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 Shrew
Beirut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To lift me a buckle or rise
And once her eyes covered with flies
The pain she no longer disguised
Windows that I'm terrorized in time
Never to ignite
There was once a time beside
It holds each one in light
How long she's been by my side
But at last, the stable's retired
In the song "The Shrew" by Beirut, the lyrics describe a relationship that has been strained and has come to an end. The singer reflects on how she was never obligated to help him or even acknowledge him, and reminisces on a time when she was there for him. However, over time, their connection faded and the singer feels trapped and scared in a situation that has become unbearable. The pain is no longer hidden, as evident from her fly-covered eyes, and the windows that once held light now only bring terror.
The lyrics also touch upon the theme of loss and the passage of time. The line "Until the market left dry" signifies how everything has a finite lifespan, including relationships. The once-stable bond has now crumbled, and although the singer acknowledges the time that they spent together, he knows that it has ultimately come to an end.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Shrew" convey a sense of mournfulness and the ache of a broken relationship. It is a poignant reminder that all good things must come to an end, and that love can sometimes be fleeting.
Line by Line Meaning
She wasn't ever obliged
She was never obligated
To lift me a buckle or rise
To help me up or show concern
And once her eyes covered with flies
And even with her eyes swarmed by flies
The pain she no longer disguised
She couldn't hide the pain anymore
Windows that I'm terrorized in time
In the windows, I fear passing time
Never to ignite
Never to spark a flame
There was once a time beside
There was a time beside me
It holds each one in light
It illuminates everyone around
‘Til the market left dry
Until the market was barren
How long she's been by my side
How long she's stood by me
But at last, the stable's retired
But now, the stable is put to rest
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ZACH CONDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind