The band’s trademark fashion consists in wearing rather formal attire during live events and a use of orchestral instruments. When asked about the rumour that the band's name refers to a fire in an arcade, Win Butler replied: "It's not a rumour, it's based on a story that someone told me. It's not an actual event, but one that I took to be real. I would say that it's probably something that the kid made up, but at the time I believed him." Win Butler and his brother Will grew up in Texas.
Band formation
Arcade Fire formed around the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. Joining together as recently as mid-2003, the current line-up solidified in late 2003/early 2004, when their first full-length album Funeral was recorded. Before this an eponymous EP (often referred to by fans as the Us Kids Know EP) had been sold at early shows. The EP was subsequently remastered and given a full release once the band started becoming more prominent. Arcade Fire are known for their enthralling live performances, as well as its use of a large number of musical instruments. In addition to mainstays guitar, drums, and bass guitar, members play piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, keyboard, French horn, accordion, and harp. With several able musicians, the band take most of their instrumental diversity on tour and members switch instrumental duties throughout their shows. The number of instruments, along with a wide set of musical influences has provided a substantial number of resources on which to draw from during the recording process. The promise showed by the band in its live shows allowed it to land a record contract with Chapel Hill-based independent record label Merge Records.
Funeral
Without a major label backing, the success of the band and the album Funeral has been acclaimed as an Internet phenomenon. After a 9.7 rating from Pitchfork, Merge Records sold out their inventory of Funeral and it became the label's first album in the Billboard 200 chart. An early tip from David Bowie was also influential. The band booked small clubs for their 2004 tour but growing interest forced many venue changes, far beyond the band's expectations, and continued internationally into mid-2005. The MTV2 2005 Review hosted by Zane Lowe named Funeral Album of the Year, and NME named Funeral Number 2 in their list of 2005's best albums and "Rebellion (Lies)" the best track. By November 2005, Funeral had gone gold in both Canada and the UK and sold in excess of half a million copies worldwide, a phenomenal number for an independent release with minimal television or radio exposure. It has also surpassed Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea as the biggest selling Merge Records album to date.
Arcade Fire were featured on the April 4, 2005 cover of Time Magazine's Canadian edition, and hailed as a band who "helped put Canadian music on the world map". On April 2, 2006, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, they received the Juno Award for Songwriters Of The Year for three songs from Funeral: "Wake Up", "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)". Arcade Fire then planned to begin recording a follow up to Funeral in the winter of 2005-2006, having bought an old church forty minutes from central Montreal which they converted into a studio.
Neon Bible
In mid-December 2006 www.neonbible.com went live containing nothing more than a phone number, 1-866-NEONBIBLE where people can listen to a new track called Intervention. Built in the style of customer support lines, the number has other features including a contest and a chance to talk to a live person at a specific time each week.
Then in January 2007, they finally announced that the new album Neon Bible would be released March 5th in UK, March 6th in US. The announcement was made with a video in the album's website, with guitarist Richard Reed Parry using a gramophone and a paper mask of Parry's own face, and sitting on Win Butler´s chair. After the announcement of the album´s release, the website was updated with a streaming version of "Black Mirror", new art and a few phone messages sounding like the band´s members.
The Suburbs
The band released their third album "The Suburbs" on August 2, 2010 in the UK and August 3, 2010 in the United States. It debuted at #1 in both countries. On February 13, 2011, the album won Album of the Year at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
Arcade Fire recorded a song for The Hunger Games soundtrack (The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond), called "Abraham's Daughter". The song is featured in the movie's end credits. The soundtrack was released on March 20, 2012, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. It sold more than 175,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's the first theatrical film soundtrack to top the chart since Michael Jackson's "This Is It" debuted at No. 1 on the list. It is also only the 16th soundtrack to debut at No. 1 in the history of the Billboard 200 chart (those soundtracks include film, television, and straight-to-video efforts).
Reflektor
Arcade Fire and Mercury Records confirmed that they would release a fourth album in late 2013. In December 2012, the band's manager Scott Rodger confirmed that Arcade Fire was in the studio working with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. The official Arcade Fire pre-order website sets the release date on October 28, 2013. The band announced on January 18, 2013 that they were selling the church they had been using as a studio due to a collapsed roof. Throughout 2013, the band worked on the album in several different recording studios - including Murphy's DFA Records studio in New York. On June 22, 2013, Rolling Stone reported that new material from the album would be released on September 9, 2013.
Everything Now
Arcade Fire's first announced its fifth record, "Everything Now," on May 31, 2017 when it released the record's title track and lead single. The album's release came July 27, 2017. In the weeks leading up to the album's release, the band released three additional lead singles, "Creature Comfort," "Signs of Life," and "Electric Blue." Upon the week of its release, "Everything Now" reached #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the band's third-straight and third overall #1 record.
WE
On October 21, 2020, Butler was interviewed for the Broken Record podcast, where he commented about Arcade Fire's sixth album. The band had been writing for a year before the COVID-19 lockdown. In March 2022, fans received postcards marked with the band's logo; the postcards included the note "We missed you", musical notations, as well as an image of an eye with the word "Unsubscribe" written below. Those same images began to appear in signage around London as well as on the band's social media pages, indicating the earliest signs of a new album. On March 14, the band announced a new song titled "The Lightning I, II" would be released on March 17.
On March 17, 2022, Arcade Fire announced that the album would be titled WE and be released on May 6, 2022. Later that week, Will Butler announced he had amicably left the band in 2021 shortly after the completion of WE.
Following the release of WE on May 6, 2022, Arcade Fire announced the group’s first world tour since 2018, starting in August 2022. They again appeared on Saturday Night Live on May 7, 2022, playing "Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)", "The Lightning I, II", and "End of The Empire II" over the closing credits.
In the Backseat
Arcade Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the backseat
I don't have to drive
I don't have to speak
I can watch the countryside
And I can fall asleep
My family tree's
Crashing towards the driver's seat
The lightning bolt made enough heat
To melt the street beneath your feet
Alice died
In the night
I've been learning to drive
My whole life
I've been learning
I like the peace
In the backseat
I don't have to drive
I don't have to speak
I can watch the countryside
Alice died
In the night
I've been learning to drive
My whole life
I've been learning how
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
The lyrics to Arcade Fire's "In the Backseat" involve a theme of transition and the passage of time. The first verse expresses a desire for peace and escape from the stress and responsibility of driving and speaking. The singer finds solace in the backseat of the car, able to observe the passing scenery and drift off into sleep. The second verse shifts to a darker tone as the singer reflects on the loss of family members, represented by the imagery of a tree losing its leaves and crashing towards the driver's seat. The lightning bolt serves as a symbol of sudden tragedy, and its heat is powerful enough to melt the street. Finally, the mention of Alice dying in the night and the repeated line "I've been learning to drive my whole life" suggest a coming-of-age story, with the singer facing the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood and mortality.
The song is full of poignant, introspective lyrics that resonate with listeners who may be grappling with similar feelings of uncertainty and loss. The gradual build of instruments, particularly the strings, adds to the overall emotional impact of the song. "In the Backseat" takes the listener on a journey through a range of emotions, from sadness and despair to hope and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
I like the peace
The calm and serene atmosphere in the backseat gives comfort to the singer.
In the backseat
The singer is physically occupying the backseat of a vehicle.
I don't have to drive
The singer is not in charge of controlling the vehicle's direction.
I don't have to speak
The singer doesn't have the obligation to talk to the people riding in the car.
I can watch the countryside
The singer finds pleasure in observing the scenic roadsides while not driving.
And I can fall asleep
The comfort level of the backseat is capable of putting the singer in a slumber.
My family tree's Losing all it's leaves
The singer's family is slowly dwindling in number.
Crashing towards the driver's seat
The family's demise is affecting the person who is in control of the vehicle.
The lightning bolt made enough heat To melt the street beneath your feet
The power and heaviness of tragedy are so much that it feels like the ground is melting beneath everyone's feet.
Alice died In the night
Someone named Alice died during a dark period.
I've been learning to drive My whole life
The singer has always been preparing for command and control in their life.
I've been learning
The process of preparing oneself for taking command is never-ending.
Ooh, ooh, oh
This line doesn't hold any particular meaning and is more of an emotional exclamation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Regine Chassagne, Richard R Parry, Tim Kingsbury, William Butler, Win Butler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
meh, why a username1?
[Verse 1]
I like the peace
In the backseat
I don't have to drive
I don't have to speak
I can watch the countryside
And I can fall asleep
[Verse 2]
My family tree's
Losing all its leaves
Crashing towards the driver's seat
The lightning bolt made enough heat
To melt the street beneath your feet
[Chorus]
Alice died
In the night
I've been learning to drive
My whole life
I've been learning
[Verse 3]
I like the peace
In the backseat
I don't have to drive
I don't have to speak
I can watch the countryside
[Chorus]
Alice died
In the night
I've been learning to drive
My whole life
I've been learning how
peaceonearth369
I like the peace
In the backseat
I don't have to drive
I don't have to speak
I can watch the countryside
And I can fall asleep
My family tree's
Losing all it's leaves
Crashing towards the driver's seat
The lightning bolt made enough heat
To melt the street beneath your feet
Alice died
In the night
I've been learning to drive
My whole life
I've been learning
I like the peace
In the backseat
I don't have to drive
I don't have to speak
I can watch the countryside
Alice died
In the night
I've been learning to drive
My whole life
I've been learning how
Jacob Ludwig
I never thought i would relate to a song so intimately. Funeral has always been one of my favorite albums despite me being only 3 when it was released. My mom got me the vinyl of funeral last Christmas. 4 days ago she passed unexpectedly while I was 4 hours away in University. I can feel the pain in Regines voice because it is my pain as well. I’ve always liked this song for it’s beautiful Cello arrangement and vocals but never knew I would ever relate to it so intimately. My mom played Cello in a symphony orchestra and would take me to see different orchestras all the time. She would always be sure to point out the Cellos and say how that used to be her. I wish I didn’t relate to this song like I do. I miss you Mom❤️
Joe Jeanne Collin
And I can feel the pain in your words. Your mother raised a good man, and I hope you find solace in that her beauty resonates in you.
Hayleigh Lawson
I hope you're keeping well Jacob?
Aaron Howard
Thank you for sharing that! I'm sorry you lost your mother. This song is a masterpiece. She goes through every emotion of grieving and the music is brilliant and dynamic! ❤
Aaron Howard
The closing song of "Funeral" is an overlooked masterpiece. It's so visceral and raw, and totally dynamic with unexpected bursts of anger and raw emotion, like you're going through her grieving process with her. Simply stunning!
Phil Montgomery
It’s so hard to lose that childhood sense of irresponsibility. This song highlights how difficult that transition is for some of us. Im so thankful for this song because I know Im not the only one. Music is abstract so if you interpret it in a different way. I’d sincerely love to hear what this song means to you.
DystrophicEvolution
Yeah, I think that is what I came up with after learning "Alice" was her mother. I think it's basically about losing a matriarch (could be her mother in that sense) and/or someone who you trusted and depended on so much that you basically coasted through life with limited responsibility or duties. Some shy kids hide behind their parents' shadows and when the parents are gone, the kids have to step up in life hence she has to get in the front seat and behind the wheel in life... taking over, being her own driver.
Anyways as mournfully sad as the song is, it's also very emotionally beautiful - and maybe even profound in the way a life lost has meant another life to have more life to live in a sense.
Ed G
The opening and closing tracks in Funeral were literally perfect.
gele0stift
and everything in between :)
Kristian Ruth
Yeah, the first song is my favorite and this is a close second, especially when analysing and understanding the lyrics