Official … Read Full Bio ↴Bone Poets Orchestra was originally known as Gaia Consort.
Official Website: http://www.bonepoets.com/
Christopher Bingham composer, conductor and lead singer for BPO got his start as a band leader through an unusual set of circumstances. Orphaned at the tender age of 10 years old by a tragic greased pig accident at church picnic, he learned to buck up and roll with the punches at an early age.
Ok, not really. The way it all really happend was like this:
Once upon a time a Pagan folk rock band swallowed it's tail, embraced it's progressive rock roots and became Bone Poets Orchestra. It's all been driven by lead singer / composer Christopher Bingham who was raised on show tunes through his 60s childhood and passed the acid test in early 1970s St Louis, where the airwaves were filled with golden age progressive rock.
He started seriously putting out records in the early 90s, which were blended folk and jazz, but really found his voice when he and his wife, Sue Tinney, started the seminal Pagan band Gaia Consort in 1997. Pagans loved it, but after four records, it seemed the granola crunchiness of the name was scaring away a lot of people who would otherwise give the music a spin.
So - a new name:
Bone Poets Orchestra became a chance to explore different textures and the old joys from his acid drenched childhood, but all filtered through 30 years of immersion in just about every musical style. Bingham has a "no stylistic borders" policy - whatever works is what works. But you can hear the influence of Ian Anderson, Bruce Cockburn, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd, Afro Celt Sound System, Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana.
Gaia Consort's last record “Vitus Dance” became the first Bone Poets album, recently re-pressed under the BPO moniker along with a collection of other songs that fell into the BPO framework, titled Atheist Anthems. The first entirely "consort free" recording is 2010's “Belladonna Smiles.
What do they sound like? Bingham, singing lead and playing lead guitar has a clear tenor that gets compared to David Crosby, Dave Mathews, and Bare Naked Ladies. Sue Tinney on co-lead and harmony vocals has is a breathy alto reminiscent of Norah Jones. The string arrangements often sound like a nod to War Child era Jethro Tull. The rhythm section nods to Peter Gabriel’s drum sensibilities, with a Jaco-esque moments in the bass lines . There is hammond throughout the keyboards – think Deep Purple - and also plenty of mellotron strings - think Moody Blues. The groove fits the lyric content which inspires allegiance if you celebrate the natural world, polyamory or have ever dipped your toes into psychedelic and alternative culture.
Bone Poets Orchestra is a concert band. Live, Bingham leads with stories - sometimes visited by his alter ego, St Crispy, Patron Saint of Flashbacks and Household Clutter - and there is a fair amount of singing along and dancing too. While Bingham does the writing, he’s gathered an impressive group of world class players to bring the music to life. Sue Tinney sings co-lead, Dan Mohler on frettless bass, Grammy nominee TJ Morris on drums, Jay Kenney, is co-producer and keyboardist, Larry Golding on violin, Sunnie Larsen on viola and Taryn Webber on cello.
Follow these madmen at your own risk and whatever your poison, be prepared to experience.
Rising
Bone Poets Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've landed harder than this
I've taken more than I've put out
I'm rising, I'm waking
I'm pushing through an ocean
I've lived an ocean full of doubt
Please let me know that I've got through
I hope you know I'll rise for you
And maybe you'll rise with me too
We're knocked down, we stand up
We finally learn to parry
Sometimes it seems we fight the world
We load in, we load out
The world's a load to carry
We spin so fast we make it twirl
And if you hear this...
I hope you know I'll rise for you
And maybe you'll rise with me too
Please let me know that I've got through
Still writhing, still reeling
Say have you seen my boot strap?
I've heard there's never shame in hope
We give some, we take some
We'll give back more and plenty
Someday I'll learn to let it go...
And if you hear this...
I hope you know I'll rise for you
And maybe you'll rise with me too
Please let me know that I've got through
The Bone Poets Orchestra's song "Rising" is an uplifting anthem that highlights the struggles people face in life and the constant struggle to rise above adversity. The opening lines of the song suggest that the singer has faced difficult times in the past and has managed to overcome them. The lyrics "Still breathing, still moving, I've landed harder than this. I've taken more than I've put out" indicate that despite the challenges they have faced, the singer is still going strong and will not be defeated by any obstacle that life may throw their way.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is trying to reach out to someone who may be going through a difficult time themselves. They want the person to know that they are not alone and that they will always try to be there for them. The lyrics "But if you hear this, please let me know that I've got through. I hope you know I'll rise for you, and maybe you'll rise with me too" suggest that the singer wants to inspire the other person to keep going and to never give up hope.
The song concludes with the lyrics "Still writhing, still reeling, say have you seen my boot strap? I've heard there's never shame in hope. We give some, we take some, we'll give back more and plenty, someday I'll learn to let it go." Here, the singer acknowledges that life can be difficult, but they are not giving up. They want the other person to have hope and to know that they are always there in times of need.
Line by Line Meaning
Still breathing, still moving
Despite all the hardships, I am still alive and kicking.
I've landed harder than this
I have faced tougher challenges and overcome them in the past.
I've taken more than I've put out
I have endured more pain than I have caused in this world.
I'm rising, I'm waking
I am starting to recover and get back on my feet again.
I'm pushing through an ocean
The obstacles in my way seem endless, but I am not giving up.
I've lived an ocean full of doubt
I have struggled with self-doubt and uncertainty for a long time.
But if you hear this
If someone is listening to me right now,
Please let me know that I've got through
Please reassure me that I have made it this far and I can keep going.
I hope you know I'll rise for you
I want to be strong and resilient for the people who rely on me.
And maybe you'll rise with me too
I hope that my strength and resilience can inspire others to overcome their own challenges.
We're knocked down, we stand up
Life is full of setbacks, but we keep getting back up and pushing forward.
We finally learn to parry
We develop the skills and knowledge to defend ourselves against the challenges that come our way.
Sometimes it seems we fight the world
We sometimes feel like everything and everyone is against us, but we don't give up.
We load in, we load out
We carry the weight of the world on our shoulders every day.
The world's a load to carry
Life is not easy, and the weight of our struggles can feel overwhelming at times.
We spin so fast we make it twirl
We are constantly moving and doing so much that sometimes it feels like we are spinning out of control.
Still writhing, still reeling
Even though I am still in pain and feeling the effects of my struggles,
Say have you seen my boot strap?
I am looking for a way to pull myself up and keep going.
I've heard there's never shame in hope
I believe that it is always okay to have hope, even in difficult times.
We give some, we take some
Life is a balance of both giving and receiving.
We'll give back more and plenty
Even though we may struggle, we always come out stronger on the other side and have more to give back to the world.
Someday I'll learn to let it go...
One day, I will be able to let go of the pain and struggles of the past and move forward with strength and resilience.
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.