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.
St. Ivan's Day School
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He used to love to entertain us with a song
And you never would have guessed that he was horribly depressed
For when he'd sing, it didn't seem a thing was wrong
Singing "Hey, ho, the heads will roll
Hey, ho, heads will roll
Death will come and take my song
I see the guidance counselor for our yearly tough talk
And he used his hand to hide his crooked teeth
He said "A day will come along when you will find where you belong
And pray to god it isn't here with me"
Singing "Hey, ho, the heads will roll
Hey, ho, heads will roll
Death will come and take my song
How the heads will roll"
"Hey, ho, the heads will roll
Hey, ho, heads will roll
Death will come and take my song
How the heads will roll"
Seventeen years later, I was walking home one day
There was a man sitting, shaking, in the rain
White as a sheet and missing all his teeth
He looked so bad, I really can't explain
I think his name was Tim, he used to beat me up in gym
And I asked if he remembered me, 'cause I remembered him
And I pulled him to his feet, and I kissed him on the cheek
And arm in arm, we struck up this refrain:
Singing "Hey, ho, the heads will roll
Hey, ho, heads will roll
Death will come and take my song
How the heads will—
Hey, ho, the heads will roll
Hey, ho, heads will roll
Death will come and take my song
How the heads will—
Hey, ho, the heads will roll
Hey, ho, the heads will roll
Death will come and take my song
How the heads will roll"
The song “St. Ivan’s Day School” by Bishop Allen tells a story that spans over the course of seventeen years. The first stanza of the song talks about a choir master who would entertain the students by singing a cheerful tune, even though he was "horribly depressed." The lyrics, "Hey, ho, the heads will roll, Hey, ho, heads will roll," sound rather ominous, and suggest that the cheerful music is masking something darker, as if the choir master knows something the students don't. The second stanza shifts to the perspective of the singer, who meets with the guidance counselor for a yearly talk. The guidance counselor, upon covering his crooked teeth with his hand, ominously tells the singer to pray that they will not end up back at the school with him. This statement further reinforces the dark undertones of the song.
The conversation between the singer and the guidance counselor takes on a sadder meaning when the singer encounters a former bully years later, sitting in the rain and shaking. Despite having been beaten up by the bully in gym class, the singer helps Tim to his feet and kisses him on the cheek, united in a refrain of "Hey, ho, the heads will roll." The final note of the song is bittersweet, as the singer reconciles with his past bully while singing a refrain that once seemed ominous.
Line by Line Meaning
Before the choir master drank himself to death
The choir master used to delight us with his songs before he died of alcoholism.
He used to love to entertain us with a song
The choir master had a passion for music and would sing for us with great pleasure.
And you never would have guessed that he was horribly depressed
Surprisingly, the choir master was highly depressed despite being perceived as having a happy disposition.
For when he'd sing, it didn't seem a thing was wrong
Nobody could tell that anything was wrong with his mental state since he put on a brave face when singing.
I see the guidance counselor for our yearly tough talk
I attend an annual session with the school guidance counselor to receive a motivational speech.
And he used his hand to hide his crooked teeth
The guidance counselor had to cover his uneven teeth as he spoke.
He said 'A day will come along when you will find where you belong
The counselor assured me that a day would come when I'd find my place in the world.
And pray to god it isn't here with me'
The counselor hopes that I don't end up like him, and my life will lead me elsewhere.
Seventeen years later, I was walking home one day
Many years later, I was walking home after going to school.
There was a man sitting, shaking, in the rain
A man was sitting sopping wet in the rain, shaking from the cold or other reasons.
White as a sheet and missing all his teeth
The man was pale with no teeth and appeared unwell.
He looked so bad, I really can't explain
The man was in such a sorry state that I couldn't describe it fully.
I think his name was Tim, he used to beat me up in gym
I remember his name to be Tim, who used to bully me during gym class.
And I asked if he remembered me, 'cause I remembered him
I asked him if he remembered me, as I still remembered him.
And I pulled him to his feet, and I kissed him on the cheek
I helped him up and showed him affection by kissing him on the cheek.
And arm in arm, we struck up this refrain:
We then locked arms and began to sing this common tune:
Singing 'Hey, ho, the heads will roll
The chorus part of the melody.
Death will come and take my song
The lyrics mention death coming and taking away the song being sung.
How the heads will roll'
The phrase is the last part of the chorus.
Hey, ho, the heads will roll
Repetitive chorus line meant for instilling the song into the listeners' minds.
Hey, ho, heads will roll
A continuation of the chorus line.
Death will come and take my song
The lyrics mention death coming and taking away the song being sung.
How the heads will--
The last word of the chorus is held out to create suspense.
Hey, ho, the heads will roll
A chorus line that reiterates the song's title in a repetitive manner.
Hey, ho, heads will roll
The chorus line repeats the song's hook in repetition.
Death will come and take my song
The song refers to death coming to take the song away.
How the heads will roll
The end of the chorus repeats the title and hook of the song.
Contributed by Christian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.