Fringe members of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, and the only band to of… Read Full Bio ↴Fringe members of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, and the only band to officially release a full-length on the label, Beulah originally formed in San Francisco in 1996 when mail-room colleagues Miles Kurosky (main songwriter, lead vocals, guitar), and Bill Swan (trumpet, guitar, vocals) got together to make music. Together they recorded a 7", A Small Cattle Drive in a Snow Storm, released in 1997. The same year, Anne Mellinger joined the band and their debut LP, Handsome Western States was released on Elephant 6.

The three were subsequently joined by Steve LaFolette (bass & vocals), Pat Noel (keyboards & guitar), Steve St. Cin (drums), and Ana Pitchon, who toured as Beulah in 1998, before recording When Your Heartstrings Break. Bill Evans (keyboards) then joined the band to play live. Steve St. Cin left the band to be replaced by Danny Sullivan, before The Coast is Never Clear was released in 2000. Bill Evans and Steve LaFolette then left, to be replaced by Pat Abernathy and Eli Crews respectively. Beulah went on to record 2003's Yoko, then toured North America and Europe before a goodbye show on August 5th 2004, in New York.

A DVD, A Good Band is Easy to Kill was released in 2005 and features documentary footage from Beulah's 2003 tour.

I'll Be Your Lampshade
Beulah Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Though I didn't mention
I prayed for you that day
You left glasco and your shell
And sailed back to the bay

And though it was predicted
Old times always sound so bad
The calendar was the saddest thing

That I ever read

I hope you know you'll always be the life of the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life of the party

Though I wouldn't mention
I still say how do you
Know you wonder if the timing's off
How I want you too

Though we lost direction
Bad times always seem so sweet
I push the rythmn but kept uphill
The heart was made of steel

I hope you know you'll always be the life of the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life of the party

Who knows
I know
It's our
Last show and
I hope you know you'll always be
Always be
My heart
It stays racing on
Come on friend
There's poison in your veins
Come on friend
You know I feel the same

I hope you know you'll always be the life of the party
I hope you know you'll always be the life of the party

Who knows
I know
It's our

Last show and
I hope you know there never was a party at all

Overall Meaning

In "I'll Be Your Lampshade," Beulah sings about a person they care deeply for, who left Glasgow and returned to the bay. The lyrics suggest that the singer did not mention praying for this person, but they did. The song goes on to speak about how people often romanticize the past, believing that everything that came before was better. The singer acknowledges this, but still finds sadness in it. They say that even though they did not mention it, they still want to know how this person is doing, even though they might be afraid the timing is off.

The song talks about the way that people can lose their way and how things can get difficult, but that they still hope this person will always be the life of the party. The lyrics turn more serious towards the end, where there is a reference to "our last show," implying that this might be the last time the singer and this person see each other. They hope that this person will always be in their heart, reminding them of the good times they shared. Overall, the song seems to be a tribute to someone who has had a significant impact on the singer's life, and the lyrics express a mix of nostalgia, sadness, and hope.

Line by Line Meaning

Though I didn't mention
Even though I didn't say it out loud

I prayed for you that day
I prayed for you on that day

You left glasco and your shell
You left Glasgow and your old self behind

And sailed back to the bay
And came back to the place where you belong

And though it was predicted
Even though people had foreseen it happening

Old times always sound so bad
The memories of the past can be painful to remember

The calendar was the saddest thing
Looking at the calendar was depressing

That I ever read
It brought a wave of emotions

I hope you know you'll always be the life of the party
I want you to know that you bring joy and energy to any social gathering

Though I wouldn't mention
Even though I wouldn't say it out loud

I still say how do you
I still wonder how you are doing