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 History Of Excuses
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They used to say upstate, and that's what they'd mean
It's such a prettier name for such an awful place
And every page you're looking at another blank face
And you know, you have to find a way to pass time
And that's what I've been doing for a while now, baby
I've been marking each day with the light on the wall
And waiting by the telephone to take that call
And you try to change my mind, about to choose this
'Cause you know too well the history of excuses
Looking the clean to that liquor machine
That can jingle their coffers all gold bus tweed
And jingle the heavens and driving the bus
'Cause there's hatches in the back and nothing but this whole hook
And you know, I wish that I could change it with a vote
But I never found myself on the right side of the polls
You got a dream, well, I'm out in the open
And there's mountains and trees and the smell of the ocean
I try to change my mind, about to choose this
'Cause you know too well the history of excuses
I'm down riding on a Hudson River train
I'm at the window as we're passing by the Rockefeller Estate
I used to buy up all the houses just to clear 'em away
'Cause they cluttered the view of the far palisades
Now I came by one house, let alone a valley full
And my only view is of some blank wall
It gets tired of being confined
And waiting around in holes, I got you for tied
And I try to change my mind, about to choose this
'Cause you know too well the history of excuses
In Bishop Allen's song The History Of Excuses, the singer reflects on his past and present while riding on a train. He mentions looking at a book of photographs from old Sing Sing, a prison in Upstate New York, and noting the blank faces shown in the pages. He marks each day, waiting for a call that may or may not come. Through his reflection, it is apparent that the singer has struggled with making choices in his life and is aware of the excuses he has made in the past. He mentions wanting to change things with a vote, but has always found himself on the wrong side of the polls. He longs for freedom and open spaces, but feels confined and tied down.
The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is struggling with the choices they have made in the past and their current situation. The references to Sing Sing and the photograph book serve as a reminder of past mistakes, while the desire for open spaces and freedom highlight the singer's desire for change. In contrast, the blank wall visible from the train could represent the idea of being confined and unable to make changes.
In summary, The History Of Excuses is a song that explores the struggle of making choices and dealing with the consequences of past actions. It invites listeners to reflect on their own history of excuses and to consider the ways in which they can work towards change.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a book of photographs from old Sing Sing
I have a book of pictures from the old prison, Sing Sing.
They used to say upstate, and that's what they'd mean
People used to refer to the prison as being upstate.
It's such a prettier name for such an awful place
Sing Sing is a terrible place, despite the nicer name.
And every page you're looking at another blank face
Every page in the book contains a mugshot of a prisoner with an emotionless expression.
And you know, you have to find a way to pass time
Prisoners have to find ways to keep themselves occupied.
And that's what I've been doing for a while now, baby
The singer has been finding ways to pass time for some time.
I've been marking each day with the light on the wall
The singer marks each day by how the sunlight shifts on the wall.
And waiting by the telephone to take that call
The artist is waiting for an important phone call.
And you try to change my mind, about to choose this
Someone is trying to convince the artist to change their mind about something.
'Cause you know too well the history of excuses
The person trying to convince the artist knows that they are prone to making excuses.
Looking the clean to that liquor machine
The singer is watching people use a vending machine for alcohol.
That can jingle their coffers all gold bus tweed
The vending machine makes a lot of money for the people who own it.
And jingle the heavens and driving the bus
The people who benefit from the vending machine are living in luxury.
'Cause there's hatches in the back and nothing but this whole hook
The vending machine is rigged to only dispense certain types of alcohol.
And you know, I wish that I could change it with a vote
The singer wishes they could change the situation with a democratic vote.
But I never found myself on the right side of the polls
The artist has never been in the majority when it comes to voting.
You got a dream, well, I'm out in the open
The artist implies that they don't have any dreams that can't be achieved.
And there's mountains and trees and the smell of the ocean
The singer is surrounded by nature.
I'm down riding on a Hudson River train
The singer is on a train that goes by the Hudson River.
I'm at the window as we're passing by the Rockefeller Estate
The artist is looking out the window at the Rockefeller Estate as the train goes by it.
I used to buy up all the houses just to clear 'em away
The artist used to buy houses and demolish them to make way for things like parking lots.
'Cause they cluttered the view of the far palisades
The houses obstructed the view of the faraway palisades.
Now I came by one house, let alone a valley full
The singer doesn't even have one house anymore, let alone a valley full.
And my only view is of some blank wall
The artist now has a view of a blank wall.
It gets tired of being confined
The singer is getting sick of being stuck in a small space.
And waiting around in holes, I got you for tied
The singer is stuck in a situation they don't like, and is blaming the person they're talking to.
And I try to change my mind, about to choose this
The singer is trying to reconsider a decision they've made.
'Cause you know too well the history of excuses
The person the artist is talking to knows that they are prone to making excuses.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Rudder, Justin Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind