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.
Enjoy The Silence
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Break the silence
Come crashing in
Into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can't you understand
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
Enjoy the silence
The lyrics of Bell X1's "Enjoy The Silence" are a poignant commentary on the power and limitations of communication. The opening lines immediately set the tone, with the singer suggesting that words can be violent and break through the silence that surrounds us. The singer's world is "little," perhaps suggesting a sense of isolation or constriction, and the intrusion of painful words only serves to exacerbate this feeling. The singer implores a "little girl" to understand the pain that words can cause, but it's clear that this is a futile effort - she is unable or unwilling to connect with him.
The second verse takes a more abstract look at the nature of communication. Vows and feelings are both noted as being intense, but ultimately trivial compared to the basic pleasures and pains of existence. Words are meaningless and forgettable, unable to capture the depth and complexity of human emotion. The repetition of the chorus - "All I ever wanted, all I ever needed, is here in my arms" - suggests that the singer has found meaning and comfort beyond language, and that the silence he once feared is now something to be savored and enjoyed.
Overall, "Enjoy The Silence" is a powerful meditation on the ways in which language can both connect us and drive us apart. The singer longs for connection and understanding, but ultimately realizes that there are some things that can only be expressed through silence. The song's haunting melody and sparse instrumentation only serve to reinforce the emotional weight of its lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Words like violence
The use of harsh words can be painful and harmful.
Break the silence
Speaking out abruptly and making noise can disrupt peace and quiet.
Come crashing in
Interrupts without warning and with great force.
Into my little world
Into my personal space and comfort zone.
Painful to me
It causes deep emotional pain.
Pierce right through me
It penetrates deeply into my heart and soul.
Can't you understand
Can't you comprehend the effect your words have on me?
Oh my little girl
Addressing someone who is dear and close to them.
All I ever wanted
The artist expresses their simple desires in life.
All I ever needed
The artist finds complete satisfaction in having someone they love in their arms.
Is here in my arms
Referring to someone they love, whom they hold in high regard.
Words are very unnecessary
The artist places more value on physical presence rather than filling the silence with words that may do more harm than good.
They can only do harm
The singer believes that words may do more harm than good if not used wisely.
Vows are spoken
Promises are made to be broken.
To be broken
Implying that promises made cannot always be kept.
Feelings are intense
The emotions being felt are strong and deep.
Words are trivial
Words are of little significance compared to the intensity of emotions being felt.
Pleasures remain
Although pain may exist, pleasure also exists.
So does the pain
The singer acknowledges that pain is also present.
Words are meaningless
Expressing the artist's belief that words do not have the same value as physical affection and presence.
And forgettable
Further emphasizing how little significance words truly hold compared to being together and enjoying the silence.
Enjoy the silence
The artist relishes the moments of peace, devoid of harsh words and instead filled with quiet comfort.
Contributed by Tyler K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kevin Attard
Words like violence
Break the silence
Come crashing in
Into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can't you understand
Oh my little girl
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
Enjoy the silence
zombitsunami
One of the best covers of this I've heard yet, and I'm sitting here listening to all of them. Everyone else tends to over do it, and kill what is really an amazing song...nice to hear a simpler take. Failure and Matthew Good Band also do pretty good versions, but this is becoming my favorite cover!
Charlene T
My favourite bell x1 cover. Loved this for years and years. Just brings a tear to my eye every time. In my opinion, a million times better than the original.
fafnir47
such a great version of this song I listen to it at least 10 times a day
Kevin Attard
Words like violence
Break the silence
Come crashing in
Into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can't you understand
Oh my little girl
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
Enjoy the silence
Jarshvor
this is both awesome and beautiful
James Milligan
Just heard this on the CI channel too... amazing cover :)
david yelvy
great song and my favourite ever cover of any song....
91jr14
this was also on the rocky took a lover single good song
todflandersnatnat
OMG ciara brady this song is actually class
Colin McNally
anybody know where i can get their cover of manic monday,think was today fm aswell