Archive was formed by Londoners Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths in 1994 and began as an electronica project. At the beginning, they mixed Bristol-style, Massive Attack, Portishead with Rap. The first album of the band, Londinium released in 1996 (with Roya Arab and Rosko John as guest vocalists). The second album, Take my Head, (which the band hates) was released in 1999 (with a new guest vocalist Suzanne Wooder), it is much more melodic than Londinium. The first song of the album, You Make Me Feel, illustrates this change in the Archive's music. After being dropped by their label and more changes in the lineup, the band seemed to hit its stride on the third album You All Look The Same To Me (2002), featuring singer Craig Walker (formerly of Power of Dreams), which took a decided turn toward more progressive music (with some Progressive Rock influences, notably Pink Floyd whose indelible influence is audible on tracks such as 'Finding it so Hard' and 'Again'), while still maintaining electronic elements. The band saw growing popularity and critical acclaim, especially in France, Greece, Germany and Poland. After recording two more artistically—but not too commercially—successful albums, Michel Vaillant (2003) and Noise (2004), Walker left the band for reasons the band and he will not talk about. The project continued on as a Collective, with new vocalists, Pollard Berrier and Dave Pen. In May 2006 they released the album Lights with Pollard Berrier on lead vocals, who is also a member/guest member of the innovative group, "Bauchklang" - a completely vocal beat-box (Vocal Groove) group based in Vienna, Austria. Archive released a live album, entitled,Live at Paris Zenith, in May, 2007 - which was recorded on January 20th, 2007 at the sold out Zentih Arena in Paris. Rolling Stone called it, "The best live album ever made." Archive continues to tour and is working on a number of forthcoming releases in the near future.
Archive are a Collective, not a band.
Headlights
Archive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The door is shut
The suits are on
Too bright to be day
To hurt anyway
Still there's no view
No green, no blue
They don't know love
You smile to please
I try to care
You break my heart
You break my heart
I love you here
I love you here
The lyrics of Archive's "Headlights" reveal a somber and desolate tone that speaks about a sense of isolation and being trapped in a mundane and artificial world. The first verse describes a situation where the singer is being told about the inevitability of something that is about to happen, possibly an imminent departure or a big change. However, there is a sense of closure and finality, emphasized by the shutting of the door and the presence of suits. The mood is further set through the imagery of brightness that is too intense, almost blinding, yet devoid of any natural beauty or color. The lines "Too bright to be day, to hurt anyway, still there's no view, no green, no blue" delineate a sense of emptiness and desolation.
The chorus delves deeper into the theme of detachment and lovelessness. The headlights serve as a metaphor for the artificiality and lack of warmth that prevails in the singer's world. They are impersonal and insentient, oblivious to human emotion and affection. The line "You smile to please, I try to care" suggests a relationship where both parties are engaging in a charade to please each other, but there is no genuine connection or love. The final line "You break my heart, you break my heart, I love you here, I love you here" is a poignant expression of the singer's inner conflict, the juxtaposition of love and pain, and the yearning for a deeper and meaningful connection.
Line by Line Meaning
They're telling me it won't be long
The singer is being informed that something is going to happen soon.
The door is shut
The singer is unable to access or leave a certain area because the door is closed.
The suits are on
People dressed formally or professionally are present in the area.
Too bright to be day
The lighting is so intense that it feels like it could only be nighttime and not daytime.
To hurt anyway
Even though the situation is painful, the artist is going through with it anyway.
Still there's no view
Despite being in a well-lit area, the singer cannot see anything of value or interest around them.
No green, no blue
The area is devoid of nature and devoid of happiness or calmness.
The headlights above
A set of vehicle headlights are present in the location, visible from above.
They don't know love
The headlights are not capable of understanding the complex emotions of love.
You smile to please
The subject of the artist's affection is putting on a happy face even if they don't actually feel happy.
I try to care
The singer is making an effort to show affection toward the subject, even if it is difficult or complicated.
You break my heart
The subject of the artist's affection is causing them emotional pain or making them feel heartbroken.
I love you here
Despite the many challenges and difficulties, the singer still feels love for the subject of their affection.
Contributed by Lily K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.