Jon Philpot has previously released music as part of the duo Presocratics, in collaboration with guitarist and composer Need Thomas Windham. Presocratics released two albums on the record label Table of the Elements in 2001; both were produced by Philpot.
The first Bear in Heaven release (Tunes Nextdoor to Songs, Eastern Developments 2003) was an EP of solo recordings by Philpot, recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, with guest musicians performing on various instruments. Shortly after the release of Tunes Nextdoor to Songs, Philpot moved to Brooklyn, New York and joined with guitarist Adam Wills, keyboardist/guitarist Sadek Bazaraa (a graphic designer with Brooklyn design collective GH avisualagency), guitarist David Daniell (of San Agustin), and bassist James Elliott (Ateleia, School of Seven Bells). Eventually drummer Joe Stickney (drummer with Paul Duncan, Rhys Chatham's Essentialist project, and current touring drummer with Panthers) was added to the lineup. Daniell left Bear in Heaven in 2005 to focus on his solo project.
Red Bloom of the Boom, Bear in Heaven's first full-length album with the full band, was released in 2007 by the Hometapes record label.
Elliott left the band after the completion of the recordings of Red Bloom of the Boom to focus on School of Seven Bells and his solo project, Ateleia. Bear in Heaven now performs as a four-piece with Philpot on vocals, guitar and keyboards; Wills on guitar and bass; Bazaraa on bass and keyboards; and Stickney on drums.
Discography
Red Bloom of the Boom - Hometapes CD, 2007
Tunes Nextdoor to Songs - Eastern Developments CDEP, 2003
Beast Rest Forth Mouth - Hometapes
Drug A Wheel
Bear in Heaven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
drawn in buffalo blood
the circle of foxes made her struggle and tug
Then she dropped and she slept
and she came back to life
So she opened the door
She put a rock in her mouth
and continued till night
The dog drug a wheel until she balanced her bite
In the East and the West
in the North and the South
In the Beast laid to Rest
and put Forth in her Mouth
Tied to ties that she hides behind every fox
She say her breath in the air in the morning light
so she laid back down by her lover's side
There is some truth to this lie, no joke
so look at your fire not the smoke
The lyrics to the song "Drug A Wheel" by Bear in Heaven carry a multitude of meanings, some of which can be quite hard to decipher. The song starts with the image of a dog dragging a wheel that is drawn in buffalo blood. The circle of foxes around the dog make it struggle and tug, but eventually it drops and falls asleep. However, the dog comes back to life, opens the door and puts its nose in the wind.
The rest of the song speaks about the dog's journey across the land. In the east, west, north, and south, the dog moves forward with a rock in its mouth until it balances its bite. The dog's journey speaks to the cyclical nature of life, where one must struggle to find balance and peace, and even in the face of obstacles, one must continue to push forward. The line "there is some truth to this lie, no joke, so look at your fire not the smoke" suggests that the truth of life is not always apparent at first glance, and one must look deeper to find it.
Overall, "Drug A Wheel" is a song that speaks about the struggles of life and the cyclical nature of existence. The image of the dog dragging the wheel speaks to the idea of struggling against forces beyond one's control, but also the possibility of overcoming them and finding balance and peace.
Line by Line Meaning
The dog drug a wheel
The dog pulled a wheel
drawn in buffalo blood
the wheel was marked with buffalo blood
the circle of foxes made her struggle and tug
a group of foxes made the dog pull the wheel and struggle
Then she dropped and she slept
Then the dog got tired and slept
and she came back to life
and woke up refreshed and energized
So she opened the door
Then the dog opened a door
and put her nose in the wind
and stuck her nose into the air to smell around
She put a rock in her mouth
She picked up a rock with her mouth
and continued till night
and kept walking until it got dark
The dog drug a wheel until she balanced her bite
The dog kept pulling the wheel until she found the right balance
In the East and the West
In all directions
in the North and the South
In all directions
In the Beast laid to Rest
The beast is now at peace
and put Forth in her Mouth
And is now something the dog can carry in their mouth
Tied to ties that she hides behind every fox
Connected to things that are unknown, hidden behind each fox
She say her breath in the air in the morning light
She saw her breath in the morning air
so she laid back down by her lover's side
So she went back to sleep by her loved one's side
There is some truth to this lie, no joke
There is truth behind this statement
so look at your fire not the smoke
So focus on the substance, not the appearance of things
Contributed by Xavier K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Valerie N
I love this song. I just found out about these guys and I like their sound.
Jose T
@andyxkaragiozi What I did see was a lot of people having fun with this great band in a beautiful NY sunset scene. Doing herbs and other controlled substances. What a great show, ah?
Andreas Diakos
word im def goin to see them in july when they come to nyc
li_rizubeto
la puta mare que buena cancion!
Jose T
@andyxkaragiozi Yeah! This coming Friday, free concert at south seaport. I hope they don't cancel it due to the storm announced for that day.
Chris Marshall
Got a little Animal Collective feel here...great song.
Erik Hernandez Cantú
Same music scene
Andreas Diakos
@vivelavidarocka it was a great show indeed lol
Chris Marshall
PANDA Bear In Heaven. Lol
Brilliantshine
The sound is pretty sexy. I like.