Condon recorded before Beirut was established: when he was fifteen and under the name of Realpeople, he made an electronic record, fashioned after his love for The Magnetic Fields. Condon was a straight-A student until he dropped out at the age of 17 to travel Europe with his cousin in a drunken haze, cavorting and partying with the locals wherever he ended up. It was during one of these evenings that he was first exposed to Balkan music (notably including the Boban Marković Orkestar and Goran Bregović), blasting from the upstairs apartment. Condon ended up with the Serbian artists all night, going through albums country by country, note for note.
The first album under the Beirut moniker, Gulag Orkestar (2006), was the direct result of what he learned that night. While it may sound like an entire Balkan orchestra playing modern songs as mournful ballads and upbeat marches, the album was performed and recorded almost entirely by Condon alone. He did so on Pro Tools while skipping school in Albuquerque and at Sea Side Studios in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Jeremy Barnes added percussion and some violin overlays.
After recording, Condon formed a full band which at times varies in the number of members, from six to ten. Live he is accompanied by Perrin Cloutier (cello/accordion), Jason Poranski (guitar/mandolin/ukulele), Nick Petree (drums), Kristin Ferebee (violin), Paul Collins (organ/keys/tambourine/ukulele), Jon Natchez (baritone sax/mandolin/glockenspiel), and Kelly Pratt (trumpet/euphonium).
In November 2006 Condon was "briefly hospitalized for extreme exhaustion", the band's website said, and as a consequence the band cancelled the rest of the tour. They resumed performing in March 2007 and released their second album, The Flying Club Cup the same year on October 9th. Parts of the album were performed and recorded by Condon in his bedroom again, but others were recorded with the live band, which resulted in a more organic, live sound. While writing, Condon said he was inspired by French music, like Jacques Brel (whose song Le Moribond he covered on his Elephant Gun EP), and he moved to Paris for a while. During the extensive tour in support of The Flying Club Cup, Condon and the band more or less fell apart from exhaustion once again and disappeared from the radar in April 2008.
Condon took a long break and returned in 2009 with a double EP, March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland. The first was partly recorded in Mexico with the Mexican Band Jimenez and had a more South-American flavour to it than Condon's previous efforts. The second EP 'Holland' was credited to Condon's old name Realpeople and consisted of five electrotracks, once more in the vein of The Magnetic Fields.
The band's album "The Rip Tide" was released in 2011.
Albums
* Gulag Orkestar (May 9, 2006)
* The Flying Club Cup (October 9, 2007)
* The Rip Tide (August 2, 2011)
* No No No (September 11, 2015)
* Gallipoli (February 1, 2019)
* Artifacts (January 28, 2022)
EPs
* Lon Gisland EP (January 30, 2007)
* Pompeii (February 28, 2007)
* Elephant Gun (June 25, 2007)
* March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland (February 17, 2009)
* East Harlem (June 7, 2011)
* The Berlin-Albuquerque Sessions (November 22, 2022)
Official website: www.beirutband.com
In the Mausoleum
Beirut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your secret life
In your mausoleum
And Berlin
Is so ugly in the morning light
But with them
I could never feel so right
Interpreting the lyrics of Beirut's song "In the Mausoleum" could be challenging with its abstract imagery and poetic diction. However, a possible meaning for the song's refrain could be the singer's longing to understand the past of a lover who passed away, and in doing so, finding solace and comfort at a surreal place. When the singer says, "time travels to learn your secret life in your mausoleum," he might be referring to how time is a valuable resource that when used adequately, could help unravel the mystery behind someone's life. The mausoleum could also be a metaphorical representation of a space where the lover's past is well-preserved and seeking to uncover the mysteries of the past could be cathartic for the singer.
In the second stanza, the singer compares the ugliness of early morning Berlin to the beauty found in being with the people he loves. This line could potentially represent the singer's desire to escape from the mundane reality of his surroundings and to find refuge and clarity in the company of others. Perhaps, the people he is referring to could be the same people buried within the mausoleum. The line could be interpreted as a symbolic representation of the singer's battle with loneliness and how he finds hope and friendship in the unlikeliest of places.
Line by Line Meaning
Time travels to learn
The past can teach us valuable lessons if we take the time to reflect on it.
Your secret life
The undisclosed parts of your existence that you keep hidden from the outside world.
In your mausoleum
A metaphorical reference to a tomb or a shrine where one's memories and secrets lie buried.
And Berlin
A specific city that stands in contrast to the artist's current surroundings.
Is so ugly in the morning light
The initial impression of a place can be unappealing, especially when viewed under unfavorable circumstances.
But with them
The companionship of people who share one's values and interests.
I could never feel so right
The sense of belonging and connection that comes from being with those who understand and accept you fully.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KENDRICK STRAUCH, ZACH CONDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind