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.
Start Again
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I try to stop you but you say it isn't worth the wait
If I could give away the keys to the kingdom I would
I'm sorry, sorry but I think you may have misunderstood
If you wanna burn it down
If you wanna start again
If you wanna turn around then go ahead
If you wanna see it through
If you really need to know I'm tellin' you
I could tell it was too late to take it back
Play the song or the credits, let it fade to black
Out of script, out of time and the scene is done
Call a car, call a friend if you can call anyone
If you wanna burn it down
If you wanna start again
If you wanna turn around then go ahead
If you wanna go alone
If you wanna see it through
If you really need to know I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you
If we never meet again
If we only seem to lose
If you had to turn it in, what would you choose?
If we have a chance tonight
If you wanna wait to see
If you wanna get it right, what's stoppin' me?
If you wanna burn it down
If you wanna start again
If you wanna turn around then go ahead
If you wanna go alone
If you wanna see it through
If you really need to know I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you
The lyrics of Bishop Allen's song, "Start Again," speak to the conflict between holding onto something and letting it go. The first verse sets the scene of summertime and the sun setting late, a time of year often associated with possibility and new beginnings. The singer, however, is struggling to convince someone else not to give up on something that they feel is not worth waiting for. The line "If I could give away the keys to the kingdom I would," suggests a desire on the part of the singer to relinquish control, to let go of attachment to power or position in order to make things right.
The chorus provides a series of options, almost as if the singer is pleading with the other person to make a choice. They can burn it all down and start over, turn around and go in a different direction, go it alone, or see it through. The singer is saying that no matter what the other person decides, they will support them and be honest with them about what they need to do.
The second verse is a commentary on the inevitable end of something, like the end of a movie. The singer realizes that it's too late to change things, and that they need to move on. They make a call to a friend or a car, signaling a desire to leave the situation behind. In the final verse, the singer lays out a series of choices again. They ask what the other person would choose if they never met again, or if they had to turn something in? They ask if the other person wants to get it right, what is stopping them? The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that no matter what the other person decides, the singer will support them.
Overall, the song is an exploration of the tension between holding onto something and letting it go, the difficult decisions that come with change, and the idea that even when things end, there are always new beginnings.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer, summer and the sun is settin' later than late
The season of summer is upon us and the sun sets much later than usual.
I try to stop you but you say it isn't worth the wait
I attempt to hinder you from doing something but you claim that it is not worth delaying.
If I could give away the keys to the kingdom I would
If it were possible, I would totally give away all the power and authority I have.
I'm sorry, sorry but I think you may have misunderstood
I apologize for any confusion, but I believe you have misconstrued something.
If you wanna burn it down
If you desire to cause destruction.
If you wanna start again
If you wish to begin anew.
If you wanna turn around then go ahead
If you want to reverse the course of things, then proceed.
If you wanna go alone
If you choose to go by yourself.
If you wanna see it through
If you're committed to sticking to it until the end.
If you really need to know I'm tellin' you
If you truly require knowledge of something, I am informing you.
I could tell it was too late to take it back
I could discern that it was already too late to retract what was said or done.
Play the song or the credits, let it fade to black
Play the music or show the credits to conclude this story until everything fades to darkness.
Out of script, out of time and the scene is done
We are no longer following the script, and the time to act out this particular moment has ended.
Call a car, call a friend if you can call anyone
Get transportation by contacting a car or a friend, if anyone is willing to be called.
If we never meet again
In the event that we never cross paths again.
If we only seem to lose
If it appears that all we do is lose with no victories.
If you had to turn it in, what would you choose?
If you absolutely had to surrender or give up something, what would your choice be?
If we have a chance tonight
If there's an opportunity for us this evening.
If you wanna wait to see
If you prefer to wait and watch before making a decision.
If you wanna get it right, what's stoppin' me?
If you'd like to make things correct, what's keeping me from doing so?
If you really need to know I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you
If you truly require knowledge of something, I am informing you, repeating it twice for emphasis.
Contributed by Tristan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kasey Konflict
Summer summer and the sun is setting later than late
I try to stop you but you say it isn't worth the wait
If I could give away the keys to the kingdom, I would
I'm sorry sorry, but I think you may have misunderstood
If you want to burn it down
If you want to start again
If you want to turn around, then go ahead
If you want to go alone
If you want to see it through
If you really need to know, I'm tellin' you
I could tell it was too late to take it back
Play the song on the credits
Let it fade to black
Out of script
Out of time
And the scene is done
Call a car
Call a friend if you can't call anyone
If you want to burn it down
If you want to start again
If you want to turn around, then go ahead
If you want to go alone
If you want to see it through
If you really need to know, I'm tellin' you
If we ever meet again
If we only seem to lose
If you had to turn it in
What would you choose?
If we have the chance tonight
If you want to wait to see
If you want to get it right
What's stopping me?
If you want to burn it down
If you want to start again
If you want to turn around, then go ahead
If you want to go alone
If you want to see it through
If you really need to know, I'm tellin' you
I'm tellin' you
Tim Ramage
Love this song! I never get tired of listening to this song!
Just Dump Here
God you are gold guys, still listening to your music in 2021 for 10 years now I think !
seabruins
It took me five seconds to fall in love with this song.
knifeforkandaspoon
@joker aka Zeeshan Is that English?
z
+knifeforkandaspoon your cringe asf
knifeforkandaspoon
what took so long? =D
Tim Ramage
I really love this song!!!!
BBooher77
This is awesome! Please make more! :D
Beth Dickinson
I love this, Thank you!
Kasey Konflict
Summer summer and the sun is setting later than late
I try to stop you but you say it isn't worth the wait
If I could give away the keys to the kingdom, I would
I'm sorry sorry, but I think you may have misunderstood
If you want to burn it down
If you want to start again
If you want to turn around, then go ahead
If you want to go alone
If you want to see it through
If you really need to know, I'm tellin' you
I could tell it was too late to take it back
Play the song on the credits
Let it fade to black
Out of script
Out of time
And the scene is done
Call a car
Call a friend if you can't call anyone
If you want to burn it down
If you want to start again
If you want to turn around, then go ahead
If you want to go alone
If you want to see it through
If you really need to know, I'm tellin' you
If we ever meet again
If we only seem to lose
If you had to turn it in
What would you choose?
If we have the chance tonight
If you want to wait to see
If you want to get it right
What's stopping me?
If you want to burn it down
If you want to start again
If you want to turn around, then go ahead
If you want to go alone
If you want to see it through
If you really need to know, I'm tellin' you
I'm tellin' you