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 Light Of The Lost
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sitting around in the same old room
And when tomorrow comes, I will be gone
I'll be working 'til the afternoon
I rode the cyclone, I rode the shockwave
I found my heart inside my chest
And I was so surprised to be alive, I couldn't wait around and rest
Shining out ahead just a little bit further on
Draws me like a moth, the light of the lost
I go crazy, fucking crazy
Thinking about all the gloom and doom
And when tomorrow comes, I'll say I'm done
Drinking 'til the afternoon
Shining out ahead just a little bit further on
Draws me like a moth, the light of the lost
I'll follow it, I guess, but what the cost
I have a black cat
Send me M-80s
Cause I put a match to every fuse
And when they flash and bang, it's a beautiful thing
They always know what to do
I go crazy, fucking crazy
Worrying away at what it means
When all I need's some firecrackers
To blow it all to smithereens
In Bishop Allen's "The Light of the Lost," the singer expresses their need for excitement and exhilaration. They feel restless and bored with their current life, and they want something to awaken their spirits. The opening lines convey a sense of frustration - the singer is going "fucking crazy" sitting in the same room, and they won't be content until they experience something new. The chorus, "shining out ahead just a little bit further on / draws me like a moth, the light of the lost" speaks to the singer's desire for adventure. They are drawn to the unknown, even though they are aware there may be a cost to pursuing it.
The second verse shifts slightly to describe the singer's attempts to escape their boredom. They drink, they ride roller coasters (the "cyclone"), they seek out danger (the "shockwave"). However, nothing seems to fully satisfy them. The image of the "black cat" and the "M-80s" serves as a metaphor for the singer's desire to burn everything down and start anew. They are restless and desperate for change.
Overall, "The Light of the Lost" is a song about chasing a feeling of excitement and discovery, even in the face of uncertainty and risk. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is willing to take chances and seek out something beyond their current mundane existence.
Line by Line Meaning
I go crazy, fucking crazy
I become upset and irrational
Sitting around in the same old room
Being stationary in a familiar environment causes anxiety
And when tomorrow comes, I will be gone
I'll have responsibilities the following day
I'll be working 'til the afternoon
I won't have much free time during the day
I rode the cyclone, I rode the shockwave
I've experienced extreme events
I found my heart inside my chest
I discovered how passionate I can be
And I was so surprised to be alive, I couldn't wait around and rest
I was invigorated by my newfound passion and couldn't waste any time
Shining out ahead just a little bit further on
An unknown positive outcome is nearby
Draws me like a moth, the light of the lost
I'm compelled to follow this sense of hope
I go crazy, fucking crazy
I become upset and irrational
Thinking about all the gloom and doom
My mind is filled with negativity and pessimism
And when tomorrow comes, I'll say I'm done
I'll have given up on my responsibilities
Drinking 'til the afternoon
I'll spend the day drinking instead of working
Shining out ahead just a little bit further on
An unknown positive outcome is nearby
Draws me like a moth, the light of the lost
I'm compelled to follow this sense of hope
I'll follow it, I guess, but what the cost
I'll pursue this hope, but at what cost to myself?
I have a black cat
I have bad luck
Send me M-80s
I seek out sources of chaos and excitement
Cause I put a match to every fuse
I instigate my own sense of excitement and risk-taking behavior
And when they flash and bang, it's a beautiful thing
The excitement of the explosion is a thing of beauty to me
They always know what to do
Explosions never disappoint me
I go crazy, fucking crazy
I become upset and irrational
Worrying away at what it means
I obsess over the meaning of my actions and experiences
When all I need's some firecrackers
My solution to my confusion is a temporary fix
To blow it all to smithereens
I want to destroy my own negative thoughts and feelings
Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.