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.
Trampoline
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With someone she once seen
Projected on her screen
Now I'm blue tacked above her feet
So go lightly don't wake her
Let her dream
Reflecting off the roof
On a tree lined road
My body took leave of my soul
'Hold on tight oblivion' she screams
She's so strong when she's
Digging into me
My head almost broke my heart
Perfection takes me years
To unravel and maul apart
The Trampoline is getting torn
Landing hard and taking off
What now must I use
To get us both airborne
I press green to play
But the dial tone encores for me
I try to dodge the cracks
So not to hex it or paint it black
I'm starting feel tremor of faith
But never before on this scale
You and I
Always had someone to talk us down
You and I
Learned how to live without solid ground
You and I
Jump up and down on
These straining ties
That were guaranteed to bind
In Bell X1's song "Trampoline", the lyrics seem to be about a relationship that is not quite clear or stable. The opening lines suggest that the singer has been mixed up with someone else in the mind of their partner and is physically represented by a picture of him being tacked to someone's feet. The next lines paint a picture of the singer feeling lost and disconnected from himself, perhaps due to the confusion in the relationship. However, he also sees beauty in the world and seems to be holding on to hope for the relationship. This hope is short-lived, as shown by the line "the Trampoline is getting torn", suggesting that the relationship is falling apart. The final lines show the singer and their partner struggling to stay connected as they try to jump up and down on strained ties that were meant to bind them.
The lyrics in "Trampoline" are poignant and full of emotion, and the song itself is backed by a mellow and melodic tune that emphasizes the sad tone of the lyrics. The song is layered and complex, with many different meanings and interpretations possible. Bell X1's use of metaphors and imagery is powerful in conveying the sense of confusion, loss, and hope that is at the heart of this song.
Line by Line Meaning
She had mixed me
She had confused me with someone else that she had seen before.
With someone she once seen
She had mixed me up with someone from her past.
Projected on her screen
She had an image of someone in her mind that she saw in me.
Now I'm blue tacked above her feet
I'm stuck to her and can't escape.
So go lightly don't wake her
Be gentle, don't disturb her.
Let her dream
Let her continue to live in her own world.
Reflecting off the roof
The light bounces off the roof creating a beautiful sight.
The whole world, it shimmers for you
Everything around you looks beautiful and divine.
On a tree lined road
They're on a road surrounded by tall trees.
My body took leave of my soul
They feel so alive and connected to the world around them that their soul has transcended their body.
'Hold on tight oblivion' she screams
She implores him to hold on tight as they journey through this spiritual awakening.
She's so strong when she's
She possesses great strength during this profound experience.
Digging into me
She is exploring herself and her own emotions through their shared experience.
My head almost broke my heart
His thoughts were so intense that they caused physical pain.
Perfection takes me years
Striving for perfection is a long and arduous process for him.
To unravel and maul apart
It's difficult to break down and understand the complexities of human emotions and experiences.
The Trampoline is getting torn
Their bond or shared experience is beginning to fray and disintegrate.
Landing hard and taking off
Their journey together has been full of ups and downs.
What now must I use
What must he do in order to continue moving forward?
To get us both airborne
How can they rekindle their bond and find that sense of freedom and transcendence once again?
I press green to play
He is attempting to make contact or establish a connection.
But the dial tone encores for me
He is left with silence and is unable to make contact.
I try to dodge the cracks
He is attempting to avoid any potential pitfalls or obstacles that may come their way.
So not to hex it or paint it black
He wants to avoid any negative influences that may harm their bond or relationship.
I'm starting feel tremor of faith
He is beginning to feel uncertain and doubtful of his own beliefs.
But never before on this scale
He has never felt this strongly before.
You and I
The two of them together.
Always had someone to talk us down
They have always had each other to provide support and guidance when needed.
Learned how to live without solid ground
They have learned to live their lives comfortably without a set path or strict rules to follow.
Jump up and down on
They freely express themselves and their emotions through movement and jumping.
These straining ties
Their relationship may be fluid and non-traditional but they are still bound together by a strong connection.
That were guaranteed to bind
Their bond is unbreakable and destined to stay strong.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN PATRICK CROSBY, DAVE BRIAN GERAGHTY, DOMINIC MICHAEL PHILLIPS, PAUL ANTHONY NOONAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind