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.
Built to Last
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is to avoid the common lie
That we're under starters
Starters orders
She lost her nerve the last day
Distractions in the cross-hairs
Still under starters,
Misunderstanding Orders
We were built to last
Night time is the wrong time
To be with the thoughts you fear
They drag their nails and rattle
Their chains
See the people walk so slow
Moving statues of heavy stone
Illusions for the non-believer
Or just a shadow thrown
We're made like the past
We were built to last
Words don't move her
She's moving on, she's moving on.
And he can't drown out the
Distant drone
Every morning he wakes and
Starts again
Is this all that you've done?
Speeding lights and runways
Spit her out into a new day
And the bullet you dodged
Will soon be lodged in another heart
We're made like the past
We were built to last
They don't make us like they used to
We can't stand the test of time
The lyrics of "Built to Last" by Bell X1 seem to be about the fleeting nature of time and the inability of people to cope with it. The singer seems to be reflecting on how most people cope with the reality of life by falling back on cliches, succumbing to distractions, and avoiding their true feelings. The lyrics suggest that people are built for longevity but seem to struggle in a rapidly changing world. The opening lines "What's sure to get you by, is to avoid the common lie, that we're under starters, starters orders" suggest that we need to avoid common cliches and face life with a fresh perspective.
The lyrics also explore the importance of memories, trickery of the mind and how it influences our perception of reality, and how people struggle to move on from past experiences. The lines "Nighttime is the wrong time to be with the thoughts you fear, they drag their nails and rattle their chains" give a haunting picture of how thoughts can torment. The lines, "Words don't move her, she's moving on, she's moving on. And he can't drown out the distant drone. Every morning he wakes and starts again. Is this all that you've done?" suggest that it's challenging to move on from the past, and sometimes we can't escape memories.
Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on our collective struggle with change and mortality while also acknowledging how our past shapes us. The song encourages us to face our fears and move forward while accepting the reality of our finite existence.
Interesting Facts:
Line by Line Meaning
What's sure to get you by
The best way to succeed is by avoiding common lies
Is to avoid the common lie
In order to succeed, you must be truthful and avoid common lies
That we're under starters
We are currently beginning something new and uncertain
Starters orders
We are being given instructions on how to begin
She lost her nerve the last day
She became nervous and lost her confidence on the last day
Distractions in the cross-hairs
There are things that are trying to distract us from our goals
Still under starters,
We are still in the beginning stages
Misunderstanding Orders
We may not fully understand the instructions we have been given
We're made like the past
We are similar in many ways to people who have come before us
We were built to last
We were made with longevity in mind
Night time is the wrong time
Night time is not the best time for one to be alone with their thoughts
To be with the thoughts you fear
Having negative thoughts can be scary and uncomfortable
They drag their nails and rattle Their chains
Negative thoughts can feel like they are tormenting us
See the people walk so slow
People can appear to be moving in slow motion
Moving statues of heavy stone
People can seem unmoving and unchangeable
Illusions for the non-believer Or just a shadow thrown
People who are pessimistic may see the world as an illusion or delusion; others may see it as a fleeting shadow
Words don't move her
She is not influenced by words alone
She's moving on, she's moving on.
She is continuing her journey and not getting stuck in the past
And he can't drown out the Distant drone
He is unable to block out an unsettling sound in the distance
Every morning he wakes and Starts again
Each day, he starts anew with his goals and responsibilities
Is this all that you've done?
Is what you have done so far all that you are capable of?
Speeding lights and runways
Fast-moving lights and runways suggest life is moving quickly and may pass us by
Spit her out into a new day
She is moving forward with determination and vigor
And the bullet you dodged Will soon be lodged in another heart
What you avoid or escape may impact others instead
They don't make us like they used to
People today are not the same as those in the past
We can't stand the test of time
Our current way of life may not be sustainable in the long run
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Col W
This is awesome!
TheDeviantGia
Thanks for posting! You're the best!