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.
The Hair Song
Black Mountain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What it is, what it is?
Ain't no wonder at all
You clung to your cloud and devoured your wealth
Like it is, like it is
Let whole world turn you on
Born wounded and in it
Yeah, God made you strong
There will be none left to drag away under your rule
Bang, bang the drum
Children having fun with the blues
Let your laws come undone
Don't suffer your crimes
Let the love in your heart take control
Big city lights have wound us so tight
Statesmen and clergy
Banished kids open your eyes
Alien fascist, alien with the devil
No provocation
Let the whole world turn us on
There will be none left to drag away under your rule
Bang, bang the drum
Children having fun with the blues
Let your laws come undone
Don't suffer your crimes
Let the love in your heart take control
Let your laws come undone
Don't suffer your crimes
Let the love in your heart take control
The Hair Song by Black Mountain is a song about the triumph of love over fear, and the message it carries is about breaking free of societal norms and restrictions. The verses of the song are dominated by enigmatic and abstract lyrics that require interpretation, while the chorus sends a clear and concise message. The chorus that repeats twice in the song tells us to let go of our stiff and outdated societal laws and embrace the love that lies within our hearts.
The first verse of the song talks about hair, perhaps as metaphorical to describe something that has grown in strength and beauty over time. The hair could indicate personal strength or resilience, but the song's meaning is open to interpretation. The second verse takes a critical stance on society's obsession with wealth, highlighting the dangers of embracing greed and self-serving pursuits. The chorus encourages listeners to embrace individuality, free will, love, and unity.
The third verse talks about the dangers of fascism and the importance of standing up for our basic human rights. The song asks listeners to break free from the restrictions and embrace change. Finally, the chorus is repeated as a call to reject the societal norms that have been put upon us and embrace love and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Young pretty hair, oh how'd you grow there
The beauty of your hair is so striking, how did you manage to grow it so well?
What it is, what it is?
It is what it is, there is no other explanation.
Ain't no wonder at all
There's no need to wonder, it's just the way it is.
You clung to your cloud and devoured your wealth
You held onto your own world and consumed everything you had.
Like it is, like it is
It was how you expected it to be, as it always is.
Let whole world turn you on
Allow the world to inspire you and open your heart.
Oh villains turned lovers, alive on your bosom
Even the most wicked people can become loving and compassionate under your care.
Born wounded and in it
You were brought into the world already scarred or damaged.
Yeah, God made you strong
You were made resilient and able to handle hardships by a higher power.
There will be none left to drag away under your rule
Under your leadership, no one will be left behind or forgotten.
Bang, bang the drum
Make some noise and get people excited.
Children having fun with the blues
Even when times are tough, people can still find joy and happiness.
Let your laws come undone
Abolish the unfair rules and regulations that hold people back.
Don't suffer your crimes
Don't let yourself be punished for things you didn't do wrong.
Let the love in your heart take control
Allow yourself to be guided by love and compassion instead of fear or anger.
Big city lights have wound us so tight
The bright lights and fast pace of the city have left us stressed and anxious.
Statesmen and clergy
Political and religious leaders.
Banished kids open your eyes
Young people who have been exiled or marginalized need to wake up and recognize the injustices around them.
Alien fascist, alien with the devil
Foreign oppressors who use their power to cause harm and destruction.
No provocation
Without any justification or reason.
Let the whole world turn us on
Embrace the beauty of the world and let it inspire and motivate us.
Contributed by John L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ellie Stream
I am dizzy over this song. Both versions! I love that they have carved out their own sound. You can't categorize them. Push the boundaries my Black Mountain friends!
Charles Shates
Great song, love that syncopation! This song sticks in my head...
Arlo2
Even the iTunes album description says "Led Zeppelin influences are recognizable on 'the hair song'". I think its fantastic. The mind likes recognizing music weather you like it or not.
Rodrigo Marques
I remember first met this song on MTV Brazil and it was like 2010-2011.
Today I have a massive nostalgia listening this song and remembering that gold times!
junexx
Acabei de sentir o mesmo sentimento Man , tinha esquecido desta música , não sabia o nome , nem a banda que cantava esse som
Muito top , ouvi muito nessa época também
Bons tempos 🥲
Rodrigo Marques
@junexx Incrível, mano!
Essa época foi sensacional, quantas bandas alternativas eu descobri, tempos que não voltam mais...
junexx
@Rodrigo Marques verdade Man
Taylor Ward
So, so good. Thrilled that these guys and REAL music in general are starting to get exposure once again. If you like these, check out the bands DeepSeaGreen and Radio Moscow.. very similar old school, fuzzy, psychadelic tunes.
iza
não sei por quem eu me apaixono no clipe ♥
LEDUMM
Ja pensou encontrar uma banda tocando um som no mato aqui no BR? Ia ta tocando um cover de legião se pa...