Their self-titled album was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005. In the Future was a finalist for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize and was also nominated for "Best Alternative Album" in the 2009 Juno Awards. The song "Stay Free" from In the Future was featured on the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack.
In 2005 the band opened for Coldplay on their Twisted Logic Tour for three weeks, with their final opening in San Diego.
In September 2010 Black Mountain performed in an amphitheater located in the woods of Oisterwijk at the Incubate (festival) in Tilburg, Netherlands.
Leader Stephen McBean also heads another similarly named band, Pink Mountaintops, who are the more experimental side of McBean's musical abilities. Black Mountain is the front line band for Black Mountain Army, a collective of musicians, artists and friends in Vancouver. In an interview the band said "Black Mountain is just the five of us. The Black Mountain Army… which has kind of gotten blown out of proportion, it was kind of just a joke, because everybody thought we were this hippie collective, like we all lived in one house. But it’s basically just our friends at home in Vancouver, just our extended family of creative people that we know."
Several members of the band have, for as long as a decade, worked for organizations that meet the basic living requirements of the chronically poor, drug addicted and mentally ill in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighborhood, such as Insite. In an interview, the band said: "After work we all try not to think too hard about the effect it has on our lives. It keeps us grounded."
Wilderness Heart was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.
March 11, 2014 The Black Mountain song "Wucan" was featured on season 2 of the FOX drama "The Following" during the eighth episode entitled "Messenger".
The Black Mountain song "Druganaut" is featured in a June, 2014 Father's Day commercial for J.C. Penney.
Angels
Black Mountain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, angels, lay your arms around
Oh every city's seen the setting sun
Call 'em kicks, you know they just begun
So come on, lay your halo down
Oh, lady lady, don't let your worry please
Well you got something
So why you kicking all those storms around?
And keeping fake down in the underground?
Oh come on, lay your halo down
So why you kicking all the rollies round?
And keeping fake down in the underground?
We won't call curtain
still we know that you have found...
Come on, lay your halo down
Angels, lay your arms around
Oh every city's seen the setting sun
Call em kicks, you know they've just begun
Come on, lay your halo down
The song "Angels" by Black Mountain is a high-energy, upbeat rock song that has a powerful message about letting go of your worries and inhibitions. The repeated refrain throughout the song is "Come on, lay your halo down," which suggests shedding the constraints of being perfect or angelic and embracing one's true self, flaws and all. The song speaks to the idea of living life in the moment and not being weighed down by the past or future.
The lyrics also touch on the concept of society's expectations and the pressure to maintain a certain image. The line, "And keeping fake down in the underground," seems to suggest the idea that people often hide their true selves in order to fit in with the norms of society. The song encourages individuals to break free of these expectations and be true to themselves.
The music itself is fast-paced and energetic, with an underlying sense of urgency throughout. The use of guitar riffs and powerful percussion adds to the frenzied energy of the song. The lyrics are delivered in a passionate and almost shouted manner, further emphasizing the emotive quality of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on, lay your halo down
Let go of your vanity and pretentiousness.
Well, angels, lay your arms around
Support and protect each other like the celestial beings.
Oh every city's seen the setting sun
Everyone has gone through lows and highs in life.
Call 'em kicks, you know they just begun
Refer to the past experiences as stepping stones and new beginnings.
So come on, lay your halo down
Let go of one's ego and facade to be true and authentic.
Oh, lady lady, don't let your worry please
Do not let the stress and apprehensions control oneself.
Well you got something and that ain't nothing to just let be
Acknowledge one's talents and capabilities and make efforts to fulfill oneself.
So why you kicking all those storms around?
Why create chaos and negativity for oneself and others?
And keeping fake down in the underground?
Why hide the truth and pretend to be someone else?
So why you kicking all the rollies round?
Why let oneself be a victim and go through unnecessary troubles?
We won't call curtain still we know that you have found...
Although not apparent, others know when one discovers and accepts true self.
Come on, lay your halo down
Embrace one's true identity and let go of the facade.
Angels, lay your arms around
Come together to create a supportive, protective community.
Oh every city's seen the setting sun
Acknowledge everyone's struggles and share in their triumphs.
Call em kicks, you know they've just begun
Celebrate the small successes and look forward to new beginnings.
Come on, lay your halo down
Let go of one's ego and pretensions to truly connect with others.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Amber Erica Webber, Jeremy Victor Schmidt, Joshua Mark Wells, Matthew Camirand, Stephen Gordon McBean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Th3Ed
years later I still love this song
@felipeseguezzi8759
Two. Kkk. Ten years after kkkkk.
@TribeVibez1
Definitely one of my favorite songs by them! It's too bad bands like this don't get much attention.
@AmberLitSkies
I adore the hell out of this song!
@maijoneesidip1
This is awesome song<3. I have lived many years next to the mountain called Black Mountain in Finland. So that's kinda cool, it's not high tho and there's a ski center other side of it. Wonderful nature anyhow! :)
@kartiks.7656
Pure genius
@eslamv2
love it
@NateDaGreat519849
beautiful song
@AriaKyuKyu
Why videogames made me love bands that I didn't know? Thanks Spec Ops: The Line
@GoToBedSheeva
love love love