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.
Bound For Boston Hill
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the moon lay upon its back
Driving deep into the throat
Of the countryside
Strapped tight into
Centre of scene
Starry open attic night
No headline hits happen here
About what do I write
So sad the pull I feel
Is a push into out of sight
Hard not to look behind
When there's something
On your back
On your soul
On your mind
Let time pass by
Circles fly
Time can wet and roll a
Tear from the eye
Strapped tight into
Centre of scene
Starry open attic night
No headline hits happen here
About what do I write
So sad the pull I feel
Is a push into out of sight
The opening lines of "Bound for Boston Hill" describe a drive into the countryside at night. The singer is leaving behind civilization and venturing out into the unknown. The moon lying on its back is a striking image that sets a slightly ominous tone. The countryside is also described as the throat, which gives the impression that it's a living thing that the singer is entering. The atmosphere of the song is surreal and dreamlike, with the stars above and the darkness around them.
The second half of the verse shifts the focus to the singer's feelings. They're strapped in tight, which suggests fear or anxiety. The scene around them is open and vast, which only adds to the sense of vulnerability. The line "no headline hits happen here" acknowledges that nothing exciting or newsworthy is happening. The lack of drama is contrasted with the powerful emotions the singer is feeling. They're torn between wanting to look back at their past and pressing forward into the unknown. Time is passing by, changes are happening, and the singer is struggling to keep up.
Overall, "Bound for Boston Hill" paints a picture of a journey into the unknown, both physically and emotionally. The countryside is beautiful but also a little frightening, and the singer is grappling with complex emotions. It's a song about moving forward into the future, even when it feels like everything is falling apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Out into pitch black
Venturing into complete darkness
Where the moon lay upon its back
Where the moon shone down on the ground below
Driving deep into the throat
Driving deep into the heart
Of the countryside
Of the rural and natural surroundings
Strapped tight into
Secured tightly in place
Centre of scene
In the center of the action
Starry open attic night
A clear, starry night in the open air
No headline hits happen here
Nothing newsworthy occurs in this area
About what do I write
What is there to say?
So sad the pull I feel
I am saddened by the urge I have
Is a push into out of sight
That pushes me further away
Hard not to look behind
Difficult to resist looking back
When there's something
When there is something important
On your back
Weighing on your mind
On your soul
Affecting your spirit
On your mind
Occupying your thoughts
Let time pass by
Allow time to elapse
Circles fly
Time continues to move in loops
Time can wet and roll a
Time can bring forth
Tear from the eye
Emotional tears
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BRIAN PATRICK CROSBY, DAVE BRIAN GERAGHTY, DOMINIC MICHAEL PHILLIPS, PAUL ANTHONY NOONAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind