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).
Campus
Bastille Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just another man in the field
Just another tall pile of papers
Making it crowded in here
Someone else's workin' your thesis
Someone else's words in your mouth
Someone else's hard work and research
Taking you up in the world
Oh, never leave me out
I'm standing by the sidelines
Oh, never leave me out
I'm standing by
I'll watch it all from afar
Heaven, help me
I'll watch it all fall apart
Heaven, help me
Help me, help me, help me, help me
I'll watch it all from afar
Heaven, help me
Just another brain on the campus
Just another set of ideas
Just another theory in motion
Waiting on for your to steer
He must be so lonely, knowing what you know
Man, it must be lonely, keeping it on the low
Oh, never leave me out
I'm standing by the sidelines
Oh, never leave me out
I'm standing by
I'll watch it all from afar
Heaven, help me
I'll watch it all fall apart
Heaven help me
Help me, help me, help me, help me
I'll watch it all from afar
Heaven, help me
I'll watch it all from afar
Heaven, help me
I'll watch it all fall apart
Heaven, help me
Help me, help me, help me, help me
I'll watch it all fall apart
Heaven, help me
The lyrics to Bastille's song, “Campus,” depict the everyday experiences of college students juggling their course load and other responsibilities in the midst of crowded classrooms, piles of papers, and a constant struggle to keep up with the work. The singer recognizes that they are just another person in this system, struggling alongside their peers, and laments the fact that their thesis is not entirely their own - that someone else’s work and research is present in their writing, tainting the originality of their ideas. The repetition of “Someone else’s” emphasizes the unoriginality of the situation. The chorus of the song, with the repeated line of “Oh, never leave me out, I’m standing by the sidelines” portrays a sense of loneliness that often accompanies academic pursuits. Despite being in a crowded space, the singer is still disconnected from others.
The second verse of the song touches on the idea of ideas and knowledge being shared among students in the classroom. The singer acknowledges the feeling of isolation that comes with specialized knowledge, as well as the burden of being the only one in the room who knows certain things. The singer expresses empathy for those in this situation, recognizing the loneliness it can cause. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, with the repeated lines “I’ll watch it all from afar, heaven help me,” emphasizing the sense of distance between the singer and their peers.
Overall, the lyrics of “Campus” capture the experience of college students as they navigate the academic world, highlighting the loneliness and sense of disconnect that often comes with higher education.
Line by Line Meaning
Just another brain on the campus
Feeling like just another face in the crowd of a college campus
Just another man in the field
Feeling insignificant in a large group of people with similar goals and aspirations
Just another tall pile of papers
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of coursework and assignments
Making it crowded in here
Feeling like there is not enough physical space to accommodate all the students and their work
Someone else's workin' your thesis
Feeling like someone else is contributing to your work or taking credit for it
Someone else's words in your mouth
Feeling like you are not expressing your own ideas and thoughts, but rather just repeating what you have been taught
Someone else's hard work and research
Feeling like you are benefitting from the work of others without putting in the same level of effort
Taking you up in the world
Feeling like your education will lead to better opportunities and success
Oh, never leave me out
I'm standing by the sidelines
Asking to not be excluded and expressing a desire to participate, but feeling like an observer instead of an active participant
I'll watch it all from afar
Heaven, help me
Feeling helpless and unable to actively participate in the college experience
I'll watch it all fall apart
Heaven, help me
Expressing anxiety and fear that things will not work out as planned and longing for guidance
Help me, help me, help me, help me
I'll watch it all from afar
Heaven, help me
Repeating a plea for assistance and guidance from a higher power
Just another set of ideas
Feeling like your own ideas are not unique or important
Just another theory in motion
Feeling like your coursework and research is just a small part of a larger academic community
Waiting on for your to steer
Feeling like you need guidance on how to apply your education and use it to achieve your goals
He must be so lonely, knowing what you know
Feeling isolated or disconnected from others who may not share the same level of knowledge or experience
Man, it must be lonely, keeping it on the low
Feeling like your expertise or knowledge is undervalued or not appreciated by others
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK CREW, DANIEL SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sam
on Fake it
Has anyone translated the news captions in the music video?
Jeannie Smith
on Pompeii
I like it.