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.
Last Chance America
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who sat and mended your broken wings
Who would not follow
But who had the heart left to lead?
Did you hide in the chimney at night?
Did you dream such terrible dreams?
If you're finally ready for flight, come with me
"Last chance, America!"
And once together
We'll cut across a whole continent
And more will gather
Than the joy that's to sing all of this
We've been saving ourselves, but for what?
Because what we have saved should be spent
I could tell you that if sudden thoughts...
But what then?
Singing, "Shalalala
I don't care if I'm wrong
I will give what I have to the song
If you know we'll go out, sing along
Last chance, America!"
"Shalalala
I don't care if I'm wrong
I will give what I have to the song
If you know we'll go out, sing along
Last chance, America!
Last chance
Last chance, America!"
"Shalalala,
I don't care if I'm wrong
I will give what I have to the song
If you know we'll go out, sing along
Last chance, America!"
The lyrics of Bishop Allen's song Last Chance America are a call to action, urging listeners to join in a journey across a continent in search of something that is worth saving. The opening lines use bird imagery to ask if the listener has suffered a broken spirit but still has the heart to lead. The chorus then raises the stakes, declaring that this is America's last chance, and urging everyone to contribute what they can to the effort.
The second verse hints that the journey is one of renewal, as the "more" that gather will be drawn by the shared joy of singing and the hope of creating something new. The lines "We've been saving ourselves, but for what? Because what we have saved should be spent" suggest that the journey is a necessary step towards a brighter future, but there is still uncertainty about what that future holds. The repeated "shalalalas" in the chorus reinforce the idea that the act of singing, of coming together in solidarity, is itself a form of resistance.
Overall, the lyrics of Last Chance America can be seen as a call to action in uncertain times. The journey across the continent may be fraught with risk and uncertainty, and the destination may be unclear, but the act of coming together, of taking action when action is needed, is the crucial first step towards building a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you a swallow
Are you a person who's been hurt and healed, and is now ready to lead?
Who sat and mended your broken wings
Have you been broken and bruised, and yet mended your own wings?
Who would not follow
Are you someone who refused to follow blindly like others often do?
But who had the heart left to lead?
But do you still have it in your heart to lead?
Did you hide in the chimney at night?
Have you felt alone and afraid like hiding in a chimney at night?
Did you dream such terrible dreams?
Did you ever have haunting dreams that kept you awake at night?
If you're finally ready for flight, come with me
If you're ready to soar high, come along with me.
"Last chance, America!"
America, this is our last chance to make things right.
And once together
Once we join hands...
We'll cut across a whole continent
We'll travel far and wide
And more will gather
And we'll gather more people
Than the joy that's to sing all of this
Than the joy of singing all that we've been saving for this moment.
We've been saving ourselves, but for what?
We've been saving ourselves all this while, but for what purpose?
Because what we have saved should be spent
Whatever we've saved should be spent now.
I could tell you that if sudden thoughts...
I could give you an explanation, but what then?
"Shalalala
Shalalala...
I don't care if I'm wrong
I don't mind taking risks...
I will give what I have to the song
I'll give everything I have to this cause...
If you know we'll go out, sing along
If you're ready to come along, let's do this together...
Last chance, America!"
This is our last chance, America!
"Last chance
This is our final chance..
Last chance, America!"
Our last chance, America!
"Shalalala,
Shalalala...
I don't care if I'm wrong
I don't mind being wrong...
I will give what I have to the song
But I'll give everything I have to this.
If you know we'll go out, sing along
If you're ready for the ride, join me and let's do this together.
Last chance, America!"
This is our final chance, America!
Contributed by Christopher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.