1991 - 2000
Brian, Paul, Dom and Damien Rice form Juniper, having met in school. They go to college, play some weddings, 21st's and Bar Mitzvahs... and for a while have a Sunday night residency in the Kildrought Lounge and Bar, Celbridge. They meet Dave, who weans them off the Neil Diamond and Roxette covers. Band move into house in country, release EP, Manna, and two singles in Ireland. Damien leaves band, the others read about Chuck Yeager and his Right Stuff. They call the new band Bell X1. Bell X1 support Elliott Smith and Bon Jovi in the same 1 week period, leading to severe identity crisis, making small music with big hair. They make their first album, Neither Am I, in the summer/autumn of 1999 with Nick Seymour of Crowded House and release it in Ireland a year later, after much touring and a couple of old singles.
2001
Band take some time to indulge musical differences. Paul records and tours as drummer with Tipperary siren Gemma Hayes, Brian's away with Offaly hearthrob Mundy, and Dave and Dom join Richie Mullen of Lino Richie Carpets, Finglas, in touring cabaret show. Bell X1 regroup in late summer and write songs for what would become Music in Mouth in a house by the sea in Wexford.
2002
Second album recording starts in Ridge Farm studios in Surrey, with producer Jamie Cullum. After 4 weeks they move to the Fallout Shelter, London. The studio has no teapot!! Some moaning. The band take turns to make dinner. Some of it is shit. The world Cup happens. Mixing finishes in July and everyone goes away for a while. Come back and mix it all again. Borrow a friend's house in Kilkenny, record some more songs, play hurling, are laughed at by locals. Music in Mouth finally finished in December, a few days after the birth of Jamie's daughter Ellie, who was both conceived and born during the making of the record.
2003, 2004
The album Music in Mouth is released on July 21st 2003, to tremendous applause, and the band play with all sorts to try to flog it. Tom McRae, Keane, Starsailor, Aqualung and Snow Patrol show them the highways and byways of the UK and continental Europe. Songs from the record appear in many TV series, from Teachers to The OC, and at home the album goes double platinum, with four top 40 singles. In July 2004, the band gather in yet another house in Wexford to write a new record.
2005
Flock is recorded in Dublin and mixed in London, with Roger Becherian producing and Phil Hayes knob twiddling. A shrine to Daniel O' Donnell (Irish singing deity, ref Cliff Richard without ever having had a brush with cool) is created in the green room, Dave creates Pistachio Nut Shell Installation and mustaches are grown. The band take a break from recording and sell out a mini tour in the USA, where they record a live session for Nic Harcourt’s essential show on KCRW in L.A.
Flock is released in Ireland and hits the heights of #1 in the album charts. The band leaves Island Records and sets up its own record label called BellyUp records. A live album called Tour De Flock is released - it is a 2-disc compilation featuring 16 tracks from their sold-out gig at The Point Theatre, Dublin on December 1, 2006.
In 2008, Flock is released in the USA and the band appears on the St. Patrick's Day edition of the Late Show with David Letterman.
On 2nd October, Brian Crosby quits saying "It's been an extraordinary privilege to be in a band with your mates for more than 15 years. I'm really grateful for everything I got to do with Bell X1, for all the adventures we had and for the great support of our fans. It's been particularly wonderful to have connected with so many people and to have got to meet people all over the world doing what I love. I look forward to continue making those connections. At the same time I'll be applauding the boys continued success."
As well as promoting Flock in the USA, the band gets busy recording a new album Blue Lights On The Runway. It finally sees the light of day in 2009, with lead single The Great Defector becoming their biggest hit to date (no. 3 in the Irish charts).
2011
The band will release its newest album Bloodless Coup in stores and online on April 1 in Ireland, April 4 in the UK, April 8 in Germany and Benelux, April 12 in the USA and Canada, and April 26 in France. The album's lead single is “Velcro,” which the band performed on The Rachael Ray Show on St. Patrick's Day.
Bad Skin Day
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a bad skin day
And I can't face my lover
On a bad skin day
Am I this alone?
Volcano has erupted
And the ash sails down
And I'm a poor soul of Pompeii
On a bad skin day
And you're far from me
You're all far from me
Right where I want you to be
Far from me
I could've got a job
I could've been a contender, when I never…
But the streak is only so long
They're all different shades
Of the same song
There's a wind in these sails, feels like I'm always waiting…
For the gold in them there hills, feels like I'm never…
Them there hills
And they're far from me
Someday we'll all wear a crown
Far from me
Someday we'll be the fairest of them all
So far from me
Someday we'll have an
Open top bus parade
For from me
Someday we'll do the
Sorry sorry charade
It feels like we're always waiting
It feels like we're never leading
The song Bad Skin Day by Bell X1 is a deeply introspective and reflective piece about feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. The song opens with the singer waking up on a "bad skin day", feeling as though he is plagued by a sense of physical imperfection that he cannot hide. He contemplates the idea that he is alone in feeling this way, as if he has become a victim of a natural disaster, such as the eruption of a volcano, that would leave him feeling like a "poor soul of Pompeii". However, he acknowledges that his reaction may be over-the-top, admitting with self-deprecation "Oh Christ I'm such a drama queen".
Even more powerful than his feelings of physical insecurity are his feelings of distance from others around him. He notes that they all seem "far from me", a distance he both desires and recoils from. One interpretation of this could be that in his self-doubt, he feels unworthy or incapable of truly connecting with others, yet at the same time he hopes that they will remain distant enough not to see his flaws. The latter half of the song is even more reflective, as the singer contemplates missed opportunities and the feeling of constantly waiting for something to anchor him to something positive in his life. The references to the "gold in them there hills" and "someday we'll all wear a crown" highlight the sense that there is something better just out of reach, and that the singer is perpetually on the outside looking in.
Overall, the song is an exploration of the feelings of isolation and desperation that can come with insecurity and self-doubt. The references to historical disasters and the sense of waiting for something to come along and save the singer from his bad skin day create a powerful sense of both tragedy and hopelessness.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake in the morning
Upon waking up in the morning
Of a bad skin day
On a day when their skin is not looking good
And I can't face my lover
They feel self-conscious and unable to face their partner
On a bad skin day
Emphasizing once again that it is a day when their skin looks bad
Am I this alone?
Feeling isolated and alone in their appearance struggles
Volcano has erupted
Comparing their skin to a volcano that has erupted in a negative way
And the ash sails down
Depicting the aftermath of the volcanic eruption
And I'm a poor soul of Pompeii
Feeling like a victim of a natural disaster, specifically using the famous Pompeii ruins as a comparison
Oh Christ I'm such a drama queen
Acknowledging that they may be overreacting or being overly dramatic about their skin issues
On a bad skin day
Once again emphasizing that this is a bad day for their skin
And you're far from me
Feeling distant from their loved ones
You're all far from me
All loved ones are distant, not just one person
Right where I want you to be
Despite feeling distant, they are actually happy that their loved ones are in their respective places
Far from me
Continuing to emphasize the feeling of distance and isolation
I could've got a job
Reflecting on potential career opportunities
I could've been a contender, when I never…
Feeling regretful about missed opportunities or unfulfilled potential
But the streak is only so long
Acknowledging that streaks or runs of success are limited
They're all different shades
Referring to different shades of colors or moods
Of the same song
Despite being different shades, they are ultimately the same thing
There's a wind in these sails, feels like I'm always waiting…
Feeling restless or impatient while waiting for something to happen, perhaps success or good fortune
For the gold in them there hills, feels like I'm never…
Feeling like the gold or success they desire is always just out of reach
Them there hills
Referring to the classic phrase 'them thar hills,' which is used to describe something that is far away or difficult to reach
And they're far from me
Continuing the theme of feeling distant from something desirable
Someday we'll all wear a crown
Looking forward to a time when everyone will be successful or regarded highly
Far from me
Despite the hopeful sentiment in the previous line, the feeling of distance and isolation persists
Someday we'll be the fairest of them all
Another hopeful sentiment, imagining a time when they will be the best or most attractive
So far from me
Continuing to emphasize the feeling of distance and isolation
Someday we'll have an
Looking forward to a time when something positive will happen
Open top bus parade
A celebratory parade where people ride in open-top buses
For from me
Reiterating the feeling of distance and isolation
Someday we'll do the
Imagining another positive event in the future
Sorry sorry charade
Referring to a situation where someone apologizes profusely but their apologies are not necessarily genuine or effective
It feels like we're always waiting
Feeling stuck or stagnant, waiting for something to happen
It feels like we're never leading
Feeling like they are always following or falling behind, rather than leading the pack
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BRIAN PATRICK CROSBY, DAVE BRIAN GERAGHTY, DOMINIC MICHAEL PHILLIPS, PAUL ANTHONY NOONAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind