Beckett recruited his college friends Warkentin and Quon to experiment; spending one day in the studio tracking songs the old fashioned way—recording them live in an attempt to capture raw moments. The result lead them to return for four more sessions, tracking three songs a day to complete the record with the help of Richard Dodd (Kings of Leon, The Raconteurs). The bands name is a play on the expression, “pull yourself up by the bootstraps.”
Month’s prior to the album being released, their song ‘Guiltfree’ was the featured music on ABC’s No Ordinary Family and profiled in the ‘ABC Music Lounge’. Their music was also awarded ‘Best Music in a Film’ at the Nashville Film Festival in May ‘11. In July, they were featured in Hydrogen Magazine as their 2011 ‘Band To Watch’ as well as a spotlight interview for ASCAP’s We Create Music.
The film ‘Take Me Home’, which includes six Bootstraps songs has garnered awards and critical acclaim at Chicago, Las Vegas, Savannah, Boston, Brooklyn and Rhode Island Int’l Film Festivals.
Most recently, the track ‘Fortyfive’ was featured on NBC’s Parenthood and on the new CW series Secret Circle.
Pictures Of You
Bootstraps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I almost believe that they're real
I've been living so long with my pictures of you
That I almost believe that the pictures are
All I can feel
Remembering
You standing quiet in the rain
And we kissed as the sky fell in
Holding you close
How I always held close in your fear
Remembering
You running soft through the night
You were bigger and brighter and whiter than snow
And screamed at the make-believe
Screamed at the sky
And you finally found all your courage
To let it all go
Remembering
You fallen into my arms
Crying for the death of your heart
You were stone white
So delicate
Lost in the cold
You were always so lost in the dark
Remembering
You how you used to be
Slow drowned
You were angels
So much more than everything
Hold for the last time then slip away quietly
Open my eyes
But I never see anything
The lyrics in Bootstraps' song "Pictures of You" convey a sense of longing for a past love and the struggle to let go of the memories associated with that person. The singer of the song has been looking at pictures of their former lover for so long that they begin to feel real. They admit to living with these pictures as if they are all they have left to hold onto, highlighting a sense of refusal to let go of the past.
The memories of the relationship are vivid, such as the image of a rainy day where the lover stood still and the singer ran towards them to be close to them. The lyrics describe the moment when they kissed as the sky fell in, emphasizing that this was a moment of intense passion that stuck with them. The relationship was not perfect, as the lover was lost in the dark, but the singer held them close in moments of fear, showcasing a feeling of protection and care towards the former flame.
The song has a bittersweet lyrical tone, emphasizing the desire to remember their significant other and the bond they once shared. However, it also demonstrates a struggle in comprehending and accepting the need to move on. The final lyrics of the song are melancholic, as the singer confesses that they have opened their eyes but do not see anything, exemplifying a sense of desolation and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been looking so long at these pictures of you
I have spent an extended period of time gazing at these photographs of you
That I almost believe that they're real
To the point where they seem genuine and tangible
I've been living so long with my pictures of you
I have been existing in the company of my pictures of you for a long time now
That I almost believe that the pictures are all I can feel
To such a degree that they are now the only emotions I experience
Remembering you standing quiet in the rain
Recalling a moment when you stood silently in the rain
As I ran to your heart to be near
As I made my way towards you to be close to your heart
And we kissed as the sky fell in
And we kissed as the rain poured down from the sky
Holding you close, How I always held close in your fear
Embracing you tightly, the same way I would comfort you in times of distress
Remembering you running soft through the night
Recalling a memory of you gracefully running in the night
You were bigger and brighter and whiter than snow
You appeared larger, brighter, and whiter than the snow
And screamed at the make-believe, screamed at the sky
And yelled at the fake, and screamed into the sky
And you finally found all your courage to let it all go
And you eventually found the strength to let go of all your fears
Remembering you fallen into my arms
Recalling a moment where you fell into my arms
Crying for the death of your heart
Weeping for the end of your love
You were stone white, so delicate, lost in the cold
You were pale, fragile, and shattered in the cold
You were always so lost in the dark
You were always disoriented in darkness
Remembering you, how you used to be, slow drowned
Recalling how you used to be before we parted ways, sad and gradually fading away
You were angels, so much more than everything
You were divine beings, far more than anyone or anything else
Hold for the last time then slip away quietly
Embrace each other for the final time before departing quietly
Open my eyes, but I never see anything
Despite opening my eyes, all I see is darkness and emptiness
Writer(s): Laurence Andrew Tolhurst, Simon Gallup, Boris Williams, Roger O'donnell, Robert James Smith, Porl Thompson
Contributed by Victoria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.