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.
The Money
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's for the sea
He's for Betty Ford
He's for anarchy
He'll die for his country
He'll stick a flag in your soul
He'll jump on your sandcastle
He'll drown in your moat
And he just wants to sleep with me
He's for the money
He just wants to sleep with me
She tries too hard
She doesn't try at all
She'll push you over
She'll break your fall
She puts it out
She reels it in
She makes immaculate love
She makes original sin
She's for the money
She just wants to sleep with me
She's for the money
And she just wants to sleep with me
She's missing the notes but she hears the strain
She knows she's been strung
But she looks for change
He's for the birds
He's for all living things
I'm lost for words
I don't believe in things
I'm for the money
I just want to sleep with me
I'm for the money
I just want to sleep with me
The lyrics to Bell X1's "The Money" seem to be exploring the idea of people's motivations and desires. Each verse introduces a character with different characteristics and desires. The first character is described as being for the sailboat, the sea, Betty Ford, anarchy, and dying for his country. He's also for the money and just wants to sleep with the singer. The second character is described as trying too hard and not at all, pushing people over and breaking their fall, and being for the money and wanting to sleep with the singer. The final character, the singer, is lost for words and doesn't believe in things, but is also for the money and just wants to sleep with themselves.
The song seems to be exploring themes of desire and greed, and how these motivations can take over and impact relationships. The line "she's missing the notes but she hears the strain" may be suggesting that even though people are pursuing money or other desires, they may still feel the strain of something missing or not being fulfilled.
Overall, "The Money" is a complex exploration of human motivations, relationships, and desires. The lyrics are thought-provoking and open to interpretation, making the song a powerful listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
He's for the sailboat
He likes the idea of having a sailboat
He's for the sea
He enjoys being near the ocean
He's for Betty Ford
He supports the rehabilitation center founded by Betty Ford
He's for anarchy
He believes in a society without law or authority
He'll die for his country
He is willing to sacrifice his life for his nation
He'll stick a flag in your soul
He will claim superiority over you
He'll jump on your sandcastle
He will destroy something you have built
He'll drown in your moat
He will do something foolish to show his commitment
He's for the money
He is motivated by wealth
And he just wants to sleep with me
He is only interested in a sexual relationship
She tries too hard
She puts too much effort into things
She doesn't try at all
She lacks motivation
She'll push you over
She will knock you down
She'll break your fall
She will catch you when you fall
She puts it out
She presents herself as sexually available
She reels it in
She pulls back and becomes inaccessible
She makes immaculate love
She is skilled at sex
She makes original sin
She is enticing and seductive
She's for the money
She is motivated by wealth
And she just wants to sleep with me
She is only interested in a sexual relationship
She's missing the notes but she hears the strain
She may not get everything right, but she understands the essence of the situation
She knows she's been strung
She realizes she has been used or manipulated
But she looks for change
She seeks something different or new
He's for the birds
He cares about all types of animals
He's for all living things
He respects and values all forms of life
I'm lost for words
I can't find the right thing to say
I don't believe in things
I have skepticism or doubt
I'm for the money
I am motivated by wealth
I just want to sleep with me
I am only interested in satisfying my own desires
Contributed by Bailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.