Belle and Sebastian released their first two albums in 1996: Tigermilk, recorded over three days, and If You're Feeling Sinister, recorded in a week, at the peak of the chamber pop movement. At first, some critics in Britain's music weeklies tied the band into the subgenre, yet the group was too pretty, too delicate, to bear that label. Through their first two years of public existence, the band shielded their personalities, submitting publicity photos featuring a girl, who was a friend of the band and reluctantly posing for photo shoots. Furthermore, they performed in odd venues, playing not only the standard coffeehouses and cafes, but also homes, church halls, and libraries.
Prior to the formation of Belle and Sebastian, Murdoch suffered from a protracted battle with chronic fatigue syndrome, which forced him to drop out of school and spend seven years living in his parents' home crippled by his condition.Whilst in his parents home, Murdoch wrote a short story about a boy named Sebastian and a girl named Isabelle based on the names from Madame Cecile Aubery's children's book Belle et Sebastian. On New Year's Day 1996, Stuart attended a party at which he met a young singer and cellist named Isobel Campbell. In a letter to his brother Fraser, Murdoch explained how he was making a single for Stow college at the end of February. Murdoch opted to use the name Belle&Sebastian for the project because it was occupying him at the time. Murdoch took to songwriting as an escapism from the four walls surrounding him in his room and eventually recorded demos with bassist Stuart David whom he met at a government training programme called Beatbox. Murdoch quickly met a series of other musicians through social and musical circles in his hometown Glasgow and they agreed to help with the Stow project. The members he found for this initial lineup were Stevie Jackson (guitar), Mick Cooke (trumpet), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Stuart David (bass), Richard Colburn (drums), and Isobel Campbell (cello). The Stow College record was to be issued by Electric Honey, but it turned into a full album. The course instructor Alan Rankine determined that Murdoch had enough good material to record a full LP and could do so if they could get it all done in three days, studio time allotted for the single. Murdoch and his musicians rose to the challenge and recorded ten tracks putting the songs in order as they would appear on the record and mostly completing them in just a few takes.
In May of 1996, Belle and Sebastian self-released their debut album, Tigermilk, on Electric Honey Records. Only 1,000 copies of the album, which was only pressed on vinyl, were released, but it unexpectedly became a sensation, earning terrific word of mouth throughout the UK. As a result, the band became slightly more than a school project — it became an actual band. If You're Feeling Sinister, released on the independent Jeepster label, followed in November of 1996. By the time the album was released in America on the EMI subsidiary The Enclave, it had earned considerable critical acclaim in the U.K. — not only from music weeklies, but from newspapers like The Sunday Times and magazines like The Face — and a large cult following; by some accounts, Tigermilk was being sold for as much as 75 pounds. Over the course of 1997, word of mouth continued to grow in America, even as the band pulled out of an American tour because The Enclave went bankrupt and closed.
As the band cult continued to build in 1997, Belle and Sebastian released three EPs — Dog on Wheels (May), Lazy Line Painter Jane (July), and 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light (October). Each subsequent EP placed higher on the indie charts and received great critical acclaim. Later in the year, violinist Sarah Martin became a member of the band. By the end of the year, the group finalized an American deal with Matador Records, issuing The Boy With the Arab Strap in September 1998. The following year saw the eagerly anticipated wide re-release of Tigermilk, the album that started it all. It was the biggest selling album but is unpopular with the group themselves. Following completion of 2000's Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, Stuart David left Belle and Sebastian to focus full-time on his solo project, Looper, being replaced by Bobby Kildea of V-Twin. In 2001, the group released two EPs — Jonathan David and I'm Waking Up to Us — and recorded the soundtrack for Todd Solondz's film Storytelling. Just before the soundtrack's release in spring 2002, Belle and Sebastian embarked on a comprehensive tour of the United States and Canada before returning to Europe for the summer festival season. Midway through the tour, Isobel Campbell left the band, citing the usual differences.
Another major change that soon took place was the band leaving Jeepster and Matador to sign with Rough Trade, with their next record, late 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, produced by the inimitable Trevor Horn (who also produced Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes, and scores of others). The record spawned the brilliant "Step into My Office, Baby" and "I'm a Cuckoo" singles, the latter of which was the group's biggest U.K. hit, reaching number 14 in early 2004. After a long worldwide tour that found Belle and Sebastian reaching new levels of success, they retired to Scotland and began preparing for the recording of their seventh full length album, The Life Pursuit, released in 2006.
In 2010, they released their eighth full length album, Write About Love.
Official website: www.belleandsebastian.com
The Ghost of Rockschool
Belle and Sebastian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've seen God in the street
God before bed and the promise of sleep
God in my dreams and the free ride of grace
But it all disappears
And then I wake up
Was it too late?
There's a demon that waits at the garden gate
If you get past him maybe Lawrence and Phil
Will be waiting to take you to the ghost of rockschool
Everything hums
As the blue heart turns
And the blue girls dawn us when the sun goes down
A story tonight is from your solitude heights
I got a window on your constellation
Master I love from the ground above
There's the stars below as my memory flows
Every picture frame is beating louder than time
Every clock in the hall is bending slowly
She's in her tower
And she's beautiful, sure
The quicker you learn she has no soul to discern
At least no business of yours
You bear the vacuum of scars
She was put there to tempt you
Like the perfume of flowers
I've seen God in the sun
I've seen God in the street
God before bed and the promise of sleep
God in my dreams and the free ride of grace
I've seen God shining up from her reflection
I've seen God in the sun
I've seen God in the street
God before bed and the promise of sleep
God in the puddles and the (?)
I've seen God shining up from her reflection
The Ghost of Rockschool by Belle and Sebastian is an introspective song that delves into themes of spirituality and the fleeting nature of divine experiences. The opening lines suggest that the singer has experienced glimpses of divinity in various moments of life, both mundane and remarkable. The repetition of the phrase "I've seen God" emphasizes the significance of these experiences. However, the lines "But it all disappears, And then I wake up" indicate that these encounters are temporary and ultimately not substantial enough to constitute a fully realized spiritual connection. The questions "Was it too late? Was it just your fate?" suggest a sense of missed opportunity and uncertainty.
The second verse takes a more surreal turn with evocations of blue hearts and blue girls, as well as a reference to Rockschool, a fictional place where "Lawrence and Phil" presumably reside. The lines "Master I love from the ground above, There's the stars below as my memory flows" suggest a sense of longing for something ethereal and elusive, and the evocative lyric "Every picture frame is beating louder than time, Every clock in the hall is bending slowly" reinforces the theme of time's relentless march.
The final verse introduces a character described as "she," who resides in a tower and is both tempting and soulless. The lines "You bear the vacuum of scars, She was put there to tempt you, Like the perfume of flowers" suggest that this figure is representative of temptation and the ultimately empty pursuit of beauty. The song closes with a repetition of the opening lines, with the addition of "God in the puddles and the (?), I've seen God shining up from her reflection," implying that divinity can be glimpsed even in unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen God in the sun
I've had moments of transcendence and spiritual revelation while basking in the sunlight.
I've seen God in the street
I've found meaning and purpose in the mundane aspects of everyday life.
God before bed and the promise of sleep
My belief in a higher power provides comfort and solace, especially when I'm about to go to sleep.
God in my dreams and the free ride of grace
My experiences with God feel effortless and unearned, like I'm receiving grace without having to do anything to deserve it.
But it all disappears
Despite feeling connected to something greater, that feeling is fleeting and doesn't last.
And then I wake up
I'm jolted back to reality and away from the mystical experiences I was just having.
Was it too late?
Did I miss my chance to connect with God or make a meaningful change in my life?
Was it just your fate?
Perhaps my life path is predetermined, and no matter what I do, I'll never truly find that connection or meaning I'm seeking.
There's a demon that waits at the garden gate
Obstacles and challenges stand in the way of achieving spiritual enlightenment.
If you get past him maybe Lawrence and Phil
If you can overcome these obstacles, there may be people who can help guide you on your journey.
Will be waiting to take you to the ghost of rockschool
There may be a mystical or spiritual place awaiting those who can overcome their challenges and connect with something greater.
Everything hums
The world feels alive with energy and possibility.
As the blue heart turns
The celestial bodies and natural forces of the universe are constantly in motion and have a rhythm of their own.
And the blue girls dawn us when the sun goes down
The beauty and mystery of the night sky is a source of wonder and fascination.
A story tonight is from your solitude heights
The stories we tell ourselves can come from deep within our own solitude and introspection.
I got a window on your constellation
I can see glimpses of your inner universe and how you make sense of the world around you.
Master I love from the ground above
A spiritual or cosmic being is loved and revered by someone who is earthbound and looking up.
There's the stars below as my memory flows
The memory of past experiences and people is intertwined with the stars and the vastness of the universe.
Every picture frame is beating louder than time
Memories and emotions captured in photographs are a powerful reminder of the passage of time and the life we've lived.
Every clock in the hall is bending slowly
Time may be a construct or an illusion, but it still carries weight and importance in our lives.
She's in her tower
There is someone who is aloof and distant, perhaps even seemingly unattainable or untouchable.
And she's beautiful, sure
This unattainable person is captivating and alluring despite their distance.
The quicker you learn she has no soul to discern
Upon closer examination, this person may not be what they seem and may not even have the depth or soul that was initially perceived.
At least no business of yours
Ultimately it doesn't matter whether this person has a soul or not, as it doesn't concern you or your own spiritual journey.
You bear the vacuum of scars
The weight of past traumas and emotional wounds can feel heavy and suffocating.
She was put there to tempt you
This person may have been placed in your life as a test, to see if you can overcome the allure of something that ultimately won't serve you in the long run.
Like the perfume of flowers
This temptation may be alluring and intoxicating, like the sweet scent of a flower, but ultimately it will fade and leave you wanting more.
I've seen God in the puddles and the (?)
Even in the most unexpected or mundane places, there are moments of spiritual revelation and transcendence to be found.
I've seen God shining up from her reflection
The people or experiences we encounter can hold glimpses of the divine and help us feel more connected to something greater.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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