Bastille is a Grammy award-nominated rock group from South London, England … Read Full Bio ↴Bastille is a Grammy award-nominated rock group from South London, England that formed in 2010. Bastille started out as a solo project by singer-songwriter Dan Smith, who later decided to form a band. The quartet consists of Dan Smith, Chris 'Woody' Wood, Will Farquarson and Kyle Simmons. The name of the band comes from Bastille Day, which was the day when Smith was born. Bastille released their latest album, 'Give Me the Future', on 4 February 2022 to international critical acclaim.

Bastille debuted in June 2011 with their 7" single, "Flaws"/"Icarus" (released on Young & Lost Club). This was then followed by their EP 'Laura Palmer' later in 2011. After adding a few more tracks online, the band received a lot of attention from indie rock fans on the web, helping secure some support slots. During the summer of 2011, they performed at a number of major UK festivals, including Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, and Blissfields.

On 27 April 2012, "Overjoyed" came out, being the debut Virgin Records single from Bastille. This was confirmed by EMI on 1 May 2012. After the video release of "Overjoyed" on YouTube, 'Q Magazine' introduced the song as its track of the day for 7 March 2012. Fans seemingly devoured the tune.

"Bad Blood" was released on Virgin Records on 20 August 2012. Following the video release of "Bad Blood" on YouTube, Bastille were named "The New Band of the Day" by writers for 'The Guardian' on 25 July 2012. In not too long, Bastille performed at the major UK Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2012. They played an October 2012 headline tour that brought them into the spotlight alongside Emeli Sandé, with Swiss Lips supporting them.

Bastille's single "Flaws"/"Icarus" was featured in the soundtrack of the popular British Channel 4 television show 'Made in Chelsea'. As well, "Weight of Living, Pt. II" was part of the soundtrack for FIFA 13. "Of The Night", Bastille's dual cover of both Snap!'s "Rhythm is a Dancer" and Corona's "The Rhythm of the Night", was used to advertise Dancing on Ice in the run up to its 2013 series.

Bastille played their first show outside of Europe on 3 December 2012 at Hong Kong's Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival.

Bastille's song "Oblivion" featured in the soundtrack of the television show The Vampire Diaries in the Season 4 Episode 9 titled "O Come, All Ye Faithful".

They supported Two Door Cinema Club on their UK tour throughout January/February 2013 and toured through Europe in April to promote their debut album.

The band have also released four mixtape-style EPs : "Other People's Heartache Pt 1" in 2012 (featuring covers, among others, of "Blue Jeans" by Lana del Rey, "The Rhythm of The Night" by Corona) , "Other People's Heartache Pt 2" (featuring covers, including, "Sweet Nothing" by Calvin Harris, "No Scrubs" by TLC and "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac), "VS: Other People's Heartache Pt 3" (featuring collaborations with other artists, including "Remains" with Skunk Anansie and Rag'n'Bone Man, and "bad_news" with MNEK). "Other People's Heartache (Pt. 4)" was released in 2018 (featuring more covers, one of "Wild World" by Yusuf/Cat Stevens, and an original song Grip in collaboration with Seeb, and the latest addition to this series (Pt. 5) was released in 2022 (including the song Run Into Trouble and a cover of "Dancing In The Dark" by Bruce Springsteen).

Back To The Future
Bastille Lyrics

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Feels like we danced into a nightmare
We're living 1984
If doublethink's no longer fiction
We'll dream of Huxley's island shores

Waking life, it lets us down
So close your eyes and melt away

In the middle of the night
I can dream away
Change what I like and go back to the future again
In the middle of the night
Gonna scream your name
Bring you to life then go back to the future again

In the middle of the night, ahoo
Ahoo

Now that reality's distorted
Can we just Blade Run-Run away
Back into some imagined future
Let's tap our heels three times and pray

Uh, waking life, it let's us down
So close your eyes and melt away

In the middle of the night
I can dream away
Change what I like and go back to the future again
In the middle of the night
Gonna scream your name
Bring you to life then go back to the future again

In the middle of the night, ahoo
Ahoo
In the middle of the night, ahoo
Ahoo

Hey, uh, uh

Uh, take me back to the future
Uh, take me back to the future
Uh, take me back to the future
Uh, take me back to the future
Uh, let's go back to the future
Uh, let's go back to the future

In the middle of the night
Can I dream away?
Bring you to life then go back to the future again
In the middle of the night (ahoo)
In the middle of the night

In the middle of the night, ahoo
Ahoo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Back to the Future" by Bastille convey a sense of dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the current state of reality. The opening line, "Feels like we danced into a nightmare," suggests that the world they are living in is overwhelming and disorienting. The reference to "living 1984" alludes to George Orwell's dystopian novel, emphasizing the idea of an oppressive society where freedom of thought is suppressed.

The next line, "If doublethink's no longer fiction, we'll dream of Huxley's island shores," further explores the theme of a distorted reality. "Doublethink" refers to the concept in Orwell's "1984," where individuals are forced to simultaneously hold contradictory beliefs. By mentioning Aldous Huxley's "island shores," the lyrics suggest a longing for escapism to a supposedly utopian place, where the constraints of their current reality do not exist.

The chorus, "In the middle of the night, I can dream away, Change what I like and go back to the future again," expresses the desire to escape the limitations of waking life. The middle of the night symbolizes a moment of solitude and introspection, where one can envision a different future and have control over their own narrative. It represents a temporary respite from the disillusionment of reality.

The line, "Now that reality's distorted, Can we just Blade Run-Run away," references the movie "Blade Runner," which is set in a dystopian future. By using this reference, the lyrics suggest the possibility of escaping the distorted reality they are living in, just as the film's characters attempt to do. The plea to "tap our heels three times and pray" is a nod to a famous scene in "The Wizard of Oz," where Dorothy clicks her heels to return home, symbolizing the desire for a simpler and more familiar reality.

Overall, "Back to the Future" explores themes of disillusionment, the desire for escapism, and reconnecting with a more hopeful and idealized version of the future. It reflects the longing to break free from the oppressive and disorienting aspects of reality and seek solace in the power of dreams and imagination.

Line by Line Meaning

Feels like we danced into a nightmare
It seems like our actions have led us into a terrifying and unsettling situation.

We're living 1984
Our current reality resembles the dystopian world depicted in George Orwell's novel '1984.'

If doublethink's no longer fiction
If the concept of holding contradictory beliefs simultaneously is no longer just a fictional idea.

We'll dream of Huxley's island shores
We will yearn for the utopian paradise described in Aldous Huxley's novel 'Brave New World.'

Waking life, it lets us down
Reality disappoints us when we are awake.

So close your eyes and melt away
To escape the disappointments of reality, we should close our eyes and let our minds drift.

In the middle of the night
During the darkest moments, when everything is quiet and calm.

I can dream away
I have the ability to create a different reality in my dreams.

Change what I like and go back to the future again
In my dreams, I can alter anything I desire and return to a different future.

Gonna scream your name
I will call out your name with determination and intensity.

Bring you to life then go back to the future again
I will revive you from the depths of imagination and then revisit a different future.

Now that reality's distorted
Since our perception of reality has become twisted and warped.

Can we just Blade Run-Run away
Can we escape our current situation like the characters in the movie 'Blade Runner'?

Back into some imagined future
Returning to a future that exists only in our minds.

Let's tap our heels three times and pray
We should desperately wish and hope for a better future, just like Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz' clicking her heels to return home.

Take me back to the future
Transport me to a different future.

Let's go back to the future
Together, let's revisit a different future.

Can I dream away?
Is it possible for me to escape reality in my dreams as well?

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Daniel Campbell Smith, Mark Crew, Rami Yacoub

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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