The band was formed by Jack Steadman (vocals, guitar, bass), Jamie MacColl (bass, guitar, banjo, vocals), Suren De Saram (drums) under the name of The Canals when they were 15. Ed Nash (bass, keyboard, mandolin) later joined the trio as they switched between various aliases before picking Bombay Bicycle Club. The band took their name from a chain of curry houses in the London Area and have released four studio albums, "I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose" (2009), "Flaws" (2010), "A Different Kind Of Fix" (2011) and "So long, See You tomorrow" (2014).
After winning the opening slot at V Festival 2006 ('Road to V' competition) and also played Reading / Leeds Festival for the three years running, in Febuary 2007 they released their début EP The Boy I Used To Be. This was followed up in October with the release of their second EP How We Are. In mid-July of 2009 they released their first album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose consisting of 12 tracks. The album peaked at number 46 on the UK Official Album Charts.
In Summer 2010 they released their second album, Flaws . A UK tour co-incided with the release of the album which - surprisingly - is an acoustic recording. Venues on the tour reflected this new acoustic orientation, which gained them a number 8 on the album charts.
The lead single from their third album, A Different Kind Of Fix was released on June 23, 2011 and peaked at #40 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in the United States, the band's first chart appearance in the country. The album reached the number 6 position on the UK album charts.
The band added Amber Wilson to their live party as an additional keyboardist and background vocalist. Singer/songwriter Lucy Rose also joined the live performances on vocals, after featuring on several songs from the albums "Flaws" and "A Different Kind of Fix".
On November 5th, 2013 "Carry me" was released as an advance of their fourth studio album through Island Records. "Luna" was the second single to be extracted from the album "So long, see you tomorrow" which coveted the band their first UK number 1.
After a long 6-year hiatus, the band made a comeback in 2020 with "Everything Else Has Gone Wrong", their fifth record. The album was released on January 16th via Mmm... Records, with eleven tracks.
"We’re thrilled to say that our 5th album, Everything Else Has Gone Wrong, is out now.
When we started discussing the possibility of making another record after our a few years away as a band, we said we’d only release an album if we were confident that it stood up to our previous work. We’ve ended up with an album we’re really proud of, and we hope you agree that it’s been worth the 6-year wait.
Recording this one was definitely one of the most enjoyable recording processes we’ve had as a band. Working with John Congleton, we had an initial session in London in early Spring last year at Konk studio, where we’d done our first and fourth albums. We then went to LA in late Summer to record the majority of it with John. Spending 3 weeks in LA was an unforgettable experience for the four of us. It was the first extended period of time we’d spent together in a long while and reinforced what we’d been missing during these few years. We hope that positive energy that was there during those 3 weeks has translated onto the record.
We’ve touched previously on how the album is about the comfort that music can provide in times of need. Hopefully, this record can give you that escape should you ever need it.
We want to get to as many places as possible to play these new songs for you. Wherever you are in the world, fingers crossed we’ll see you soon.
Lots of love
Bombay x."
Whenever Wherever
Bombay Bicycle Club Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way you come alive, when you are all alone
Whenever you want it, wherever you want it
Whenever you want it, wherever you want it
Whenever you want it, wherever you want it
Anywhere you are, my love
I'll be the night fly looking for your sin
You be the bright light drawing me in
No room for doubt, so just stubbornly keep on
But for how long?
But for how long?
To be here alone, tonight, tonight
To be here alone, tonight, tonight
To be here alone, tonight, tonight
And I can't say no
Not until I reap the seeds I've sown
Not until I take that long walk home
And stare you down
Words that appeased you
Words were always, dressed up to please you
Promising "someday", whispered to you so desperately all night
Walk out the door, get rid of the tells
You say it's okay, but we're kidding ourselves
Trick me to thinking, that you could be all mine
All mine, all mine
To be here alone tonight
(Whenever you want it, wherever you want it)
To be here alone tonight
(Whenever you want it, wherever you want it)
(Whenever you want it, wherever you want it)
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
(Whenever you want it, wherever you want it)
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
All the time, the way you are alone
The way you hold it all
I, I stalled, I watched you come down
Oh Lord, I tried
And still it's not enough
The lyrics to Bombay Bicycle Club's song Whenever Wherever explore the theme of love and longing. The opening line "out of sight" suggests distance, separation, and the yearning to be close to a loved one. The lyrics continue to describe the feeling of coming alive when alone, emphasizing the importance and power of personal space and self-discovery in a relationship. The chorus repeats the phrase "whenever you want it, wherever you want it", which can be interpreted as offering unconditional love and support.
The second verse focuses on the struggle and complexity of love. The line "not until I take that long walk home and stare you down" suggests that there are issues to be addressed in the relationship, but the singer is not ready to face them yet. The following lines describe the use of words to please and comfort a loved one, yet they may not always be truthful or genuine. The verse ends with the realization that the relationship may be one-sided and that the singer is tricked into thinking that their loved one could be theirs.
The song ends with a repetition of "to be here alone tonight", underscoring the sense of loneliness and longing. The final line "and still it's not enough" implies the idea that despite all the efforts, sometimes love just isn't enough.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of sight
You are not visible to me
The way you come alive, when you are all alone
You become yourself when you are alone
Whenever you want it, wherever you want it
I am available for you anytime, anywhere
Anywhere you are, my love
I will be with you anywhere, my love
Let me comfort you, your eyes dripping blue
Let me soothe you, your sad eyes weeping
I'll be the night fly looking for your sin
I will search for your flaws like a nocturnal insect
You be the bright light drawing me in
You will be the attraction that lures me to you
No room for doubt, so just stubbornly keep on
There is no doubt, just keep going steadfastly
But for how long?
But how long can we keep this up?
To be here alone, tonight, tonight
I am alone here tonight
And I can't say no
I cannot refuse
Not until I reap the seeds I've sown
Not until I bear the fruits of my actions
Not until I take that long walk home
Not until I go on that long journey back home
And stare you down
And confront you
Words that appeased you
Words that pacified you
Words were always, dressed up to please you
Words were always adorned to satisfy you
Promising "someday", whispered to you so desperately all night
Promising a better future, whispered to you eagerly all night
Walk out the door, get rid of the tells
Leave and hide the evidence
You say it's okay, but we're kidding ourselves
You say it's fine, but we are deceiving ourselves
Trick me to thinking, that you could be all mine
Deceive me into believing that you could be mine completely
To be here alone tonight
I am alone here tonight
(Whenever you want it, wherever you want it)
I am available for you anytime, anywhere
All the time, the way you are alone
All the time, the way you are when you're alone
The way you hold it all
The way you control everything
I, I stalled, I watched you come down
I, frozen, saw you descend
Oh Lord, I tried
Oh Lord, I attempted
And still it's not enough
And still it's insufficient
(Whenever you want it, wherever you want it)
I am available for you anytime, anywhere
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
(Whenever you want it, wherever you want it)
I am available for you anytime, anywhere
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JACK WILLIAM THOMAS STEADMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind