Biffy, as they are often referred to, utilise a quiet/loud dynamic, constructing songs that can range from a whisper-quiet pick on the guitar, to huge walls of noise with massive distortion and crashing drums. Their sound has simplified somewhat in recent times yet still occasionally contains complex time signatures and heavy riffs. While Simon Neil sings lead, all three members provide vocals. "'Mon the Biffy!" is a well known chant amongst Biffy fans; it is usually shouted in between songs at gigs, or before the band come on stage. Some fans have reacted poorly to the band's recent output.
The first incarnation of what would eventually become Biffy Clyro was formed in 1995 by fifteen-year-old Irvine-born, Ayr-raised guitarist Simon Neil, who recruited Kilmarnock-born Ben Johnston and someone known only as Barry on drums and bass respectively, calling themselves Screwfish. Barry was soon replaced by James Johnston, Ben's twin brother, and the three spent the next two years rehearsing, writing and covering songs. In 1997, they played their first gig as the support for a band called Pink Kross at a local youth centre. The trio then moved to Glasgow, where Neil went to the University of Glasgow and the Johnston twins went to Stow College, studying Electronics with Music and Audio Engineering respectively.They then progressed onto the bigger stage
After playing gigs around Glasgow and receiving positive and enthusiastic reactions from the audiences, the band were spotted by Dee Bahl, who soon became their manager. Bahl offered them a chance to release an independent single on Aereogramme's Babi Yaga record label. "Iname" was released on 28 June 1999, and led to the band being chosen by Stow College's Electric Honey record label to release a record. thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow... was released on 13 June 2000, and after hearing it, BBC Radio Scotland DJ Vic Galloway gave the band airplay. A few days prior to the release of thekidswho..., the band were spotted at the Unsigned Bands stage at T in the Park 2000 by a Beggars Banquet representative. Soon after, the band was signed to the independent Beggar's Banquet, and on 30 October 2000, they re-recorded and released the single, "27", which became Kerrang!'s Single Of The Week.
On 1 October 2001, one of the songs from thekidswho... was re-recorded and released as a single, "Justboy". This was repeated on 4 February 2002, when the song "57" was released. On 11 March, the band's debut album, Blackened Sky, was released to generally positive reviews. It was around this time that the band began touring extensively, including being the support for Weezer on 20 March at the Barrowlands in Glasgow. On 15 July, the fourth single from the album, "Joy.Discovery.Invention" was released as a double A-side with a newly recorded song, entitled "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys", which later appeared on The Vertigo of Bliss.
In 2003, the band retreated to the Linford Manor recording studio in Great Linford, Milton Keynes, England to record the follow-up to Blackened Sky. On 24 March, a new single was released entitled, "The Ideal Height", followed by another new single entitled "Questions and Answers" on 28 May. The band's second album, The Vertigo of Bliss was released on 16 June, to positive reviews, which focused on the more experimental style of the album in comparison to Blackened Sky, as well as the introduction of string sections.
In 2004, after touring relentlessly for The Vertigo of Bliss, the band retreated to Monnow Valley Studios in Monmouth, Wales to record a follow-up. As with the previous album, two singles were released before the actual album; "Glitter and Trauma" and "My Recovery Injection" on 9 August and 20 September, respectively. A digital download was also released; "There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake", on 31 May. On 4 October, the band's third album, Infinity Land was released, and on 14 February 2005, the last single from the album, "Only One Word Comes To Mind" was released. On 16 February, the band performed a cover of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" live from Maida Vale on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show. Simon Neil's side project, Marmaduke Duke, also released an album in 2005, The Magnificent Duke, and toured the UK, along with the Johnston twins accompanying on bass and drums, for it.
In 2006, Biffy Clyro left Beggars Banquet and signed a deal with 14th Floor, an offshoot of Warner Bros. In June, the band contributed a cover of Weezer's "Buddy Holly" to Kerrang!'s High Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock, which came free with Issue #1110 of the magazine. In September, the band moved temporarily to Canada to record their fourth album at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, and The Farm Studio in Gibsons, which they finished doing in November. The song "Semi-Mental" was released as a digital download on 25 December. In 2007, the song "Saturday Superhouse" was released on 14 May, where it reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart; the band's highest single chart position to date. On 14 May, the song "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies" was released, reaching #19 on the UK Singles Charts. On 21 May, Biffy were confirmed for T in the Park 2007, as well as being announced as one of the support bands for the 17 June gig at the new Wembley Stadium for Muse. On 1 June, Biffy were confirmed for Glastonbury 2007. On 4 June, Puzzle was released to critical acclaim, and eventually helped the band to reach their highest UK Albums Chart position ever, reaching #2 in the first week of release. On 6 June it was announced that Biffy were to support The Who at Marlay Park in Ireland. On 12 June, it was announced that "Folding Stars" was released as a single on July 16. On the 23rd of August 2007, Biffy Clyro were announced as the support act for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers at Hampden Stadium in Glasgow, for the Stadium Arcadium tour.
Sounds Like Balloons
Biffy Clyro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our fingers bled, our feet were worn
But we stood strong and carried on
Come on in, do you want to touch my bulbous head?
With features wrapped and stretched to death
A tiny nose is all that's left
The land at the end of our toes, goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones, it blows on and on and on and on
The land at the end of our toes, goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones continues on
The basement's gone, it seems they've dug up all our land
The world was lowered man by man
Let's move the sky and not join hands
Ancient Rome, we built that fucker stone by stone
Our fingers bled, our feet were worn
But we stood strong and carried on
This is not for your entertainment
The land at the end of our toes, goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones, it blows on and on and on and on
The land at the end of our toes, goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones continues on
Life still sounds like balloons
You chew and you chew and chew
Your teeth crumble to the floor
It's where they lay, it's where they lay
Our past never really dies
I don't think we even try
There's no difference from
Where we wake or where we die
(Balloons, balloons, balloons)
The land at the end of our toes, goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones, it blows on and on and on and on
The land at the end of our toes, goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones continues on
The lyrics of Biffy Clyro's "Sounds Like Balloons" are filled with references to history and the passage of time. The song begins with a nod to the ancient city of Rome and the hard work that went into building it, with the repetition of "Ancient Rome, we built that fucker stone by stone" in the opening lines. The reference to hard work and perseverance continues with "Our fingers bled, our feet were worn / But we stood strong and carried on."
The second verse takes a surreal turn, with the invitation to "Come on in, do you want to touch my bulbous head?" and the image of a face with features that have been "wrapped and stretched to death" and a "tiny nose" being all that's left. The lines "This is not for your entertainment" suggest that this image and invitation are not meant to be taken at face value, but instead are part of a larger commentary on the nature of life and reality.
The repetition of "The land at the end of our toes, goes on and on and on and on / The sand at the core of our bones, it blows on and on and on and on" throughout the song reinforces the idea that time, memories, and the passage of life are inescapable. The closing lines of the song, "Life still sounds like balloons / You chew and you chew and chew / Your teeth crumble to the floor / It's where they lay, it's where they lay / Our past never really dies / I don't think we even try / There's no difference from / Where we wake or where we die," further emphasize this theme of the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Ancient Rome, we built that fucker stone by stone
We worked hard to build something great.
Our fingers bled, our feet were worn
We endured pain and hardships to achieve what we did.
But we stood strong and carried on
We persevered through the difficulties and came out stronger in the end.
Come on in, do you want to touch my bulbous head?
I'm not afraid to be different, and I'm not here to conform to your expectations.
With features wrapped and stretched to death
I've been through a lot, but I've still managed to come out unique and interesting.
A tiny nose is all that's left
Despite all the changes, I'm still recognizable and true to myself.
This is not for your entertainment
I'm not here to be a performer or spectacle for your consumption.
The land at the end of our toes, goes on and on and on and on
There's so much more to discover and explore beyond what we know.
The sand at the core of our bones, it blows on and on and on and on
We're connected to something deeper and more ancient, which will never fully leave us.
The basement's gone, it seems they've dug up all our land
The familiar and dependable foundation has been removed, leaving us feeling unmoored and lost.
The world was lowered man by man
Humans are responsible for the changes and damage to the world around us.
Let's move the sky and not join hands
We should aim for something truly great and awe-inspiring, rather than just settling for basic human connection.
Life still sounds like balloons
Life is still filled with joy and excitement, like a child playing with balloons.
You chew and you chew and chew
We keep striving and working towards something, even if it takes time and effort.
Your teeth crumble to the floor
The process can be painful and take a toll on us.
It's where they lay, it's where they lay
We have to face the consequences of our actions and decisions.
Our past never really dies
We're always carrying our past experiences and mistakes with us, whether we realize it or not.
I don't think we even try
We often ignore or suppress our past, rather than facing it head-on and learning from it.
There's no difference from
In the grand scheme of things, the differences between us and our experiences are negligible.
Where we wake or where we die
We're all connected to each other and the world around us, regardless of our individual experiences.
The sand at the core of our bones continues on
We're part of something much larger and more enduring, which transcends individual lifetimes and experiences.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Simon Alexander Neil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Helen Dimmer
LYRICS
Ancient Rome, we built that fucker stone by stone
Our fingers bled, our feet were worn
But we stood strong and carried on
Come on in, do you want to touch my bulbous head?
With features wrapped and stretched to death
A tiny nose is all that's left
This is not for your entertainment
The land at the end of our toes goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones, it blows on and on and on and on
The land at the end of our toes goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones continues on
The basement's gone, it seems they dug up all our land
The world was lowered man by man
Let's move the sky and not join hands
Ancient Rome, we built that fucker stone by stone
Our fingers bled, our feet were worn
But we stood strong and carried on
This is not for your entertainment
The land at the end of our toes goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones, it blows on and on and on and on
The land at the end of our toes goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones continues on
Life still sounds like balloons
You chew and you chew and chew
Your teeth crumble to the floor
It's where they lay, it's where they lay
Our past never really dies
I don't think we even try
There's no difference from
Where we wake or where we die
(Balloons, balloons, balloons)
The land at the end of our toes goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones, it blows on and on and on and on
The land at the end of our toes goes on and on and on and on
The sand at the core of our bones continues on
Ric D
The chorus in this is so massive can never resist belting it out
Dan Venables
one of their hundreds of underrated tracks
Zombear 88
If you're a biffy fan, this is in your top 5
Razzle
It's Number 2, 1st That Golden Rule
J
Amazing HUGE full sound (tone) from these three. A new, younger Rush has been born.
Preston Ledger
I guess it's kinda off topic but do anybody know a good website to watch newly released tv shows online?
Jamieon
Huge claim. A claim that I cant disagree with.
Tamir Patito
Sounds amazing !! As always .. I wish I would have the opportunity to learn from the guy who makes your recordings and mixing engineer
Tamir Patito
It's Garth Richardson
Gian Marco Raspolini
it would be an experience