Born from a friendship nurtured during their days at the University of California Santa Barbara, the band consists of Zach Gill (Keyboards/Vocals), Steve Adams (Bass Guitar/Vocals), Dan Lebowitz (Guitars/Percussion/Vocals) and David Brogan (Drums/Vocals).
Originally a nine-piece band featuring a brass section called The Animal Liberation Orchestra and the Free Range Horns, the band began drawing enormous attention in the Santa Barbara area with their rousing stage shows. When Zach, Dan and Steve returned to their hometown San Francisco, they stripped back down to a quartet, playing with a wide variety of different drummers. Finally, in 2002, the trio reunited with drummer David Brogan (with whom they had previously played in college) and the ultimate version of Animal Liberation Orchestra was solidified.
Zach Gill, the keyboard player, went to college with the popular singer-songwriter, Jack Johnson, and so they had good connections with one another. Soon audiences at gigs saw Animal Liberation Orchestra supporting Jack Johnson. Zach Gill has recently provided piano in Jack Johnson's band, adding a new flavor to the live performances.
Animal Liberation Orchestra have released an independent album, "Fly Between Falls", and it was re-released on Brushfire Records on April 18th 2006. It includes the track, "Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down", which features long-time friend Jack Johnson providing guitar and vocals. New to the re-release is the song "Walls of Jericho", a tour staple and crowd favorite noted by its festival imagery, wailing guitar solo, and euphoric cresendo. This track gained popularity after its live performance was featured in the Jack Johnson and Friends Live at the Greek DVD. The studio version's debut on myspace.com received mixed review.
In 2006, ALO finished a tour supporting Jack Johnson, alongside with Matt Costa, all across Europe, including United Kingdom, France and Spain. Additionally, they have two dates scheduled for mid April supporting Jack Johnson in Brazil. In June, they will be supporting Dave Matthews Band at stops in upstate New York and North Carolina. Thay have recently recorded The Band's Ophelia for the tribute album "Endless Highway, the music of The Band"
On May 1st 2007, ALO released their new album Roses & Clover that was recorded during two weeks in a barn in Santa Barbara, California. ALO will tour the USA during May to July 2007, playing together with Brett Dennen during seven of the concerts.
Albums
ALO Vs. LAG (1998)
One Size Fits All (1999)
Time Expander (2002)
Fly Between Falls (2006 - Brushfire Records)
Roses & Clover (2007)
EPs
Live Mix (2000)
Walls of Jericho
Animal Liberation Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My time's comin' but it's not tonight
Get out the tents and set up the floods
Bring in the trucks and make some more mud
Then get the hell out of my way 'cause I'm gonna get wasted
As magic gasses fill the air
It's bad for your health but I don't care
The golden chord is frayed, what was that song they played
Our steed lies melting in the sun
They flooded the parking lot, our tent begins to rot
And I'm in love with everyone
I know everything will be alright
My time's comin' but it's not tonight
So let's keep going 'til the morning light if it's free I'll take it
I know everything will come back 'round
Five white horses on an ocean of sound
Until it all comes crashing down like the walls of Jericho
Stop, children, what's that sound
Another bunch of phreaks just rolled into town
In a broken down bus with a crew that's fallin' to pieces
You got to get up, stand up, walk a straight line
Been drunk for three days but you're doin' fine
Just a little bit out of your mind but you're takin' it easy
All you really need is one more hour of sleep so you
Lay your head upon the floor
Just a little sleep before it gets too deep
You wake up come back for more
I know everything will be alright
My time's comin' but it's not tonight
So let's keep going ‘til the morning light if it's free I'll take it
I know everything will come back 'round
Five white horses on an ocean of sound
Until it all comes crashing down yes I know we can
Make it to the other side
Everything is blowin' my mind
The man on the magic tricycle would like to take you for a ride
The lyrics to Animal Liberation Orchestra's "Walls of Jericho" depict a scene of hedonism and debauchery at a music festival. The singer describes the atmosphere of the festival as chaotic and frenzied, with trucks, tents, and mud everywhere. He plans to indulge in drugs despite their potential health hazards, and in the midst of this all, he feels a sense of love for everyone around him. The chorus expresses a sense of optimism that everything will be alright, though not necessarily tonight, and the song ends with a whimsical reference to a magic tricycle.
The song's title is a reference to the biblical story of the walls of Jericho, which were destroyed by the Israelites sounding their horns. The song's theme of things falling apart and crashing down could be seen as a metaphor for the walls of Jericho coming down. The overall sense of chaos and hedonism in the lyrics reflects the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 70s, with the festival being a metaphor for the ideal of "dropping out" of mainstream society.
Line by Line Meaning
Oo-oo-oo-oo oo-oo, it's all right
I'm feeling good and everything is okay right now
My time's comin' but it's not tonight
I know that things will work out for me, but it's not going to happen right away
Get out the tents and set up the floods
Prepare for the music festival by setting up the stage and equipment
Bring in the trucks and make some more mud
Bring in more supplies and create a muddy environment for the festival goers
Then get the hell out of my way 'cause I'm gonna get wasted
Move aside because I plan on indulging in alcohol and drugs at this festival
As magic gasses fill the air
The air is filled with drugs and smoke which creates a magical atmosphere
It's bad for your health but I don't care
I know that these substances are harmful but I choose to ignore the risks
This'll all be gone tomorrow but we'll still be able to taste it
The festival will end, but we'll still have the memory of the experience
The golden chord is frayed, what was that song they played
The music is starting to lose its appeal and I can't remember the last song that was played
Our steed lies melting in the sun
Our mode of transportation (possibly a van) has broken down due to the heat
They flooded the parking lot, our tent begins to rot
The rainy weather has caused issues with the parking lot and our camping tent
And I'm in love with everyone
I'm feeling a strong connection with everyone at the festival and am enjoying the sense of community
Stop, children, what's that sound
Hey kids, do you hear that noise?
Another bunch of phreaks just rolled into town
A group of counterculture individuals have arrived on the scene
In a broken down bus with a crew that's fallin' to pieces
The newcomers have arrived in a rundown bus with a disheveled group of people
You got to get up, stand up, walk a straight line
You need to regain your composure and focus on walking in a straight line
Been drunk for three days but you're doin' fine
Despite being intoxicated for multiple days, you're still managing to handle yourself well
Just a little bit out of your mind but you're takin' it easy
You're slightly mentally impaired but you're remaining calm and relaxed
All you really need is one more hour of sleep so you
To feel better, all you need is one more hour of rest
Lay your head upon the floor
Rest your head on the ground
Just a little sleep before it gets too deep
Take a brief nap before things get too intense
You wake up come back for more
After your nap, you're ready to continue enjoying the festival
Until it all comes crashing down like the walls of Jericho
Everything will come to an end and collapse like the walls of Jericho did in the biblical story
Yes I know we can
I believe that we can make it through the end of the festival
Make it to the other side
We can make it through the difficult or challenging times if we stick together
Everything is blowin' my mind
Everything at the festival is amazing and blowing my mind with how incredible it is
The man on the magic tricycle would like to take you for a ride
An eccentric person is offering to take someone on a ride on their tricycle
Contributed by Stella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.