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.
Eve Of Destruction
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wise Chyld King, Sean and Reshma, Coll and Brian
Darkhorse Jack setting things on fire at Glass
Fernie's got a drink, and Blake's got a wedding ring
Darya the Mad Russian, Lissa, who gave up her naps
Dia Sokol, Dan Mooney, Errol, and ol' Jackpot Junior
Doung and Nell, Randy Bell, drums by Microsoft Excel, and Margaret Welles
Lynchburg, Williamsburg, Park Dr., and Austin Texas, car alarms on Grand Street
Getting weird with the Buj, all the folks down at DuMont
Bonnie, who sings on our record, Sam and Max, the Therien fam
Young Farrington, Blair, Myles' brother, and Myles
Amie Barrodale, and everyone we know named Christian
James and Clayton, Hamm's, and the Champagne School
And I tell you over and over and over again, my friend
That I'm down with you, even on the eve of destruction
And if this moment is gone in a flash
And my hand in yours becomes ash in ash
And everyone becomes just dust in the blast
At least this day will be our last
Maybe St. Peter won't let us in
Saying Heaven's a place for the innocent
Then we'll have a dance, yeah a dance, on the head of a pin
And God will grin and shoo us away
The lyrics to Bishop Allen's song "Eve of Destruction" are a tribute to the people who have been influential and meaningful to the band members. They mention a list of names, some of which are familiar and some are not. These people come from different backgrounds and have diverse interests, but they have one thing in common, they have made an impact in the lives of the band members. The lyrics try to capture the feelings of camaraderie and togetherness, and how everyone is in this together even in the face of what seems to be an impending doom.
The chorus of the song is a declaration of solidarity. The phrase "I'm down with you, even on the eve of destruction" is meant to reassure the named people that they are not alone and that the band members will stand with them through thick and thin, even in the face of an upcoming apocalypse. The verse starting with "Maybe St. Peter won't let us in" is reflective and philosophical in tone. It talks about the inevitability of death, and how people should cherish the moments they have with their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
King Chris Coyne, Total Shams, and Shoeless Jed
List of names of some people who might be part of the Bishop Allen's friend circle
Wise Chyld King, Sean and Reshma, Coll and Brian
List of names of some people who might be part of the Bishop Allen's friend circle
Darkhorse Jack setting things on fire at Glass
A person named Jack, who might have a personality like a Dark horse, is doing something reckless
Fernie's got a drink, and Blake's got a wedding ring
Two people named Fernie and Blake respectively, who are probably from Bishop Allen's friend circle, one of who is drinking and the other is married
Darya the Mad Russian, Lissa, who gave up her naps
Two people named Darya and Lissa respectively, who might be part of Bishop Allen's friend circle, one of who is Russian and the other gave up sleeping in the afternoon
Dia Sokol, Dan Mooney, Errol, and ol' Jackpot Junior
List of names of some people who might be part of the Bishop Allen's friend circle
Doung and Nell, Randy Bell, drums by Microsoft Excel, and Margaret Welles
List of names of some people who might be part of the Bishop Allen's friend circle, including a person playing drums on a computer program
Lynchburg, Williamsburg, Park Dr., and Austin Texas, car alarms on Grand Street
A list of places with noise from car alarms in one of the places
English 10a, Piper, Rege, Matt, and K
List of names of some people who might be part of the Bishop Allen's academic circle
Getting weird with the Buj, all the folks down at DuMont
Bishop Allen is having a weird time with someone named 'Buj' and other people at a place called 'DuMont'
Bonnie, who sings on our record, Sam and Max, the Therien fam
List of names of some people who might be part of Bishop Allen's friend circle, including a person named Bonnie who sings on their record
Young Farrington, Blair, Myles' brother, and Myles
List of names of some people who might be part of Bishop Allen's friend circle, including a person who might be Myles' brother
Amie Barrodale, and everyone we know named Christian
List of names of some people who might be part of Bishop Allen's friend circle, including a person named Amie and everyone they know named Christian
James and Clayton, Hamm's, and the Champagne School
List of names of some people and things that might be part of Bishop Allen's orbit
And I tell you over and over and over again, my friend
Bishop Allen is trying to emphasize their point by repeating it
That I'm down with you, even on the eve of destruction
Bishop Allen is trying to convey that they will be with their friend even in the worst of times
And if this moment is gone in a flash
Bishop Allen is referring to a fleeting moment
And my hand in yours becomes ash in ash
Bishop Allen is talking about how everything disintegrates in the end
And everyone becomes just dust in the blast
Bishop Allen is referring to a destruction that turns everything, including people, to dust
At least this day will be our last
Bishop Allen is pointing out that this day will be the last day, implying that they won't have to go through such situations again
Maybe St. Peter won't let us in
Bishop Allen is imagining that Saint Peter may not allow them into heaven
Saying Heaven's a place for the innocent
Bishop Allen is imagining St. Peter's reason for not letting them in would be because they are not innocent
Then we'll have a dance, yeah a dance, on the head of a pin
Bishop Allen is imagining that they will continue to have fun, despite not being allowed into heaven
And God will grin and shoo us away
Bishop Allen imagines that God will be amused but would not allow them into heaven
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Rudder, Justin Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind