Bell XI is an indie rock group which formed in 1999 in County Kildare, Irel… Read Full Bio ↴Bell XI is an indie rock group which formed in 1999 in County Kildare, Ireland. The band consists of Paul Noonan (vocals, drums, guitar), David Geraghty (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Dominic Philips (bass, vocals). Brian Crosby (guitar, vocals) left in 2008. All four are former members of Juniper. The band has released seven studio albums: "Neither Am I" (2000), "Music in Mouth" (2003), "Flock" (2005), "Blue Lights on the Runway" (2009), "Bloodless Coup" (2011), "Chop Chop" (2013) and "Arms" (2016). They have also released two live albums: "Tour de Flock" (2007) and "Field Recordings" (2012). The former also includes a DVD of one of their live concerts.

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.

Deep
Bell X1 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't wanna shake you off
I love the way we fit
I can't resist one who dares
Nor ones who shares like that

And returning to your sea
Somewhere I can bathe my feet
But if the wounds are too deep

You may not have the want
To heal me

You dig it babe
You dig it in deep

The mould has been repressed
And with it all I've known
We have one up on each other
The same mistake

You dig it in babe
You dig it in babe

Overall Meaning

In the opening lines of the song, Bell X1 sings, "I don't wanna shake you off, I love the way we fit." It is a statement of commitment and affection towards someone he loves. He is declaring that he doesn't want to let go of the person he loves and enjoys how well they fit together. The subsequent lyric, "I can't resist one who dares, nor ones who shares like that," seems to imply that he is drawn to someone who is bold and willing to share their true selves.

The chorus of the song, "You dig it babe, you dig it in deep," is somewhat ambiguous. It's unclear what the artist is referring to, but it seems to suggest a strong connection between two people. In the following lines, the artist sings, "The mould has been repressed, and with it all I've known. We have one up on each other, the same mistake." It is a reflection on how the artist's life has changed since he became close with this person. He acknowledges that they have made mistakes along the way, but they are learning from each other as they grow together.

The final lines of the song, "You dig it in babe, you dig it in babe," seem to be a repetition of the chorus. It's a reminder of how much the artist values the person he loves and how deep their connection runs.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't wanna shake you off
I do not want to let go of our relationship.

I love the way we fit
I admire the way we complement each other.

I can't resist one who dares
I am attracted to those who take risks.

Nor ones who shares like that
I am also drawn to people who are open and honest.

And returning to your sea
I want to go back to the comfort of being with you.

Somewhere I can bathe my feet
I want a safe haven where I can relax and be myself.

But if the wounds are too deep
If our issues are too profound or difficult to solve,

You may not have the want
You might not have the desire

To heal me
to help me recover from them.

You dig it babe
You understand me and my needs.

You dig it in deep
You connect with me on a deeper level.