Taking their name from the '80s sitcom, Belvedere began in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1995 as the three-piece of Steve Rawles (guitar/vocals), Brock (bass), and Dan Hrynuik (drums).
As the years progressed along with their revolving lineup, Belvedere remained with their melodic pop-punk sound that looked up to the likes of Bad Religion and NOFX. Eventually recruiting second guitarist Scott Solo, replacement drummer Jay Hollywood, and a replacement bassist Jaison Synclair, the quartet released their debut album, "Because No One Stopped Us", in 1998 through Hourglass and 206 Records. After spending most of 1999 on the road, along with Bad Religion and Strung Out, for a stint -- 206 Records put out Belvedere's follow-up album, "Angels Live in My Town", in early 2000. In 2001, the Montreal imprint Union 2112 released "Twas Hell Said Former Child", Belvedere's proper second album that coincided their first ever European tour. A split release with Downway, "Hometown Advantage", was issued in 2003. When it came time to recovene for another studio album, Belvedere joined producer Blair Calibaba (Sum 41) in Calgary for the recording of "Fast Forward Eats the Tape". Shared dates with Death by Stereo, Tsunami Bomb and Misconduct followed in Spring 2004. The band broke up in late 2005, playing their last show to their hometown Calgary crowd in November.
On November 2011, the band's official Facebook page announced that the band was going to get together again for a couple of shows the next year, wich included two shows in Europe (playing their first show in Paris and appearing again at GroezRock after seven years), then five in Canada, three in Brazil and one again in Canada, in Vancouver, on June 16th. Being at first that their final show, it was later announced that they'll appear in another final event in Guelph, Canada, on September the 1st 2012, with fellow punkrockers The Fullblast, also reuniting for the ocasion, Grade and Moneen.
http://www.myspace.com/belvedere
As Above So Below
Belvedere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You′ve built your life on tragedy, you're mother nature′s clown
We're way too far inside it to see what's not right
And you′d back up real slow,
But the noose is too tight, it′s too tight
We're scarred with death
The story of our past, this party is our last
No committee will be bought, humanity's been caught
This blade of gluttony
That human kind fell on, because we can′t go wrong
So taste that toxic wind, you'll soon make no sound
The universe is better when you′re metres underground
All this planet's open sores might heal up when you're gone
The first two lines of Belvedere's song "As Above So Below" suggest that the singer is searching for meaning or escape in the natural world. They "taste" the wind, which implies a willingness to engage with their surroundings, but they also appear to be seeking solace from their troubles. The singer is described as having "built their life on tragedy," indicating that they have experienced significant hardship in their past. The phrase "mother nature's clown" further underscores the idea that the individual feels out of place or disconnected from society.
The second stanza shifts its focus to humanity's larger problems, particularly the damage that we've inflicted upon the planet. The line "We're scarred with death" suggests that the singer is speaking collectively for humanity, and that they are pointing out that our past actions have had significant consequences. The phrase "This party is our last" implies that the situation is dire and that time is running out to address the damage we've done to the environment. The line "Humanity's been caught" suggests that there is no escaping accountability for our actions.
The final stanza hints at the possibility of redemption through self-sacrifice. The phrase "This blade of gluttony / That human kind fell on" suggests that the problems humanity faces are due, at least in part, to our own excesses. However, the final line is ambiguous: "All this planet's open sores might heal up when you're gone." It is not clear whether this is a message of hope or resignation, but it seems to suggest that there may be some positive outcome from our struggles, even if it means sacrificing ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Tasting the wind, it might settle you down
Take a moment to breathe and calm yourself.
You′ve built your life on tragedy, you're mother nature′s clown
You've become accustomed to devastation and chaos, and now you're paying the price.
We're way too far inside it to see what's not right
We've become so entrenched in our ways that we can no longer identify what's wrong with our lives.
And you′d back up real slow, But the noose is too tight, it′s too tight
You'd like to escape your current reality, but it seems impossible.
We're scarred with death
We carry the weight of death with us everywhere we go.
The story of our past, this party is our last
Our time on Earth is coming to a close.
This time it′s different
We can't continue living the way we have been, something needs to change.
No committee will be bought, humanity's been caught
We can't keep relying on others to fix our problems; we are responsible for our own fate.
This blade of gluttony
Our insatiable hunger for more has cut us.
That human kind fell on, because we can′t go wrong
We thought we were invincible and could never fail, but we were wrong.
So taste that toxic wind, you'll soon make no sound
If we continue down this path, we will lose our voices and be silenced forever.
The universe is better when you′re metres underground
We have caused so much destruction that the world would be better off without us.
All this planet's open sores might heal up when you're gone
Once we are no longer here to cause harm, the Earth can start to heal itself.
Writer(s): Adrian Belew, Tina Weymouth, Steven J.c. Stanley, Christopher Frantz
Contributed by Daniel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
summer death
Not sure how I got here but I like it lol is anyone still here?
Oli Gillies
YES.