Musically reminiscent at times of Bon Iver’s atmosphere heavy For Emma, Forever Ago or the Grateful Dead’s “Mountains of the Moon” from their 1969 release Aoxomoxoa, the sonic landscape of the band's album Seven Sisters is sparse but far from empty. On tracks like “Khima,” “Borderline” and “Brother, Sister,” the slow scrawl of the banjo melody floats through the song and surrounds you like birdsong, coming at you predictably but surprisingly from several directions at once. Each of the songs on this album stays with you, forming a soundtrack for and changing the shape of the rest of your day.
It’s appropriate that a debut album concern itself with creation and Seven Sisters is no exception. Whether it is the creation of love and a place for that love, as the narrative of the album suggests; or the creation of the universe, as the album’s title and repetition of astronomical and astrological imagery suggests; Beta Radio’s lyrics and music carve out a space in your head and find a way to fit into your own cosmology.
Lyrically, Seven Sisters explores religion, albeit from a couch rather than a pulpit. The religious allusions are subtle and unobtrusive, concerning themselves more with mysticism than proselytization, much like David Eugene Edwards’ 16 Horsepower and Wovenhand.
Line for line, the lyrics are beautiful and surprising. In “A Place for Me” the lines “I wanted not to fight / With my heart but I’ll fight with my fists all night” evoke the heartache of leaving, of lovers’ spats of loss and regret.
The album leaves you with a simple but urgent lyric refrain in “Return to Darden Road”– “Where do you go? / Come back to me / ‘Cause I love you so.” Review by deckfight
Highlight on the Hill
Beta Radio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And brother if you cannot feel the joy
Then the whipper will
Now I feel it
I have have seen the blood on the wooden plane
And sister if you cannot hear the joy
Hear the name
Now I hear it
Should the turbine blow away
All the restlessness that for 10, 000 days
Has remained
Oh the glory
When I in joy will play my part
Are you sewing up my scars
Or putting arrows through my heart?
Oh inside me
Was it you that
I saw through that
Window outside, the day that I would hear the lie?
At the new year
The highlight through here
Of all things that are true, the one I want the most is to be with you
You in the garden by the shore
Where the seven sisters shine on you
And you pray for seven more
Oh the yonder
I have seen the headlight on the road
By the place I've buried all the love
The love that I proposed
Now I feel it
Now I feel it
Was it you that
I saw through that
Window outside, the day that I would hear the lie?
At the new year
The highlight through here
Of all things that are true, the one I want the most is to be with you
The lyrics of Beta Radio's "Highlight on the Hill" are filled with metaphors that convey a sense of longing and nostalgia. The singer starts by talking about seeing the "highlight on the hill," which could be interpreted as a symbol for hope or inspiration. However, the next line suggests that this feeling is not universal, as the singer notes that "if you cannot feel the joy, then the whipper will." This implies that there are consequences for failing to acknowledge or appreciate life's moments of beauty and grace.
The song continues with references to blood on a wooden plane and the seven sisters shining on someone in a garden by the shore. These images evoke a sense of mortality and the fleeting nature of life's pleasures. The singer seems to be asking if the listener can hear or feel these moments of joy, and if they are capable of sewing up scars or putting arrows through their heart. This could be interpreted as a challenge to be open to the ups and downs of life, and to embrace both the pain and the joy that come with it.
Overall, "Highlight on the Hill" is a contemplative and introspective song that encourages listeners to stay present, even when life gets tough. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they ultimately convey a sense of hope and resilience in the face of life's inevitable challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
I have seen the highlight on the hill
I have witnessed the magnificent shining of light at the top of the hill
And brother if you cannot feel the joy
Then the whipper will
If you cannot feel the happiness and elation, the person who disciplines will do it for you
Now I feel it
I am experiencing it now
I have seen the blood on the wooden plane
I have seen blood spilled on a flat surface
And sister if you cannot hear the joy
Hear the name
If you cannot hear the happiness, then listen to the name being called
Now I hear it
I am hearing it now
Should the turbine blow away
All the restlessness that for 10,000 days
Has remained
If the wind turbine were to disappear, all the unease that has lasted for thousands of days would disappear
Oh the glory
When I in joy will play my part
Are you sewing up my scars
Or putting arrows through my heart?
The magnificent feeling when I can bring happiness, are you mending my wounds or causing me more pain?
Oh inside me
Deep inside of me
Was it you that
I saw through that
Window outside, the day that I would hear the lie?
Was it you whom I saw through that window outside, on the day when I was going to be deceived?
At the new year
The highlight through here
Of all things that are true, the one I want the most is to be with you
At the start of the new year, among all true things, the thing I desire the most is to be with you
You in the garden by the shore
Where the seven sisters shine on you
And you pray for seven more
Oh the yonder
You in the garden near the shore, where the constellation Pleiades is shining upon you, and you wish for seven more things. What a sight!
I have seen the headlight on the road
By the place I've buried all the love
The love that I proposed
Now I feel it
I have seen the headlight on the road near where I buried all the love, the love I offered. Now I feel it.
Now I feel it
It is felt now
Was it you that
I saw through that
Window outside, the day that I would hear the lie?
Was it you whom I saw through that window outside, on the day when I was going to be deceived?
At the new year
The highlight through here
Of all things that are true, the one I want the most is to be with you
At the start of the new year, among all true things, the thing I desire the most is to be with you
Contributed by Bailey H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jaymelliza7409
This is Underrated <3 Right now, this is one of my favorite songs. I really love this song while drinking coffee in the morning and listening to chirping birds
@amielcasidsid9384
Been travelling with this song since 2017. still gives the same vibe everytime :)
@eloiselogarta3803
i love this songggg
@jessbell6146
I have seen the highlight on the hill
And brother if you cannot feel the joy
Then the whipper will
Now I feel it
I have have seen the blood on the wooden plane
And sister if you cannot hear the joy
Hear the name
Now I hear it
Should the turbine blow away
All the restlessness that for 10, 000 days
Has remained
Oh the glory
When I in joy will play my part
Are you sewing up my scars
Or putting arrows through my heart?
Oh inside me
Was it you that
I saw through that
Window outside, the day that I would hear the lie?
At the new year
The highlight through here
Of all things that are true, the one I want the most is to be with you
You in the garden by the shore
Where the seven sisters shine on you
And you pray for seven more
Oh the yonder
I have…
@conradoperia
beautiful harmony, autotune season ears will find this weird