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).
Pompeii
Bastille Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
I was left to my own devices
Many days fell away with nothing to show
And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Grey clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above
But if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
We were caught up and lost in all of our vices
In your pose as the dust settles around us
And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Grey clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above
But if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
Eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Oh, where do we begin?
The rubble or our sins?
Oh-oh, where do we begin?
The rubble or our sins?
And the walls kept tumbling down (oh, where do we begin?)
In the city that we love (the rubble or our sins?)
Grey clouds roll over the hills (oh, where do we begin?)
Bringing darkness from above (the rubble or our sins?)
But if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
Oh, how am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
If you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
The song "Pompeii" by Bastille describes a post-apocalyptic world where the singer is reflecting on the events that led to the destruction of their city. The first verse describes how the singer was left alone with nothing to show for the passing days. The chorus talks about how the walls of their city kept falling down due to a continuous disaster, which is metaphorically represented by the "grey clouds" that roll over the hills, bringing darkness from above. However, in the chorus, the singer poses a question, asking whether it's possible to close their eyes and imagine that nothing has changed, that they've been there before. The second verse talks about how the singer and their people were caught up in their vices, and as the dust settled around them, they were lost. The chorus then repeats, underscoring the sense of despair and hopelessness felt by the singer. The final verse once again poses the question of where they should begin, whether they should focus on the rubble or their sins.
Overall, the song speaks to the feeling of being overwhelmed by a disaster, and the futility of trying to move forward in its aftermath. The repeated refrain, "How am I gonna be an optimist about this?" highlights the singer's sense of hopelessness and desperation, even as they acknowledge that the situation is beyond their control.
Line by Line Meaning
Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh
Repetitive vocalization of the chorus melody
I was left to my own devices
I was alone and had to rely on myself
Many days fell away with nothing to show
Time passed by without any visible accomplishment
And the walls kept tumbling down
The barriers and structures around me kept collapsing
In the city that we love
The place we called home
Grey clouds roll over the hills
A dark cloud cover looms over the horizon
Bringing darkness from above
Shrouding everything in darkness and uncertainty
But if you close your eyes
If you look within yourself
Does it almost feel like
Is there a sense of familiarity or comfort?
Nothing changed at all?
Have things remained the same?
And if you close your eyes
If you search your soul
Does it almost feel like
Does it seem like
You've been here before?
You've experienced this before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
How can I be positive in this situation?
We were caught up and lost in all of our vices
We were consumed by our own bad habits and addictions
In your pose as the dust settles around us
You stand still like a statue while everything falls apart around us
Oh, where do we begin?
What's the starting point to pick up the pieces?
The rubble or our sins?
Should we focus on the physical remains or our wrongdoing?
If you close your eyes
If you introspect
Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?
Is there a sense of stagnation?
Eh-oh, eh-oh
Repetitive vocalization of the chorus melody
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Daniel Campbell 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.