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.
Radiant Hearts
Black Mountain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tearing up shrapnel, wrapped up in clothing
And I am left waiting for the doctor to sell
Ten thousand one hundreths, it's all just a blur
Tear at the sheets but there's no one alive
The static rings true and your head can't survive
Alone in your castle on the 54th floor
Yet, the hardest truth to believe
That all is worth, and all that is gained
Could never replace the most beautiful things
That brought you so close to my heart
Oh heaven's the place where you're no longer waiting
For someone to say that this day turned to poison
Roses won't make her feel better tonight
Now look what you've done to the sky
Brassy like queens, mad men in corsets
Paul is waiting for someone to get bent
Chasing the arrows, they swoon while they fly
Can't you hear me calling your name?
Yet, the hardest truth to believe
That all is worth, and all that is gained
Could never replace the most beautiful things
That brought you so close to my heart
People wandering the same damn old plains
Waiting for wisdom to shout out their names
But never exchanging a look or a thrill
Would shoot you straight dead in the heart
Of beautiful moments
Lastly, we sing to the senses of order
A mother lay waiting for a children to comfort
That the sky belittered with radiant hearts
Waiting to guide you back home
The song "Radiant Hearts" by Black Mountain paints a vivid picture of a chaotic world. The verses are filled with imagery of destruction; children playing around explosions and tearing up shrapnel, the static ringing true, and tear at the sheets but there's no one alive. The chorus touches upon hard truths to believe - reinforcing that all that is gained could never replace the most beautiful things that brought you close to someone's heart. This is followed by an intriguing line that reads like this - "Oh, heaven's the place where you're no longer waiting for someone to say that this day turned to poison."
The final verse is the most beautiful one, as it shows a glimmer of hope. People are wandering the same old plains, waiting for wisdom to shout out their names, but never exchanging a look or a thrill that would shoot you straight dead in the heart of beautiful moments. The song concludes with a beautiful line which gives an emphasis on the light that transcends through the darkness: "Lastly, we sing to the senses of order, a mother waiting for her children to comfort, that the sky belittered with radiant hearts, waiting to guide you back home."
The song is haunting and beautiful at the same time, providing a stark reminder of the chaos that is life. The singer's voice is high and dreamy, almost whimsical at times, which contrasts with the grim lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Children play softly around the explosions
Despite the violence and chaos around them, children are still able to find happiness and playfulness.
Tearing up shrapnel, wrapped up in clothing
The children are physically affected by the explosions and warfare, as they are wearing protective clothing while playing amongst shrapnel.
And I am left waiting for the doctor to sell
The singer is stuck waiting for medical attention, and the doctors seem more concerned with making money than treating patients.
Ten thousand one hundreths, it's all just a blur
The treatment and care the artist receives is meaningless and forgettable, represented by the abstract figure of ten thousand one hundreths.
Tear at the sheets but there's no one alive
There is no comfort to be found, as it seems that everyone around is dying and unable to help.
The static rings true and your head can't survive
The overwhelming chaos and noise of the world can be mentally and emotionally taxing.
Alone in your castle on the 54th floor
The singer feels isolated and trapped in their high-rise building, which becomes a metaphorical castle.
Can't you hear me calling your name?
The artist is reaching out for human connection and validation, but feels ignored and unheard.
Yet, the hardest truth to believe
The following lines represent a difficult truth that is hard to accept or understand.
That all is worth, and all that is gained
The things we achieve or acquire in life do not always outweigh the inherent value of simple beauty and love.
Could never replace the most beautiful things
No amount of material success or accomplishment can truly replace the pure joy and love we feel for the people and things that touch our hearts.
That brought you so close to my heart
The artist is expressing their deep connection to someone or something that has captured their heart.
Oh heaven's the place where you're no longer waiting
Heaven represents a space where we no longer have to wait or suffer, where all is peaceful and perfect.
For someone to say that this day turned to poison
The singer longs for someone to validate their experience of the world as poisoned or contaminated.
Roses won't make her feel better tonight
Even beautiful or romantic gestures cannot alleviate the pain and suffering of the singer or their loved one.
Now look what you've done to the sky
The artist is holding someone accountable for the destruction and chaos in the world, which they compare to damaging the sky.
Brassy like queens, mad men in corsets
The artist is describing a surreal and chaotic scene, with exaggerated imagery of queens and men in corsets.
Paul is waiting for someone to get bent
The character of Paul is waiting for someone to snap or lose control, in a chaotic and potentially dangerous atmosphere.
Chasing the arrows, they swoon while they fly
There is a sense of reckless abandon and excitement in chasing after something or someone, represented by the arrows.
People wandering the same damn old plains
People are stuck in the same monotonous and unchanging patterns of behavior and existence.
Waiting for wisdom to shout out their names
People are longing for something or someone to validate their experiences, to acknowledge their existence and struggles.
But never exchanging a look or a thrill
Despite being surrounded by others, people are fundamentally disconnected and unable to share meaningful connections or experiences.
Would shoot you straight dead in the heart
The potential for true beauty and love is so powerful that it can be emotionally overwhelming or even deadly.
Lastly, we sing to the senses of order
The artist is championing the importance of order and structure, in contrast to the chaos and disorder described in previous lines.
A mother lay waiting for a children to comfort
A mother is suffering and in need of comfort and care.
That the sky belittered with radiant hearts
There is hope and beauty in the world, represented by the idea of a sky filled with radiant hearts.
Waiting to guide you back home
The radiant hearts are a beacon of hope and guidance, something to lead the singer and others back to a place of safety and comfort.
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