A t… Read Full Bio ↴Bad Books, simply put, is Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra.
A true accident if there ever was one; Bad Books was never an intended nor calculated side project of Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull. Though the two musicians have collaborated and performed together on tour and within the Favorite Gentlemen community of artists for years now, the genesis of Bad Books came from a simple idea to fill space and time off the road by collaborating on a small batch of songs together at the top of the year. With no agenda and no expectations, what was birthed just one week later was Bad Books, a fully realized album encompassing five compositions each from both Devine and Hull, with the members of Manchester Orchestra filling out the sound and the band. The self-titled debut will be released October 19th, 2010 via Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, the record label that was founded and has been run by Manchester Orchestra since 2007.
As songwriters go, Hull and Devine could not be further apart in terms of creative approach. The methodical wordsmith Devine, an English major from Fordham, is known to pine away for great lengths of time just to accurately pin-point one word within a lyric. “I was doing a take of ‘You’re A Mirror I Cannot Avoid’ and stopped myself for fifteen minutes because I was having trouble justifying ending two lines in the same chorus with the word ‘back.’ Just sitting there, staring at the screen, writing different word choices. I asked Andy if he thought it mattered, and he said, ‘Of course it doesn’t.’ Somewhere in that exchange is I think what differentiates us as songwriters. I think Andy trusts his instincts to lead him to the right place in a song, and sometimes I want to outthink my instincts because I’m scared of repeating myself, of resting on my laurels. And I think together, those two approaches meshed really, really well,” Devine said.
Hull echoes that sentiment: “Kevin is very meticulous, where I came in with a few ideas and fleshed them out literally as we were recording. Kevin’s songs were awesome and he was cool enough for me to throw in some ideas to change a part or add a bridge here or there.”
In contrast to previous outputs from Manchester Orchestra and Devine, Bad Books cradles a much more noticeable pop aesthetic and energy than either artist has probably ever showcased before. Nowhere is this more evident than in songs like “You Wouldn’t Have To Ask” and “Holding Down the Laughter”.
Engineered by Robert McDowell (of Manchester Orchestra) with help from drummer Ben Homola, and mixed by Chris Bracco (of Devine’s ‘Goddamn Band’), Bad Books progressed in the most organic and natural way possible. Free from any boundaries or restrictions, Devine and Hull were able to craft a beautiful body of melodies, highlighting arcs of high and low throughout, and utilizing the stark imagery and storytelling for which both of them are known. “There was no governing framework,” Devine says: “No, ‘let’s write these kind of songs and say these kind of things’. We just wrote, arranged and played each song to its end, followed where it led, and I think it brought us both to some pretty unexpected places.”
For Devine, Hull, and the rest of Manchester Orchestra, choosing the direction of the road less travelled resulted in sonic harmonies and woven textures that meshed what these best friends do best. Some accidents were just meant to be.
Lost Creek
Bad Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My dad and Russell running through the woods of lost creek
Oh it’s a shame Jessica never got clean
You know the last time I saw her was honestly awful for me
Lately on Sundays he started to sleep
Trading in on your fathers theology
I know you loved him but not equally
To your big tent revival ministry
Gonna die with that ego, you never fly he never sleeps
Vacated board room with wine on the whitest teeth
The guiltiest movements the ponders secrets can keep
You say you love me but if you could see
That the pain that comes when you touch me
Never really turns out to be worth much of anything
The problem will resurface eventually
I felt like somebody somewhere could see
My dad and Russell playing with my cousin and me
Do you know how to get back to Lost Creek?
To that house in the forest where laughter came menacingly
Back when no problems surfaced and we learned eventually
Mmmmmmmmm
The lyrics to Bad Books' "Lost Creek" are a reflection on the nostalgia and pain associated with memories of a childhood spent in a place called Lost Creek. The singer muses about how they feel like someone somewhere can see their father and Russell (presumably a family member or friend) running through the woods of Lost Creek, which brings about a feeling of sadness and longing for a simpler time. The lyrics then take a darker turn, with the mention of a person named Jessica who never got clean and the last time the singer saw her was "honestly awful." It's unclear who Jessica is, but the implied drug addiction and negative interaction with her underscores the bleak reality of the present.
The lyrics then move to a commentary on religion and faith, with the mention of "your father's theology" and a "big tent revival ministry" that didn't turn out to be worth much of anything. The singer seems to be questioning the value of religious teachings and pointing out the hypocrisy of those who claim to be religious while not truly loving their fellow humans. The lines "Gonna die with that ego, you never fly he never sleeps / Vacated board room with wine on the whitest teeth" suggest a person living a luxurious and privileged lifestyle, but missing out on truly living and connecting with others because of their own ego.
The final lines are a plea to recapture the feeling of childhood and return to the innocence of Lost Creek. The singer asks if anyone knows how to get back there and ends with the haunting sound of "mmmmmmmmm," suggesting that the answer may be elusive.
Line by Line Meaning
I felt like somebody somewhere could see
I believed that there was someone out there who was watching over me and my family.
My dad and Russell running through the woods of lost creek
My father and his friend, Russell, were running through the woods of Lost Creek, a place that held a lot of sentimental value for us.
Oh it’s a shame Jessica never got clean
It's unfortunate that my acquaintance, Jessica, was unable to overcome her addiction and remained in a destructive state.
You know the last time I saw her was honestly awful for me
The last time I saw her was painful and difficult for me to endure.
Lately on Sundays he started to sleep
Recently, on Sundays, he has been sleeping more often.
Trading in on your fathers theology
You are using your father's religious beliefs for personal gain.
I know you loved him but not equally
You loved him, but not with the same level of depth and intensity that I did.
To your big tent revival ministry
You devoted yourself to your large-scale religious events, but ultimately they did not have much impact or importance.
That never turned out to be worth much of anything
Those big tent revivals did not have much value or meaning in the end.
Gonna die with that ego, you never fly he never sleeps
You will cling to your pride and self-centeredness, never achieving true enlightenment or peace.
Vacated board room with wine on the whitest teeth
You left behind an empty meeting room, with wine stains on your perfectly white teeth.
The guiltiest movements the ponders secrets can keep
The most shameful actions and innermost secrets can weigh heavily on a person.
You say you love me but if you could see
You claim to love me, but if you truly understood me and my struggles, you may feel differently.
That the pain that comes when you touch me
The physical contact between us often causes me discomfort or pain.
Never really turns out to be worth much of anything
The sacrifices I've made for this relationship never seem to lead to any significant rewards or benefits.
The problem will resurface eventually
The underlying issue in our relationship is bound to surface again.
Do you know how to get back to Lost Creek?
I wonder if you remember how to find our old home in Lost Creek.
To that house in the forest where laughter came menacingly
Our childhood home in Lost Creek was a place where laughter and joy could quickly turn dark or scary.
Back when no problems surfaced and we learned eventually
In our younger days, it seemed like we were free of problems, but as we grew older, we realized that was not the case.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bonitoFlakes
I felt like somebody somewhere could see
My dad and Russell running through the woods of lost creek
Oh it's a shame Jessica never got clean
You know the last time I saw her was honestly awful for me
Lately on Sundays he started to sleep
Trading in on your fathers theology
I know you loved him but not equally
To your big tent revival ministry
That never really turned out to be worth much of anything
You're gonna die with that ego, you never fly, he never sleeps
A vacated board room with wine on the whitest teeth
The guiltiest movements that ponder if secrets can keep
You say you love me but if you could see
That the payday that comes when you touch me
Never really turns out to be worth much of anything
The problem will resurface eventually
I felt like somebody somewhere could see
My dad and Russell playing with my cousin and me
Do you know how to get back to Lost Creek?
To that house in the forest where laughter came innocently
Back when no problems surfaced and we learned eventually
Leanna Formby
Andy hull, and Kevin Devine have such a way, even in their other projects, of making music that's not only beautiful...but lyrically touching. I adore this band.
Brian Ayers
The most underrated song on the album. Reminds me of being a kid and just enjoying everything there was to enjoy.
Daniel Clements
I live by myself, in the middle of nowhere, and usually listen on niceish full coverage headphones. I always forget about the squeaking piano bench in this song. Nearly jumped out of my skin at the 4 minute mark, it sounds just like it is behind you.
bonitoFlakes
I felt like somebody somewhere could see
My dad and Russell running through the woods of lost creek
Oh it's a shame Jessica never got clean
You know the last time I saw her was honestly awful for me
Lately on Sundays he started to sleep
Trading in on your fathers theology
I know you loved him but not equally
To your big tent revival ministry
That never really turned out to be worth much of anything
You're gonna die with that ego, you never fly, he never sleeps
A vacated board room with wine on the whitest teeth
The guiltiest movements that ponder if secrets can keep
You say you love me but if you could see
That the payday that comes when you touch me
Never really turns out to be worth much of anything
The problem will resurface eventually
I felt like somebody somewhere could see
My dad and Russell playing with my cousin and me
Do you know how to get back to Lost Creek?
To that house in the forest where laughter came innocently
Back when no problems surfaced and we learned eventually
Sarah Manyar
this is...life, it's every single thing about everything, i love it
violet blossoms
i wish they were still making music, II is my favourite album
Johnny Anaya
There are four members form Manchester Orchestra in this band. Including Andy Hull, the singer.
Devin Cornelius Lundberg
the humming at the end sounds an awful lot like a song from ocarina of time
Jacob Seitz
hey @thezachariahcatron it's Andy Hull from Manchester, so yeah, they do.
Savannah Jade
I miss you