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
Landslide
Beirut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pity I can't hold on
I should really behold
My world washed clear past on
There's a landslide back on
Only when I'm alone
Could we ever have known
How the roads would return
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
There's a landslide back on
No, I can't let it go on
And I lay on the stone
And it keeps my heart warm
If you ever return
In a wonderful form
Don't you wait out the storm
Just pull roots and move on
There's a landslide back on
Pity I can't hold on
I should really behold
My world washed clear past on
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
Oh, I
In Beirut's song "Landslide," the lyrics portray a sense of loss and the overwhelming feeling of not being able to hold onto something that once felt solid. The repeated phrase "There's a landslide back on" alludes to the idea of an event that has caused everything to shift and become unstable. The singer reflects on how they should have paid more attention to the warning signs, and how the world they once knew has been completely altered. The line "And it keeps my heart warm" suggests that even though things are uncertain, there is still something comforting about the stone on which they lay.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of resignation, as the singer acknowledges that they cannot change the course of events and must accept the new reality. The line "Just pull roots and move on" implies that sometimes the only way forward is to let go of what you once knew and start over. The use of the phrases "Only when I'm alone" and "If you ever return in a wonderful form" show how the singer is grappling with their own personal sense of isolation and the possibility of finding a new beginning.
Overall, "Landslide" is a melancholic song that reflects on the ever-shifting nature of life and the way we must adapt to change in order to keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a landslide back on
There's a catastrophic event that has occurred which has destabilized the environment
Pity I can't hold on
It's unfortunate that I am unable to grasp or control the situation
I should really behold
I need to truly see and comprehend the situation at hand
My world washed clear past on
My entire life and everything I've known has been completely changed and moved by the landslide
Only when I'm alone
I am only able to process and reflect on the situation when I am by myself
Could we ever have known
If we were not separate, would we have been able to prevent or foresee the landslide?
How the roads would return
Would the roads and pathways return to their original state after this event?
Oh, I
Expression of inner turmoil
No, I can't let it go on
I cannot allow the situation to continue
And I lay on the stone
I am in a state of vulnerability and weakness
And it keeps my heart warm
Despite the difficulties, something brings me comfort amidst the chaos
If you ever return
If something from the past resurfaces
In a wonderful form
In a way that seems beautiful or desirable
Don't you wait out the storm
Do not hesitate or linger in a time of struggle
Just pull roots and move on
Remove yourself from the situation and continue on your path elsewhere
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Zach Condon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BrysonSpahn
There's a landslide back home
Pity I can't hold on
I should really behold
My world washed clear by stone
There's a landslide back home
Only when I'm alone
Could we ever have known
How the world would return
There's a landslide back home
No, I can't let it go on
And I lay on the stone
And it keeps my heart warm
If you ever return
In a wonderful form
Don't you wait out the storm
Just pull roots and move on
There's a landslide back home
Pity I can't hold on
I should really behold
My world washed clear by stone
@ixqanea
i love u so much 💛
@jackallenproductions
Thanks, but I don't even know you.
@laflor2947
feels like i'm hearing a friend's voice after a long time
@tamie341
Agreed! welcome home zach, missed ya dearly :)
@urbnsky
Well... it’s been a long time long time now 😏
@P00katube
Sounds like The Smiths have reunited.
@andrewandrew4970
Because you are
@beneemna4429
Yes I feel like this too
@vanessamariia1195
A felicidade que eu sinto ao ver que os comentários está cheio de brasileiros <3 eu sinto muita saudade da Beirut, espero que lancem outro álbum logo.
Com todo amor do mundo pra vocês, minha banda preferida, hoje e sempre <3
@joelmabastos260
Te amo Beirut ❤.