Black Marble's roots go back to the early 2010s, when Stewart began making music on his laptop. When he played his songs for his friends, they liked his songwriting but thought the instrumentation could sound better, so he looked to the scene around him in Brooklyn for inspiration. He found it in Wierd, a dance party that brought in synth-driven acts from around the world (and also spawned the influential label Wierd Records). Stewart was particularly taken with the sound and analog gear of Martial Canterel's Sean McBride (also of Xeno & Oaklander), and started building his own arsenal of vintage synths, including a Juno and a Korg DW-8000. Not long after, he joined up with ex-Team Robespierre member Ty Kube. The duo made their debut in January 2012 with The Weight Against the Door, an EP released by the Seattle label Hardly Art that introduced Black Marble's faithful update of coldwave's stark-yet-murky, bleak-yet-beautiful sound. That September, their first full-length, A Different Arrangement, appeared on the label and presented a slightly warmer and more melodic version of their style.
Following the release of A Different Arrangement, Stewart began to tire of living in New York. He planned a move to Los Angeles, but wanted to finish Black Marble's second album before he left. During this time, Kube departed and Stewart was hospitalized with a serious case of pneumonia. These personal and physical changes were echoed on It's Immaterial, a lighter and clearer-sounding set of songs that Ghostly International released in October 2016. After settling in L.A., Stewart began work on his third album. Moved by the landscapes as well as the sense of community in his new home, he wrote more immediate songs that brought his voice front and center. In October 2019, Sacred Bones released Bigger Than Life. The following August, Black Marble issued I Must Be Living Twice, an EP of songs originally by Wire, Robert Palmer, and Grouper that were favorites at the band's shows. On October 2021's Fast Idol, Stewart incorporated the more impressionistic songwriting of his early albums with the brighter sound of Bigger Than Life.
Cruel Summer
Black Marble Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
though I, though I
there is a place down the stairs
follow on all time.
Droll the window, droll the window, droll the window
In your. wouldn't fall to.
in your. with a long way
droll the window, droll the window, droll the window
Droll the window, droll the window, droll the window
Ladies gonna fall, do you know?
though I, though I
there is a place down the stairs
you're going on city alone
The lyrics to Black Marble's "Cruel Summer" are somewhat mysterious and open to interpretation. But broadly speaking, the song seems to be about a person who is lonely and disconnected from the world around them. They seem to be observing things from a distance, as if looking through a window, and they are haunted by a sense of sadness and loss.
The repetition of the phrase "Ladies gonna fall, do you know?" is particularly striking. It's unclear exactly what this means, but it could be a reference to the vulnerability and fragility of human life. The line "there is a place down the stairs" suggests that there is a hidden, secret world that the listener is not yet privy to. The repeated refrain of "droll the window" adds to the sense of unease and tension in the song.
Overall, "Cruel Summer" is a haunting and enigmatic piece of music that invites listeners to interpret its meaning in their own way.
Line by Line Meaning
Ladies gonna fall, do you know?
Are you aware that these women will fall in love with you?
though I, though I
Despite any doubts I may have
there is a place down the stairs
There's a hidden place nearby
follow on all time.
Follow me all the time
Droll the window, droll the window, droll the window
Close the blinds
In your. wouldn't fall to.
I wouldn't succumb to your manipulations
in your. with a long way
Your scheme will backfire on you in the long run
do you know.
Are you aware of the consequences of your actions?
droll the window, droll the window, droll the window
Close the blinds
Droll the window, droll the window, droll the window
Close the blinds
Ladies gonna fall, do you know?
Are you aware that these women will fall in love with you?
though I, though I
Despite any doubts I may have
there is a place down the stairs
There's a hidden place nearby
you're going on city alone
You're venturing out into the city alone
Contributed by Brayden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Exploring With Mike
There is no home, do you know?
Tow the line, tow the line
There is a place out of space
Follow the line all the time
Draw the window
Draw the window
Draw the window
In your lifetime, wouldn't fall again to hide
In your lifetime, were they far away?
Will you notice?
Do you know they come?
Draw the window
Draw the window
Draw the window
Draw the window
Draw the window
Draw the window
There is no home, do you know?
Tow the line, tow the line
There is a place out of space
You're gonna fall when they call from the city above
Morningstar
Lets go home, do you know?
Through the line, through the line
There is a place out of space
Follow on all the time
Draw the window, draw the window, draw the window
In your... wouldn't fall to..
In your... with a long way
Will you know this
Do you know they are
Draw the window, draw the window, draw the window
Draw the window, draw the window, draw the window
Lets go home, do you know?
Through the line, through the line
There is a place out of space
You're going on the city alone
SeverinoSE
Some people say they don't like the effects on the vocals (namely reverb, etc.). I think it gives them a unique character and enhances their deep nature and, of course, the melancholic feel. :)
zimriel
I just think it makes it too obvious. Ian Curtis didn't need reverb and neither do Black Marble.
Boy Burger
It sounds goth and indie at the same time which I think is a wonderful mix
crushedinfamy
Those people are poseurs.
ALEX GIBSON
It's an aesthetic choice, raw vocals are not all that hype, some people (anarcho-primitivists) want everything to made out of wood and played on milk jugs and trash from the alley and shit, maybe one of them has an acoustic with 3 strings, fuck that, this shit is future, get over it soymilk babies, we making them good fucking tunes in this shit, this is everywhere, anywhere, anytime music. You chilling downtown, this shit hits, going for a walk, hits, screwing around in nature, hits. The echo-y vocals make it seem distant and dreamy, and the synths just smack, It's like a field covered in fog, and you're just chilling there smoking a blunt, playing with quartz crystals, who cares if you can't see across the property, you're fine, and not going anywhere anyway, so you don't need to see that far out, all there is to do is chill.
If you're complaining because they aren't a grateful dead cover band, playing for a lodge lobby full of dancing mushroooms while Gordon Ramsay yells from the fucking balcony, you're in the wrong neighborhood sweetheart.
Angelo Park
@zimriel Comparing Black Marble and Joy Division might be a stretch.
Chapin_502
Such a great band! Today I have checked around 10 Black Marble songs and every single one was fantastic! I happily purchased one of their records and will continue to get more!
Aludraco
this video is so amazing and deserves so many more veiws but at the same time it's kind of cool because it's a small amount of us that know this great song, like we're exclusive. I discovered this song during summer 2013, it was cool because it's called cruel summer.
Mulb
I've been hearing this on repeat for several days. I'm sure I'm singing it wrong- much to my neighbors botheration.
<3 this.
PAULPABLO PABLO
Jesus, I found this by accident and don't even know what it is but it's ridiculously good.