Bonobo's first album - 2000's Animal Magic - was released via Tru Thoughts before being picked up by Ninja Tune. It announced him as a serious talent; able to bring a musician's edge to electronic music, with all the freedom that skill allowed. His subsequent albums for Ninja, Dial 'M' for Monkey and Days to Come, developed his sensibility, won him fans across the globe, and saw him develop his live show into a mesmeric re-working of his records.
He has also worked hard as a DJ, a part of Green's arsenal that perhaps truly came into its own at the same time as 2010ās Black Sands. 2012 saw him take the uptempo, club re-edits of Black Sands from a seminal Boiler Room performance in London to dance floors across the world, and unveil a new light show that further enhanced the impact of these stunning songs. A remix album was released featuring reworkings by fans and peers such as Machinedrum, Floating Points, Mark Pritchard, Lapalux and FaltyDL.
Later the same year, he finally settled down in his New York studio to write his fifth album. The North Borders was another long stride forward - both a natural evolution and a continuation of the electronic palette of Black Sands. With vocal features from Erykah Badu, as well as Grey Reverend (The Cinematic Orchestra) and Cornelia (Portico Quartet) it's another finely balanced body of work.
Bonobo has a long history of unearthing new talent (Andreya Triana, Bajka) and The North Borders saw him do so once again. The vocals of new collaborator Szjerdene are sprinkled across the album.
Since the albumās release, Green has gone on to play over 175 shows across three continents and 30 countries, wowing audiences with the hypnotic, extended live versions of his songs. He performed sold out shows at The Sydney Opera House and Brixton Academy, and his very own, day long festival at Londonās Roundhouse. 2014 saw him and his band play the iconic Coachella, Sonar, Glastonbury and many more. This period of extensive touring came to a breathtaking close with his largest show to date at Londonās Alexandra Palace in November. In celebration, Ninja Tune released The North Borders Tour. ā Live. in October. A deluxe release including a live album, hardback book and a DVD of seminal live performances from a truly memorable tour.
In January 2016, Bonobo announced on Twitter that he intended to release a new album sometime in 2016. Bonobo released his sixth album, Migration, on 13 January 2017 via Ninja Tune. It was announced on 3 November 2016 with the release of the single "Kerala", and an official video. The album features Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker), Rhye, Innov Gnawa and Nicole Miglis (Hundred Waters).
Pieces
Bonobo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Used to keep the light as lead with you
Hoping there's a chance you would stay sober and
Find your way back home without the wood
In this deep ocean, I've got secrets buried
In this deep hall of shame, there is no one to call
Love is in the eyes of the beholder, I've
Hoping there's a chance we change it also
Off the ground, hitting up for grant
Love is in the eyes of the beholder
Love is in the eyes of the beholder, I've
Kept the clouds, a distance from the view
Hoping there's a chance we change it also
Off the ground, hitting up for grant
Love is in the eyes of the beholder
We are the pieces, the pieces, the pieces
In the pieces, in the pieces, in the pieces
Of the ground
The lyrics to Bonobo's Pieces featuring Cornelia are a reflection on love, hope, and shame. The opening lines set the stage for the rest of the song by stating that love is subjective and exists only in the eyes of the beholder. It is also clear that the singer has experienced love before, which was not reciprocated, and has led to despair.
In the next lines, the singer talks about keeping the light as lead with someone, hoping that the person will stay sober and find their way back home without the wood. This line plays with metaphor to imply that the singer gave their all to this person, but the other person took them for granted and left. The metaphor of the deep ocean and the deep hall of shame imply a deep well of despair and loneliness that the singer is experiencing. There is no one to call, meaning that the singer is isolated and alone with their pain.
The chorus repeats the theme of love being a subjective experience, and the hope that the singer has that they can change their situation. The image of hoping for a chance to change is repeated throughout the song, indicating that the singer has not given up on love or on their own ability to find it.
Overall, the song is a haunting and beautiful meditation on love and loss. It is a reminder that love is subjective and that we all experience it differently. It also reminds us that hope is essential to keep moving forward, even when our situation seems bleak.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is in the eyes of the beholder, I
Love is subjective and dependent on one's own perception
Used to keep the light as lead with you
We used to carry the weight of our relationship together
Hoping there's a chance you would stay sober and
I wished you would overcome your addiction
Find your way back home without the wood
I hoped you could find your way back without relying on drugs or alcohol
In this deep ocean, I've got secrets buried
I have hidden depths and secrets within me
In this deep hall of shame, there is no one to call
I feel shame and guilt, and have no one to confide in
Kept the clouds, a distance from the view
I tried to keep negative thoughts away from our relationship
Hoping there's a chance we change it also
I hope that we can make positive changes in our relationship
Off the ground, hitting up for grant
We are striving for something greater
We are the pieces, the pieces, the pieces
We are fragments of something larger
In the pieces, in the pieces, in the pieces
Even in our brokenness and imperfections, we are still valuable
Of the ground
We are a part of the earth and connected to it
Lyrics Ā© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CORNELIA DAHLGREN, SIMON GREEN, MIKE LESIRGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@velara314
Lyrics:
Love is in the eyes of the beholder, I
Used to keep a lighthouse lit for you
Hoping there's a chance you would stay sober and
Find your way back home without the booze
In this deep hole of shame
I've got secrets buried
In this deep hole of shame
There is no one to call
Love is in the eyes of the beholder, I've
Kept the clouds, a distance from the blue
Hoping there's a chance we'd change it over (We were
Fighting but it's over now) (Picking pieces off the ground)
Picking up the pieces and make do (Once so
Reckless but I'm older now) (Picking pieces off the ground)
Love is in the eyes of the beholder,
I (We were fighting but its over now) (Picking pieces off the ground)
Used to keep a lighthouse lit for you (Once so
Reckless but I'm older now) (Picking pieces off the ground)
Hoping there's a chance you would stay sober but (We were
Fighting but its over now) (Picking pieces off the ground)
It's not up to me to guide you through (Once so
Reckless but I'm older now) (Picking pieces off the ground)
Na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Picking pieces
Picking pieces
Picking pieces
Picking pieces off the ground
Picking pieces
Picking pieces
Picking pieces
Picking pieces off the ground
@nhdarling2
This song has been in my head for the last 4 years. The nostalgia it brings, never again but still memorable.
@derekharrison8434
It seems there are no limits to Bonobo's creativity
@sukumarparitossh
2020 and this still brings tears to my eyes...breathtaking
@rohansaraf1737
I consider Bonobo my Guru in many aspects. I have been privileged to see him play live several times and I must say he comes across as one of the nicest person ever. So humble yet ruling our hearts.
@donaldmotilaodi7747
First time ever smoking...
@Surfer8652
I think this is still my favorite Bonobo song
@olivyae3057
Return here every time I need inspiration
@Dontavious112
Heard this song new years eve and now its about to be March 2022 and this song still gets a daily play 10 to 15 times a day
@JamarD421
What a beautiful voice.
@bhongonkumanda7630
This song is nostalgic with my 3 three brothers listening to it (as 4 boys in Pretoria, South Africa trying figure life out as first year students).
9 years later, 2 died due to an untimely demise (one to murder while walking with me in Cape Town, other one drowned in Kraai River) and the other one graduated for 2 different qualifications but was hooked into drugs years later (he is yet to be found).
I'm the only one left