resist temptation
But no matter how hard I try
Despite my efforts
When in the garden snake is a charmin'
When temptation is present
Eve says let's give it a try
Eve is still willing to try it
Eve is the apple of my eye
Eve is someone who I am drawn to
And I lie behind you
I am behind you
And I cradle you in the palm of me
And I hold you close to me
And I pat your hair down
And I try to comfort you
I think will we sink or swim?
I wonder if we will succeed or fail
'Cause we could do either or none
Our situation could turn out in different ways, good or bad
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
Written by: Brian Crosby, Dave Geraghty, Dominic Phillips, Paul Noonan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind