Anathallo utilized a wide variety of instruments, including horns, guitars, drums, piano, bells, and even unconventional objects like chains, velcro strips, stomp boxes, and pipes. The band released several recordings through Selah Records, a vinyl release through Potential Getaway Driver, as well as completely independent releases. Their UK distributed release, Four: A Great Wind More Ash, was released by Big Scary Monster (BSM) in 2008
Members:
Matt Joynt - Vocals, Guitar, Auxiliary Percussion, Piano
Andrew Dost - Piano, Flugelhorn, Auxiliary Percussion, Vocals
Bret Wallin - Trombone, Auxiliary Percussion, Vocals
Danny Bracken - Guitar, Auxiliary Percussion, Vocals
Seth Walker - Bass, Vocals
Jeremiah Johnson- Drums, Vocals
Erica Froman - Vocals, Auxiliary Percussion, Clarinet, Autoharp
Joel Thiele - Drums, Percussion
Bells
Anathallo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I reach into the drawer with four tries
but nothing sticks. Nothing sticks.
There's no telling why I opened it.
I try, but I just forget.
What there once was, I have not forgotten.
The synapses still fire and direct my thoughts,
but they seem tired of hunting for homes.
And I'm not brave enough to say that I am not afraid,
should I return to confused bits of blindness,
a tongue wanting words in the sweet speech finds a form,
then returned to the bald toothless need of a child hunched and cradled
(his spine returns the curl to fit the cleft of an arm).
O, we are embarked and return to the place we start
To thrash against it.
It's a wild thing to accept. Who can hold it?
Think about the loss of anything.
Well, someday if you wake to a nameless stranger in me, lead me outside.
Let me go.
If I'm already there, just let me go.
I'm not.
The lyrics of Anathallo's "Bells" convey a sense of frustration and confusion, as the singer struggles to articulate their thoughts and find the right words. The opening lines suggest a futile attempt to find the right word in a drawer, which serves as a metaphor for the difficulty of expressing oneself. The repetition of "nothing sticks" emphasizes the singer's sense of hopelessness in this endeavor.
The following lines shift to a more introspective tone, as the singer reflects on their own memories and the persistence of these memories in their mind. The synapses that once fired to form these memories now seem "tired of hunting for homes," suggesting a weariness and perhaps even a sense of loss. The singer acknowledges their own fear and vulnerability, admitting that they are not "brave enough" to face the confusion and blindness that may result from trying to express themselves.
The final stanza introduces a haunting image of a "nameless stranger" within the singer, suggesting a kind of dissociation or fragmentation of the self. The repetition of "let me go" reinforces this sense of detachment, as though the singer is pleading to be released from their own identity. The final line, "I'm not," suggests that the singer is still holding on to some sense of self, even as they negotiate the ongoing struggle to express that self.
Line by Line Meaning
When I can't find the word I'm looking for
When I struggle to express myself
I reach into the drawer with four tries
I attempt to find the right words using several methods
but nothing sticks. Nothing sticks.
I am unable to make any words stick and convey my message
There's no telling why I opened it.
I am unsure of why I even tried to communicate
I try, but I just forget.
Despite my efforts, I cannot remember what I was attempting to say
What there once was, I have not forgotten.
Although I cannot recall my thoughts, they still haunt me
What there once was, it won't leave me alone.
My lost thoughts continue to affect me
The synapses still fire and direct my thoughts,
My brain is still active and trying to communicate
but they seem tired of hunting for homes.
But my thoughts are struggling to find the right words to convey their message
And I'm not brave enough to say that I am not afraid,
I am afraid to admit my confusion and lack of communication
should I return to confused bits of blindness,
If I fall back into confusion and cannot communicate
a tongue wanting words in the sweet speech finds a form,
My desire to communicate finds a certain form of expression
then returned to the bald toothless need of a child hunched and cradled
But ultimately, my communication reverts to a desperate, childlike state
(his spine returns the curl to fit the cleft of an arm).
Curled up and vulnerable, seeking comfort
O, we are embarked and return to the place we start
Life is a constant cycle of starting anew and embarking on journeys
To thrash against it.
But we often resist our journeys
It's a wild thing to accept. Who can hold it?
It is difficult to accept this truth and embrace our journeys
Think about the loss of anything.
Consider the loss and change that accompanies our journeys
Well, someday if you wake to a nameless stranger in me, lead me outside.
If I become someone unrecognizable or unfamiliar, guide me towards clarity
Let me go.
Allow me to move on and embrace my journey
If I'm already there, just let me go.
If I have already moved on, don't hold me back
I'm not.
But at the moment, I am still here and struggling to communicate
Contributed by Lauren L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Folded Helix
i dont know how much music theory they know, but the chord voicings are absolutely beautiful in this song.
Shari
=) still one of my all time favorite bands =)
Urves
Very creative and such great fusion!
Glenn Tremblett
Best song ever! the whole cd rules actually
aQstico
WOW! I love this!!!... is pure magic...
kllamour
Simply amazing!!
Shmuel Barber
That's a sick video! Even there's not much to see the simplicity makes it so dimensional and immersing.
thewetflarp
3:03 - 4:05 is the closest I've ever come to crying to a song.
Nicholas Burkett
This may be the most vivid song I have ever heard...and I listen to so much music...
rglovesu2
Seriously, that song made me feel like a little kid chasing rainbows again for a moment...