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).

Grip
Bastille Lyrics

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As the night time bleeds into the day
Tomorrow spills across the sky
And the sun's a harsh reminder why
We are feeling barely human

We don't know what's good for us
'Cause if we did, we might not do it
Who knows where our limits lie?

We won't discover 'til we push it

I should just walk away, walk away
But it grips me, it grips me
But I should call it a day and make my way
Oh, it grips me
'Cause the devil's got my arms
('Cause the devil's got my arms)
And it pulls me back into the night
But I should just walk away, away
Oh, it grips me
'Cause the devil's got my arms
'Cause the devil's got my arms
And it pulls me back into the night

We got drunk on this unholy wine
To deliver us from our old minds
The promise of a better time
'Til we're feeling barely human

We don't know what's good for us
'Cause if we did, we might not do it
Who knows where our limits lie?
We won't discover 'til we push it

'Cause the devil's got my arms
('Cause the devil's got my arms)
And it pulls me back into the night
Well, I should just walk away, away
Oh, it grips me
'Cause the devil's got my arms
And it pulls me back into the night
The devil's got my arms
And it pulls me back into the night

I would rather forget and wash my memory clean
Oh, I would rather forget and wash my memory clean
I would rather forget (I would rather forget)
Wash my memory clean (wash my memory clean)
I would rather forget (I would rather forget)
Wash my memory clean

'Cause the devil's got my arms
And it pulls me back into the night
The devil's got my arms
'Cause the devil's got my arms

And it pulls me back into the night
And it pulls me back into the night

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Grip by Bastille & Seeb, "As the night time bleeds into the day, tomorrow spills across the sky, and the sun's a harsh reminder why, we are feeling barely human," suggest that the singer has been up all night drinking and is struggling with the harsh effects of a hangover. The song is about the struggle to break free from self-destructive habits, even when those habits have a grip on us that's hard to escape. The lyrics "We don't know what's good for us, 'cause if we did, we might not do it" imply that the singer is aware of the harmful consequences of their behavior but can't seem to stay away from it.

The repeated line, "The devil's got my arms, and it pulls me back into the night," captures the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of self-destructive behavior. The singer knows they should walk away, but they feel powerless against the hold that their bad habits have on them. The lyrics suggest that while the singer is aware of their actions, they also feel that they are not in control of their own choices, and are constantly struggling with the grip of addiction.

While the song can be interpreted as a commentary on addiction, it could also be seen as a broader reflection on the human condition, where we often struggle with our own impulses and desires, even when we know that they are not in our best interest.

Line by Line Meaning

As the night time bleeds into the day
The transition from darkness to light signifies the passing of time and new beginnings.

Tomorrow spills across the sky
The arrival of a new day brings with it endless possibilities and opportunities.

And the sun's a harsh reminder why
The sun serves as a reminder that responsibilities and consequences cannot be avoided, and must be faced head on.

We are feeling barely human
The weight of our actions and the consequences that accompany them can often leave us feeling drained and disconnected from our humanity.

We don't know what's good for us
We often make poor decisions due to our lack of knowledge or understanding of what is truly beneficial for us.

'Cause if we did, we might not do it
If we were aware of the negative effects of our actions, we would not engage in them.

Who knows where our limits lie?
We are often unaware of our potential, and do not realize what we are capable of until we are pushed to our limits.

We won't discover 'til we push it
It is only through experiencing challenges and adversity that we can learn and grow to become stronger and wiser.

I should just walk away, walk away
Although it might be difficult, it is often best to let go of negative influences or situations to avoid further harm or distress.

But it grips me, it grips me
Despite our better judgement, we can become attached to destructive patterns or lifestyles that are hard to break free from.

But I should call it a day and make my way
It is important to recognize when it is time to move on and leave behind harmful habits or relationships for the sake of our well-being.

Oh, it grips me
The hold of negative influences can be strong and difficult to overcome.

'Cause the devil's got my arms
Metaphorically, our negative impulses or addictions can take control of our actions, leading us down a destructive path.

And it pulls me back into the night
The allure of darkness and negative influences can be tempting, but ultimately harmful to our well-being.

We got drunk on this unholy wine
We become intoxicated by harmful influences and behaviors that are ultimately detrimental to our health and growth.

To deliver us from our old minds
We seek temporary relief or escape from our problems and worries through harmful behaviors or influences.

The promise of a better time
We hold onto the hope or belief that negative influences or behaviors will ultimately lead to positive outcomes or change.

I would rather forget and wash my memory clean
Sometimes it is easier to forget past mistakes or harmful experiences in order to move forward and create a better future for ourselves.

The devil's got my arms
Negative influences and habits can take control of our actions and lead us down a destructive path.

And it pulls me back into the night
The allure of darkness and negative influences can be tempting, but ultimately harmful to our well-being.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Daniel Campbell Smith, Mark Blair Crew, Espen Berg, Joakim Harestad Haukaas, Simen M. Eriksrud, Thomas Bratfoss Eriksen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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