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).

Laughter Lines
Bastille Lyrics

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You took me to your favourite place on Earth
To see the tree they cut down ten years from your birth.
Our fingers traced in circles round its history,
We brushed our hands right back in time through centuries.

As you held me down, you said:

"I'll see you in the future when we're older

And we are full of stories to be told.
Cross my heart and hope to die,
I'll see you with your laughter lines."

Changes on our hands and on our faces, oh, oh
Memories are mapped out by the lines we'll trace.

As you held me down, you said:

"I'll see you in the future when we're older
And we are full of stories to be told.
Cross my heart and hope to die,
I'll see you with your laughter lines."

Ashen faces in cold breeze,
Ashen faces in cold breeze,
All the stories you will leave,
All the stories you will leave.

I'll see you in the future when we're older
And we are full of stories to be told.
Cross my heart and hope to die,
I'll see you with your laughter lines.

I'll see you in the future when we're old.
I'll see you in the future when we're old.

Overall Meaning

In Bastille's song Laughter Lines, the singer reminisces about a past moment where they were taken to a special place by someone they care about deeply. The place is significant because it holds a tree that was cut down ten years from the other person's birth. As they circle the tree tracing its history with their fingers, they feel as if they are transported back through time. The other person tells the singer, "I'll see you in the future when we're older/And we are full of stories to be told/Cross my heart and hope to die/I'll see you with your laughter lines." Both are aware that time is passing and that they will continue to age, but they find comfort in the thought of growing old together and sharing their stories.

The repeated phrase "I'll see you in the future when we're older" is both hopeful and bittersweet. It acknowledges the inevitability of aging, but also embraces the prospect of growing old together. The idea of "laughter lines" further emphasizes the passage of time and the fact that memories and experiences are etched into our very beings. The final lines of the song, "All the stories you will leave/I'll see you in the future when we're old," are a reminder that our time is limited and that we must cherish the moments we have with those we love.

Line by Line Meaning

You took me to your favourite place on Earth
You showed me where you feel happiest and most at peace.

To see the tree they cut down ten years from your birth.
You took me to see an important tree that was cut down a decade ago, possibly symbolizing loss and change.

Our fingers traced in circles round its history,
We explored the tree's past and its significance with our hands.

We brushed our hands right back in time through centuries.
We felt a connection to the tree's roots and the history it represents.

I'll see you in the future when we're older,
I look forward to being with you in the future as we age and experience life together.

And we are full of stories to be told.
We will have many life experiences and memories to share with each other.

Cross my heart and hope to die,
I swear with sincerity and the hope for our everlasting bond.

I'll see you with your laughter lines.
I will see the wrinkles and creases on your face that were formed by a lifetime of happiness and laughter.

Changes on our hands and on our faces, oh, oh
As we age, we will notice physical changes on our hands and face.

Memories are mapped out by the lines we'll trace.
Our aging and life experiences leave marks on our body that represent our story and memories.

Ashen faces in cold breeze,
Our faces may appear gray and lifeless in the cold wind associated with the end of our lives.

All the stories you will leave,
All the experiences and memories we have will be left behind for others to remember us by.

I'll see you in the future when we're old.
I still look forward to being with you as we age and grow old together.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICK WITTER, JOE JOHNSON, FRASER SMITH, ALAN LEACH, TOM GLADWIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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