Bishop Allen is an American indie rock band which formed in Brooklyn, New Y… Read Full Bio ↴Bishop Allen is an American indie rock band which formed in Brooklyn, New York, United States in 2003. The band's core members are Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, who are supported both on stage and in the studio by a rotating cast of musicial collaborators. Currently the band consists of Justin Rice (vocals, guitar), Christian Rudder (guitar), Darbie Nowatka-Rice (keyboards, violin), Keith Poulson (bass) and Michael Tapper (drums). Tapper is a former member of the indie rock band We Are Scientists.

The band takes its name from Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the two lived together after college and has released three albums, "Charm School" (2003), "The Broken String" (2007) and "Grrr..." (2009).

Charm School (2003)

Charm School was Bishop Allen's first record. Recorded in fits and starts over two years, it grew song-by-song as Rice and Rudder wrote and played in their spare time. They recorded all the instruments on the album's 13 songs themselves, using drum loops to hide the fact that neither is a drummer, and almost everything on the record was recorded one track at a time in an ordinary bedroom. Backing vocals by Bonnie Schiff-Glenn and Kate Dollenmayer and supplementary drums by Coll Anderson, all added in the album's final stages, completed the songs.

The EP Project (2006)

In 2006, Bishop Allen recorded and released an EP every month of the year. Each record was titled for the month of its release (January, February, and so on), and, with the exception of August, which was a 14-song live disc, each contained four new studio songs.

The Broken String (2007)

In November 2006, Bishop Allen signed to Dead Oceans, a new sister label to Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, for a modest advance. They began recording a new record that January, at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, Oklahoma, and delivered it two months later. This is Bishop Allen's first true studio recording and was released by Dead Oceans on July 24, 2007.

Grrr.... (2009)

Released in March 2009, this doesn't stray from Bishop Allen's specific brand of lovely indie pop.

/ The News From Your Bed
Bishop Allen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You were saving the date
But you woke up too late
Pulled the covers down over your head
You haven't left your front door
For a week maybe more
Tell me, hey, what's the news from your bed
You know your face is all covered with your birthday cake
That you're eating in the kitchen at home

Another banner year, a splendid day
Another inch or two that you've grown
But it's hard to celebrate on your own

There's a mouse in cupboard that nibbles your crumbs
And you talk to him every night
You say, “Hey, Mr. Whiskers, I'm bored and I'm numb
You can stay if you just treat me right.”
Just last year you were fortunate baby
And your friends circled around you in droves
Are they thinking of you? Maybe just maybe
But not a one has bothered to phone
Tell me where oh where did they go

Called a car an hour ago
You're gonna take yourself out
Despite the cold and snow
Did they forget about you
Are they in on it too?
You're sitting looking in the mirror
At your dancing shoes

When your family calls you make nice to them all
And assure them you're fine and you're great
Then you cry in the bath, cry so hard that you laugh
Then you watch television til late
Who do you need? Nobody.
You're lucky nobody's around
I can pour my own drinks

No thanks, Mister. Go on, and get out of town
And you're gorgeous in your evening gown.

Overall Meaning

The song “The News from Your Bed” by Bishop Allen portrays a person who is stuck in a cycle of isolation and loneliness. The opening lines depict the singer as one who was eagerly saving the date for something but ended up waking up too late and pulling the covers over their head. The lyrics further explain that the character has been confined to their room, not leaving their front door for a week or maybe more. Bishop Allen describes the character’s loneliness with the line, “Tell me, hey, what's the news from your bed”. The character sits at home, eating their birthday cake, reminiscing about the past and feeling sorry for themselves. The song conveys how it's hard to celebrate your birthday and other milestones when you're all alone.

The second verse of the song continues to highlight the character's isolation, telling us about the "mouse in the cupboard" who is the only one the singer talks to every night. The character even tries to bargain with the mouse, offering it a place to stay if he just treats them right. The bridge is reflective of the character’s present circumstances, crying in the bath and watching television until late. The song ends on a triumphant note, with the singer telling someone to get lost and them looking gorgeous in their evening gown. The narrative thus becomes a story of someone who is struggling with loneliness and trying to find a way out of their self-imposed isolation.

Line by Line Meaning

You were saving the date
You had something important planned and were eagerly anticipating it.

But you woke up too late
You missed your own planned event due to oversleeping.

Pulled the covers down over your head
You're avoiding the world and everything that comes with it.

You haven't left your front door
You're isolated and haven't ventured outside for an extended period.

For a week maybe more
You've been in this state for an extended period and time has lost relevance.

Tell me, hey, what's the news from your bed
What is going on with you? How are you doing from your state of isolation?

You know your face is all covered with your birthday cake
You've been eating alone, and not taking care of yourself.

That you're eating in the kitchen at home
You're feeling low but you're trying to keep up the façade of normalcy by eating your cake.

Another banner year, a splendid day
You've had an average/forgettable birthday.

Another inch or two that you've grown
You've aged another year, and possibly grown wiser, but don't feel like it.

But it's hard to celebrate on your own
Your loneliness and disconnectedness is making it hard for you to enjoy your special day.

There's a mouse in cupboard that nibbles your crumbs
You've made a strange companion out of the pests in your house since it's the only company you have.

And you talk to him every night
You're trying to cope by constantly talking to yourself or any living creature you can find.

You say, “Hey, Mr. Whiskers, I'm bored and I'm numb
Your days are blending together, and you're feeling stuck.

You can stay if you just treat me right.”
You're willing to keep the mouse around if it provides you with some sort of comfort and affection.

Just last year you were fortunate baby
You had things going for you, and life was good.

And your friends circled around you in droves
People wanted to be around you, and you felt loved and supported.

Are they thinking of you? Maybe just maybe
You're wondering if anybody still cares about you.

But not a one has bothered to phone
Nobody has reached out to you, which only confirms your fears of being forgotten and alone.

Tell me where oh where did they go
Where have all your friends gone? Why have they abandoned you?

Called a car an hour ago
You're trying to break free from your current situation and start something new.

You're gonna take yourself out
You're going to take matters into your own hands and make a change despite the challenges.

Despite the cold and snow
You're motivated to push forward despite any obstacles.

Did they forget about you
You're questioning if anyone cares about you anymore.

Are they in on it too?
You're feeling paranoid and doubtful of everyone, wondering if they're plotting against you.

You're sitting looking in the mirror
You're trying to find some form of validation or meaning in yourself.

At your dancing shoes
Your shoes represent the memories of a better time, when you were happy and dancing with loved ones.

When your family calls you make nice to them all
You're pretending everything is fine for your family's sake, not wanting to worry them.

And assure them you're fine and you're great
You're trying to keep any concern from your family at bay, since telling them the truth might also mean having to face it yourself.

Then you cry in the bath, cry so hard that you laugh
You're hit with a wave of sadness, and break down crying, causing you to laugh at your own misery.

Then you watch television til late
You're numbing yourself with distractions and broadcasts until you fall asleep at night.

Who do you need? Nobody.
You've convinced yourself you don't need anybody and that you're fine alone.

You're lucky nobody's around
You're maintaining the illusion that you're happy and independent, even though you know deep down that you're not.

I can pour my own drinks
You don't need any help or company, you can handle everything yourself.

No thanks, Mister. Go on, and get out of town
You're lashing out at an imaginary presence that you believe is trying to invade your privacy or independence.

And you're gorgeous in your evening gown.
Despite your turbulent emotions and isolation, you still cling to the hope of being happy and gorgeous in the future.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Rudder, Justin Rice

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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