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.
Volcano
Bell X1 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll hurt your knees
I kissed your mouth and back
Is that all you need
Don't build your world around
Volcanoes melt you down
What I am to you
What I am to you
You do not need
What I am to you
Is not what you mean to me
You give me miles and miles of mountains
And I'll ask for the sea
Don't throw yourself like that
In front of me
I kissed your mouth and back
That's all I need
Don't drag my love around
Volcanoes melt you down
What I am to you
Is not real
What I am to you
You do not need
What I am to you
Is not what you mean to me
You give me miles and miles of mountains
And I'll ask for the sea
What I give to you
is what I'm going through
This is nothing new
Just another phase of finding
What I really need
Is what makes me bleed
Like a new disease
She's still to young to bleed
The Bell X1 song "Volcano" is a melancholic love song that captures a complex relationship. The song speaks about an unhealthy relationship between two individuals who are not truly meant for each other. The song admonishes the woman to take care of herself and not to hold herself in a manner that could result in harm. The use of "volcanoes melt you down" is a metaphor to describe how the man's fiery love is destructive to her, and she should be wary of it.
The lyrics suggest that the woman might be putting herself at risk for something that she does not need or deserve. The singer recognizes that their relationship is not based on reality, and what he is to her is not authentic. The song suggests that the man might be offering her the mountains, yet she wants the sea. The chorus is a repetition of the lyrics that states, "What I am to you is not what you mean to me." The song captures the conflicting emotions between two individuals in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't hold yourself like that
You'll hurt your knees
Don't keep your rigid posture as it's causing physical pain to your knees.
I kissed your mouth and back
Is that all you need
I've given you physical intimacy, but is that sufficient for you?
Don't build your world around
Volcanoes melt you down
Do not base your life or relationships on volatile and unstable things like a volcano, as they will eventually destroy you.
What I am to you
Is not real
Who I am in your eyes is not a true reflection of who I really am.
What I am to you
You do not need
You do not require me in the same way that I am perceived by you.
What I am to you
Is not what you mean to me
My opinion of you and how important you are to me are vastly different from how you perceive me.
You give me miles and miles of mountains
And I'll ask for the sea
Even if you offer me everything that you believe is significant, it may not be what I am seeking.
Don't throw yourself like that
In front of me
Do not act recklessly in front of me, putting yourself or our relationship in jeopardy.
Don't drag my love around
Volcanoes melt you down
Do not treat my love for granted and do not base it on what may destroy you.
What I give to you
is what I'm going through
What I give to you is what I am presently experiencing myself.
This is nothing new
Just another phase of finding
The way I am feeling is not a new experience; it's a familiar part of trying to find what I need.
What I really need
Is what makes me bleed
Like a new disease
She's still too young to bleed
What I genuinely require may be difficult to obtain, like a fresh ailment, and she might not yet be prepared to face what I am going through.
Contributed by Asher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gabriel Vilodre
Sorry, but i have to say... the genius musician behind this song is DAMIEN RICE, and the ORIGINAL version from Rice in Juniper or Solo is so much better and deeper than this.
Devin Robertson
ew. Hell no. "Bell X1" will always be superior?? Are you fucking kidding me? Have you heard them sing "Never" or "Face"? It's fucking horrible. Damien did AND STILL DOES IT MILLIONS of times better. Your opinion is gross.
Gabriel Vilodre
It's a little bit funny....
The instrumental and lyrics from all songs in Juniper was just Damien Rice's works.
He did all in that age...and what about Bell X1? I really don't have any idea how Damien allowed it.
But i respect your opinion the Bell X1. :)
ticksspoon
I've just recently been introduced to Bell X1 (even after having known for a long time of their connection to Damien), and the past week of listening to their music has been a revelation. Amazing stuff, and Paul Noonan is a dream. But this version of Volcano pales in comparison to Damien's, even without Lisa.
Nic Stride
Why don't the band play this live? This is actually as good or atleast on the same level as the version on 'O' but Damien's now far surpasses this version because of the years old playing it live.
April Vargas
@Damin12345 It is NOT! A long time ago, in like, the 90's, Damien Rice was in a band called Juniper. Damien Rice split from the band Juniper. Bell X1 is the band formed of the remaining Juniper members... .
Carlo Trombetta
1000 times better Damien's version!
damiensongs
@MrDevil0910 you really think this is better than damien' version??.come on!...even without Lisa, Damiens version sounds much better
Aleja Garzón
I like this sooooooooooo much more than the Damien's version!! It has a better sound and the voice, so much prettier...
Carlo Trombetta
@damiensongs Noooo! What have you understood ? The version with Rice is 1000 times better of this! If you put also Lisa become 1000000 times better! This is like ... have say ... catchy ? But also not! =) =)