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.
Lamposts
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under my fingernails
And it feels like I could
Never wash it away
Well, how about that?
I could never do that
What do you know about that?
I've been waiting for your blood
To appear on my hands
And there it was
Under very different circumstances
And it's a clanging symbol
To end this drum roll
It's a clanging symbol
To end this drum roll
I've been walking you
Into those lamposts again
But I'd rather do that than
Let go of your hand
I've been watching your fingers
Straddle the neck of your guitar
Since you said they'd buckle
Like the legs of a new born foal
But they're still standing
Making those sweet mongrel chord shapes
Yeah, they're still standing
And you got the middle one raised to me
'Cause I've been walking you
Into those lamposts again
I'd rather do that than
Let go of your hand
I've been walking you
Into those lamposts again
But I'd rather do that than
Let go of your hand
I feel you from me
Braithim uaim tu
I feel you from me
I've been walking you
Into those lamposts again
I'd rather do that than
Let go of your hand
I've been walking you
Into those lamposts again
I'd rather do that than
Let go of your hand
The opening lines of "Lamposts" by Bell X1 are both eerie and captivating. The singer describes having the blood of another person under their fingernails, and the sense that it can never be washed away. This sets the tone for an edgy, emotional song that explores the complications of a relationship. The lyrics go on to discuss the sense of inevitability that comes with being drawn to someone, no matter how much they might hurt us. The chorus repeats the idea that walking into lamp-posts is a small price to pay for holding onto someone we love.
Throughout the song, the singer returns to the symbol of the lamp-post. It represents the obstacles that we encounter when we pursue love, but also the hope that we can navigate them together. The image of the lamp-post is both literal and metaphorical: it implies the physical landscape that we move through, but also the emotional and psychological barriers that we must overcome in order to connect with others. There is a sense of resilience in the lyrics, as the singer insists that they would rather walk into lamp-posts than let go of the person they care about.
Overall, "Lamposts" is a powerful song that speaks to the complex nature of human relationships. It explores themes of love, loss, and perseverance, and reminds us that even the most painful obstacles can be overcome with the right person by our side.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got your blood
Under my fingernails
And it feels like I could
Never wash it away
The singer has figuratively and possibly literally obtained the blood of the person they are addressing. The blood metaphorically represents the past actions and feelings of the person and the singer is unable to forget or move on from them.
Well, how about that?
I could never do that
What do you know about that?
I could never do that
The singer is acknowledging the impossibility of removing the memories and feelings associated with the person they are addressing. Repetition highlights the singer's desire to distance themselves from those feelings.
I've been waiting for your blood
To appear on my hands
And there it was
Under very different circumstances
The singer has been longing for a connection with the person they are addressing, and by obtaining their blood, the connection has been made. However, the circumstances in which it occurred may not have been positive.
And it's a clanging symbol
To end this drum roll
It's a clanging symbol
To end this drum roll
The repeated lines reflect a desire to stop the build-up of tension and emotions. The symbol represents the end of something significant, possibly a relationship, while the drum roll symbolizes a buildup of emotions leading to that inevitable end.
I've been walking you
Into those lamposts again
But I'd rather do that than
Let go of your hand
The artist is aware that they are figuratively leading the person they are addressing into obstacles, but they would rather face those obstacles together than let go of their connection.
I've been watching your fingers
Straddle the neck of your guitar
Since you said they'd buckle
Like the legs of a new born foal
The singer has been paying attention to the person's talents and abilities, specifically their guitar playing. The person may have doubted themselves, but the singer has observed their growth and strength since then.
But they're still standing
Making those sweet mongrel chord shapes
Yeah, they're still standing
And you got the middle one raised to me
The person's fingers, while potentially shaky in the past, are now firm and skilled enough to create beautiful guitar music. The middle finger raised represents a playful, affectionate gesture between the two.
'Cause I've been walking you
Into those lamposts again
I'd rather do that than
Let go of your hand
The repeated lines are reinforced, with the artist emphasizing their commitment to the person despite the obstacles they may encounter.
I feel you from me
Braithim uaim tu
I feel you from me
The artist feels an attachment and connection to the person, even when physically apart. The Gaelic phrase is included to emphasize the depth of the emotion.
I've been walking you
Into those lamposts again
I'd rather do that than
Let go of your hand
The song ends with a repetition of the line, emphasizing the artist's willingness to face challenges as long as they can do so together.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRIAN PATRICK CROSBY, DAVE BRIAN GERAGHTY, DOMINIC MICHAEL PHILLIPS, PAUL ANTHONY NOONAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind