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
Santa Fe
Beirut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This day undone
The kind that breaks under
All day at once
For me, for you
I'm just too young
And what of my heart
This day was once
All grace of lost
Can't wait at all
Can't wait at all
Temptations won
And whatever comes through the door
I'll see you face to face
All by your place
Sign me up, Santa Fe
And call your son
Sign me up, Santa Fe
On the cross, Santa Fe
And all I want
Sign me up, Santa Fe
And call your son
And I and I and I alone (want you to know)
And I and I and I alone
And I and I and I alone (want you to know)
And I and I and I alone
Your days in one
This day undone
The kind that breaks under
All day at once
For me, for you
I'm just too young
And what of my heart
Sign me up, Santa Fe
And call your son
Sign me up, Santa Fe
On the cross, Santa Fe
And all I want
Sign me up, Santa Fe
And call your son
The lyrics of Beirut's song "Santa Fe" appear to express a sense of lostness, yearning for direction, and a desperate need for something or someone to hold onto. The opening lines, "Your days in one, this day undone, the kind that breaks under all day at once," suggests that the singer is overwhelmed and unable to cope with the challenges of everyday life. The chorus, "Sign me up, Santa Fe and call your son, on the cross, Santa Fe and all I want, sign me up, Santa Fe, and call your son," shows the desperation of the singer in seeking something to hold on to, such as religion or a higher power.
The lyrics are cryptic and open-ended, and it’s up to the listener to interpret the meaning of the song. The line “I'm just too young, and what of my heart” could imply that the singer feels unprepared to handle whatever life throws at them, and that they wear their heart on their sleeve. The song’s reference to Santa Fe could be seen as a metaphor for an idyllic location or a new beginning, or as a literal journey to a better place.
Overall, the song is evocative and emotional and encourages the listener to reflect on their own sense of purpose and direction in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Your days in one
All your days have merged into one continuous cycle of monotony
This day undone
Today has completely unraveled and fallen apart
The kind that breaks under
This is the type of day that is too heavy to carry and will cause one to break down
All day at once
Every single moment of the day feels like it's happening all at once
For me, for you
This applies to both you and I
I'm just too young
I am not yet ready or mature enough to handle the weight of what is happening
And what of my heart
What happens to my heart in all of this turmoil?
This day was once
There was a time when this day was filled with hope and promise
Silent before
Everything was quiet and peaceful before the chaos began
All grace of lost
The beauty and grace of the past has been lost and can never be regained
Can't wait at all
I cannot wait even a moment longer
Temptations won
Temptations have triumphed and taken control
And whatever comes through the door
No matter what happens or who walks in
I'll see you face to face
I will meet you directly, without any barriers, and confront everything head-on
All by your place
Right where you are, in your comfort zone
Sign me up, Santa Fe
Take me away to Santa Fe, a place of escapism and hope
And call your son
Ask for help from a higher power, in this case, God
On the cross, Santa Fe
A reference to Jesus Christ dying on the cross, seeking salvation in Santa Fe
And all I want
All I desire and yearn for
And I and I and I alone (want you to know)
I, and only I, am the one who needs to understand this
And I and I and I alone
I, and only I, am the one who knows what I need to do
And I and I and I alone (want you to know)
I, and only I, need to understand this in order to move forward
Sign me up, Santa Fe
Take me away to Santa Fe, a place of healing and new beginnings
And call your son
Ask for the guidance of a higher power
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Zach Condon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shanks
Your days in one
This day undone
(The kind that breaks under)
All day at once
(for me, for you)
I'm just too young
(And what of my heart)
This day was once
(Silence before)
All grace of lost
Can't wait at all
(Can't wait at all)
Temptation won
And what ever comes through the door
I'll see it face to face
All by your place
Sign me up Santa Fe
And call your son
Sign me up Santa Fe
On the cross Santa Fe
And all I want
Sign me up Santa Fe
And call your son
And I and I and I alone want you to know
And I and I and I alone
And I and I and I alone want you to know
And I and I and I alone
Your days in one
This day undone
(The kind that breaks under)
All day at once
(for me, for you)
I'm just too young
(And what of my heart)
Sign me up Santa Fe
And call your son
Sign me up Santa Fe
On the cross Santa Fe
And all I want
Sign me up Santa Fe
And call your son
Lais Teixeira
O que Beirut tem, que nos prende assim nas músicas?
É magnífico
MrBibriand
Me fez chorar esse video. Adoro Beirut e aqui no Brasil eles não são tão conhecidos. Mas adoro eles...
Alan Miranda Márquez
Eu pensei que sim. Sempre há muitos brasileiros comentando nos videos dele. Saludos desde México.
Caio Arthur
Amoooooo
Paola Namuncura
They are not known in the US either
Guilherme Brusantin
acho q o Brasil é onde tem o maior publico deles, mas é só um chute pela presença nos comentários.
Karina Jackson
Amoooooooo
J M
I just love this song and video so much! Beirut starts alot of my days. Definitely one of my favorite bands
pbtthhh
The lead singer's voice has a touch of fatalism and tragic romance that I love and seems to suit this song perfectly.
fafafagat
Like the killers lead singer?