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 Trailing Skirts Of God
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and my bow-tie's askew
Gonna get some body of Jesus Christ
In a brown velvet suit
All the girls are dressed like angels
How sweetly they sang
Oh be not afraid of
us delicate meringues
The trailing skirts of God
Have passed on by
It's five years later and
I'm on my knees again
I am here to confirm what my
parents began
And I promise to abstain from intoxicating liquor
But the flesh, it is weak,
and my faith was never stronger
The trailing skirts of God
Have passed on by
But oh how I cling on
Cos it's been a rich seam of song
And though it's make-believe
Can I bring myself to leave
This lie's been burning too long
Sometimes in my teens
Up in Kellyer's bedroom
Skipping on Saturday evening mass for some solvent abuse
As the world spun around me,
and I eased to the floor
Must remember to get that sermon,
and keep the wolf from the door
The trailing skirts of God
Have passed on by
I've drifted far from you
In this bloodless coup
I've drifted far from you
In this bloodless coup
I say good-day and adieu
I've drifted far from you
In this bloodless coup
I've drifted far from you
In this bloodless coup
I say good-day and adieu
The song "The Trailing Skirts of God" by Bell X1 tells the story of a person's journey through religion and life. The song starts when the singer was just seven years old, and he's dressed up in a bow-tie and suit to attend church to "get some body of Jesus Christ." He describes how the girls sang sweetly, dressed like angels, and how he should not be afraid of them, as they resemble delicate meringues. He then mentions "the trailing skirts of God," which is a reference to the biblical passage in Psalm 139:5 that says, "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me."
The song then jumps five years ahead, and the singer is at a confirmation ceremony. The singer promises to abstain from alcohol, but he admits that his weakness is the flesh, and his faith was never stronger. The reference to "the trailing skirts of God" is repeated, symbolizing God's guidance of the singer's life. The singer holds onto the idea of God's guidance and wonders if he can leave the idea of God and religion behind even if it's a "lie," but admits that it has been a "rich seam of song."
In the final verse, the singer describes being in his teens, neglecting church for drugs and alcohol. He admits that he has drifted away from God and his religion and says his goodbye with "I say good-day and adieu." The song captures the universal experience of people's struggle with religion and life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm seven years old,
and my bow-tie's askew
Gonna get some body of Jesus Christ
In a brown velvet suit
All the girls are dressed like angels
How sweetly they sang
Oh be not afraid of
us delicate meringues
The trailing skirts of God.
As a child, I was innocent and dressed up for church in a brown suit with a crooked bow-tie. The angelic choir sung sweetly and I was going to receive Holy Communion, embodied by the body of Jesus Christ. The girls in their flowy dresses reminded me of delicate pastries. I thought of God's presence as a guiding, benevolent figure.
The trailing skirts of God
Have passed on by
God's presence has passed me by and moved on from my childhood innocence.
It's five years later and
I'm on my knees again
I am here to confirm what my
parents began
And I promise to abstain from intoxicating liquor
But the flesh, it is weak,
and my faith was never stronger
The trailing skirts of God
Have passed on by
Years later, I kneel for confirmation in my faith, agreeing to abstain from alcohol. Though my faith is strong, my human tendencies towards temptation are at odds with my spiritual goals. God's presence still eludes me.
But oh how I cling on
Cos it's been a rich seam of song
And though it's make-believe
Can I bring myself to leave
This lie's been burning too long
I am hesitant to let go of the faith I was raised with, as it has been a source of inspiration for my music. Yet, I am aware that it is a construct, and I struggle with whether or not to abandon it. I have held on for too long.
Sometimes in my teens
Up in Kellyer's bedroom
Skipping on Saturday evening mass for some solvent abuse
As the world spun around me,
and I eased to the floor
Must remember to get that sermon,
and keep the wolf from the door
The trailing skirts of God
Have passed on by
During my teenage years, I skipped church to partake in substance abuse. The disorienting and euphoric effects of the drugs made me forget about religion. To avoid feeling guilty about it, I remind myself to listen to a sermon and keep up appearances. God's presence still eludes me.
I've drifted far from you
In this bloodless coup
I've drifted far from you
In this bloodless coup
I say good-day and adieu
I've grown distant from my faith, and it feels like a coup without any bloodshed. I say goodbye to it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Willis
Such a great song. I keep returning to this.
OsKlenMr
Incríveis como sempre, uma das melhores faixas do Bloodless Coup ... Parabéns !!!
didoma73
Some of the best instrumental Bell X1 has ever produced...in this song
Шагающий по Тропинке
чудесно!..
Sonjay Or
I drifted far from you in this bloodless coup! Simply Amazing
Scott None
"And though it's make-believe,
can I bring myself to leave? This lie has been burning too long."
David M
Ah the good auld days when prices were low and guilt was high...
MrSinn
Irish cult classic!
Janna Leise
schön
Truth Warrior
No way since when did Kanye West buy the rights to that sentence, that's amazing!. Seriously though you're an eijet, many people have sung that if they talked about God or Jesus their records wont be played. Try having a wider variety taste in music and you'll know that. Oh and no hard feelings so have a nice day :}