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 Same Fire
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The water rushed and tumbled
All around our feet
It was an inch deep in the street
It started in a factory
A block of flame
A knot of smoke all gnarled and black
And this
This is the same fire
And this
This is the same fire
And I was there when the rain came
When the wind and wet and ashes
Made me speckled black
And so I ran the five blocks back
And when you came to the door
And you let me in
It's like I saw you for the very first time again
You were beautiful
Goddamn you were beautiful
And this
This is the same fire
And this
This is the same fire
And this
This is the same fire
That you light in me
That you light in me
That you light in me
That you light in me
The white house 1814
Moscow 1812
San Francisco after the earthquake
I loved you then as well
The library of Alexandria
And all of Rome at least twice
And I know this is the biggest blaze
I've ever seen in my entire life
A million firefighters
And ninety nine alarms
An ocean full of water
I will burn through it all unharmed
I will burn through it all unharmed
I will burn through it all unharmed
For you
You're so beautiful
Goddamn you're so beautiful
This, this is the same fire
This, this is the same fire
This, this is the same fire (that you light in me)
This, this is the same fire (that you light in me)
This, this is the same fire (that you light in me)
This, this is the same fire (that you light in me)
The song, The Same Fire by Bishop Allen, speaks of a fire that is both destructive and transformative. The first stanza describes a flood caused by the fire, with water rushing through the streets and paper floating in rivulets all around the singer's feet. Then, the lyrics delve into the cause of the flood, which was a raging fire that started in a factory, with black smoke and intense heat that pushed everyone back. However, despite the trouble and danger the fire caused, the chorus expresses the idea that it is the same fire that the singer experiences with his lover. This fire that they share is beautiful and transformative as he sees his lover as if for the first time whenever they reconnect.
The second chorus vividly describes all of the past fires and destructive events that have occurred throughout history, including the burning of the library of Alexandria and the San Francisco earthquake. Yet, despite their destructive nature, the singer acknowledges that the intensity of the fire and the love he shares with his partner is the most intense blaze he's ever seen. The last stanza, with its repetition of the chorus, emphasizes that the fire that is ignited when he is with his lover is the same fire that burns within him, and that no matter what happens in their lives, that flame will never go out.
Line by Line Meaning
In rivulets the paper set
The paper from the factory was drenched and scattered across the ground in small streams.
The water rushed and tumbled
The water flowed quickly and unsteadily around their feet.
All around our feet
The water was surrounding their feet completely.
It was an inch deep in the street
The water level had risen to an inch deep on the road.
It started in a factory
The fire began in a specific factory.
A block of flame
The fire was a large, solid mass of flames.
A knot of smoke all gnarled and black
The smoke from the fire was thick and twisted, almost looking like a tangled knot. It was also very dark.
And the heat that pushed us back
The heat of the fire was so intense that it physically forced them to step back.
And this
This is the same fire
And this
This is the same fire
The artist is emphasizing that the current situation is comparable to the previous one, in reference to the intensity and passion of their love.
And I was there when the rain came
The artist was present at the scene when rain arrived.
When the wind and wet and ashes
During the rainy weather, the wind was blowing and flicking wet, ashy residue onto the singer.
Made me speckled black
The wet, ashy residue that stuck to the artist made their skin look speckled and blackened in appearance.
And so I ran the five blocks back
Because the weather was so severe, the singer had to hurry to run back to safety 5 blocks away.
And when you came to the door
And you let me in
It's like I saw you for the very first time again
The singer felt renewed and reinvigorated by the sight of their lover, as if they were seeing them with fresh eyes for the first time.
You were beautiful
Goddamn you were beautiful
The singer is expressing extreme admiration and love for their partner, praising their beauty.
That you light in me
That you light in me
That you light in me
That you light in me
The artist is acknowledging the passion and love that their partner ignites within them.
The white house 1814
Moscow 1812
San Francisco after the earthquake
I loved you then as well
The library of Alexandria
And all of Rome at least twice
The artist is comparing the intensity of their love to major historical events and periods, expressing the everlasting and enduring nature of their feelings.
And I know this is the biggest blaze
I've ever seen in my entire life
The singer is emphasizing the strength and significance of their current love and passion.
A million firefighters
And ninety nine alarms
An ocean full of water
I will burn through it all unharmed
I will burn through it all unharmed
I will burn through it all unharmed
For you
You're so beautiful
Goddamn you're so beautiful
The singer is expressing their willingness to face any obstacle or challenge for the sake of their love, emphasizing how they would endure anything for the sake of their partner.
This, this is the same fire
This, this is the same fire
This, this is the same fire (that you light in me)
This, this is the same fire (that you light in me)
This, this is the same fire (that you light in me)
This, this is the same fire (that you light in me)
The repetition of the phrase 'this is the same fire' emphasizes that the artist's passion, love, and devotion remain steadfast despite any external obstacles or challenges.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Rudder, Justin Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind