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
The Akara
Beirut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So long, I can't wait
To my love, wait one more
So long, mistress sings
So long, my fate has changed
It's been deranged
So long, I've been saved before
I'm saved once more
I call upon my daring
I call upon, I can't taste anymore
I can't waste anymore
The song "The Akara" by Beirut features lyrics that are full of raw emotion, longing and a sense of desperation. The opening lines "So long, mistress sings" are open to interpretation, but it seems as though the singer is bidding farewell to a lover or a mistress. The repetition of "so long" emphasizes the permanence of this goodbye and creates a sense of finality. As the lyrics progress, the singer speaks of his fate being changed and deranged, which suggests that he has undergone a significant transformation recently. This change seems to have brought about a sense of relief as he mentions being "saved once more."
The lyrics "so long to these kite strings" adds to the theme of transformation and liberation. Kites are often associated with freedom and in this context, it seems as though the singer has finally let go of something that was holding him back. The lines "I call upon my daring, I call upon, I can't taste anymore, I can't waste anymore" hint at the desperation and urgency that the singer feels. He is ready to take risks and try new things, but he realizes that time is running out, and he cannot afford to waste any more time.
Overall, "The Akara" is a beautiful and poignant song that explores themes of change, liberation, and personal growth. The lyrics are evocative and leave the listener with a sense of longing and bittersweet nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
And so long, mistress sings
As time passes and distance grows between us, the memory of my beloved still echoes in my mind.
So long, I can't wait
The anticipation and yearning for my love has become unbearable and almost too much to bear.
To my love, wait one more
Although the pain of separation and the longing for my love is almost too much to bear, I still hold on to hope, asking my love to wait for me just a little bit longer.
So long, mistress sings
Once again, the memory of my beloved echoes in my ears like a sweet and sorrowful song.
So long, my fate has changed
My future and destiny have taken a different course since the last time I saw my love.
It's been deranged
The change in my fate has brought chaos and confusion.
So long to these kite strings
I let go of the things that held me down, flew higher and soared towards the possibilities of the future.
So long, I've been saved before
I've been rescued from difficult and perilous situations before, and I trust that I will be rescued again.
I'm saved once more
My faith and perseverance have once again led me to safety and salvation.
I call upon my daring
I activate my courage and bravery to face the challenges ahead.
I call upon, I can't taste anymore
I search for something to satisfy my hunger and thirst for life, but nothing seems to suffice. I am left wanting more, but feeling as though something is missing.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ZACH CONDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind