Former Treepeople frontman Doug Martsch formed Built to Spill in 1992 with Brett Netson and Ralf Youtz as the band's original members. In an interview with Spin magazine, Martsch stated that he intended to change the band's lineup for every album, with Martsch being the only permanent member. After the band's first album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers (1993), the lineup changing idea held true, as both Netson and Youtz were replaced by Brett Nelson (not Netson) and Andy Capps for 1994's There's Nothing Wrong With Love. A compilation album called The Normal Years, consisting of recordings by both the first and second trios, was released in 1996. Between recording albums in 1995, the band gained notoriety by playing on the Lollapalooza tour.
Martsch signed Built To Spill to the Warner Brothers label in 1995. Unlike many artists signed to major labels, however, the deal the band brokered with Warner allowed it to retain a large degree of creative control over future albums. Built to Spill produced its first major label release in 1997 with Perfect From Now On. By this time, the band consisted of Martsch, Nelson, Netson, and Scott Plouf. Perfect From Now On met with critical success and caused Built To Spill to become one of the United States' most recognizable indie rock bands. Before releasing another album, Martsch made Nelson and Plouf permanent members of the band. In 1999, the band released Keep It Like a Secret to continued critical success, and for the first time, significant commercial success. In response to fan requests, the Live album was released in 2000. The band's fifth studio album, Ancient Melodies of the Future, was released in 2001. Martsch also released Now You Know, a solo album with both blues and folk elements, in 2002. After 2002, Warner Bros. records signed the band to another album.
Built To Spill did not tour as a band in 2002 although Doug Martsch performed numerous solo concerts in support of his solo album. From 2003 to 2005, Built To Spill toured extensively with over 150 live performances, playing new songs live as early as 2004. In 2004, the band confirmed rumors that they had recorded another studio album in Portland, OR, titled You In Reverse. The album was not released in 2005 due to difficulties associated with the use of a new recording facility, inefficiencies associated with self-producing the album and time constraints. You In Reverse, the first studio album in five years, was released on April 11, 2006. The band's official lineup for the album featured Martsch, Nelson, Plouf, and Jim Roth, who was formerly a touring guitarist only. Former band member Brett Netson provided guitar work on several songs, Quasi's Sam Coomes provided keyboard work and Steve Lobdell, the owner of the Portland studio, plays on almost every song for the album including guitar, piano, vibes and percussion. Netson rejoined Built To Spill as an official member in 2006 after touring with the band in 2005.
The band announced an April/May 2006 tour in February 2006 in support of the new album. In late March 2006, however, frontman Doug Martsch suffered a detached retina that required surgery, causing the band to cancel its appearance at the South by Southwest music festival and postpone several of their tour dates. The band rescheduled the April and May tour dates in the fall, but most June dates on the West were not postponed. At their June 3, 2006 show, their first of the 2006 tour, Built to Spill played four unreleased songs that were not included on You In Reverse. This show also included the dedication of the song "Car" to former band member Andy Capps who had passed away a few weeks earlier that would continue throughout the tour.
In July 2007, Built To Spill released a new 12" vinyl single with two reggae-esque tracks, "They Got Away" and "Re-Arrange". According to Doug Martsch, BTS is not becoming a reggae band, they just "love to play it".
In 2009 Nelson replayed and recorded one song off of each full length Built To Spill album in ""New Wave circa 1982" style with analogue synthesizers and a drum machine having Martsch resing all of the songs and released it July 2010 through CDBABY,Itunes and Junketboy as The Electronic Anthology Project.Nelson's son (Nicholas) did the art/layout with the titles reworked as anagrams by his wife (Stephanie) he plans on future projects under the same moniker redoing other bands music.
Doug Martsch and original BTS drummer Ralf Youtz are also founding members of the much-loved, but short-lived, band the Halo Benders, with Calvin Johnson.
Youtz and Martsch are also brothers-in-law. (Martsch is married to Youtz's sister).
Ralf Youtz was leader of the Portland, Oregon band Ape Shape. He went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Mathematics.
Bret Netson is leader of the influential art/metal Boise band Caustic Resin, which put out a split 10" with BTS in 1995. That album has two different cover photos because a found photo was used without permission for the original version, but the photographer later found out and objected.
The Last Long Song
Built to Spill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is still
On my wall
On my wall
The colors
Are bright
Bright
As ever
The blue is true
Some things last a long time
Some things last a long time your picture
Is still
On my wall
On my wall
I think
About you
Often
Often
I can't forget all the things we did
Some things last a long time
Some things last a long time it's funny
But it's true
And it's true
But it's not funny
Time comes and goes
All the while
I still think of you
Some things last a long time
Your picture
Is still
On my wall
On my wall
The colors
Are bright
Bright
As ever
Times that we shared
All that we forget
Some things last a life time
Some things last a life time
The song "Some Things Last A Long Time" by Built to Spill is a tender and poignant reflection on memories and the power they hold. The opening lines "Your picture is still on my wall" immediately create a sense of nostalgia and longing, as the singer gazes upon a vivid image of someone who is no longer present in their life. The repetition of this phrase throughout the song emphasizes the lasting impact of memories and how they can continue to haunt and comfort us long after the moment has passed.
The lyrics also touch on the idea that time moves on, but memories remain. The line "Time comes and goes, all the while I still think of you" captures this sentiment, as the singer acknowledges the passage of time while still feeling the pull of the past. The bridge of the song "Times that we shared, all that we forget, some things last a lifetime" reinforces this idea, that while memories may fade, there are certain experiences that endure.
Overall, "Some Things Last A Long Time" is a beautiful and heartfelt meditation on the power of memories to shape our lives and relationships. The repetition of phrases and themes throughout the song create a sense of circularity and timelessness, evoking the cyclical nature of memory and the emotions it can evoke.
Line by Line Meaning
Your picture
The representation of you in a photograph or painting
Is still
It remains in its position or state on the wall
On my wall
Attached to the vertical surface of the interior of the room
On my wall
Repeated to emphasize the placement of the picture
The colors
Hues that create the visual image
Are bright
They are vivid and luminous
Bright
Repeated to emphasize the intensity of the colors
As ever
Just like they were before or even better
The red is strong
The red color maintains its intensity
The blue is true
The blue color remains faithful to its nature
Some things last a long time
Certain things remain unchanged no matter the passage of time
Some things last a long time your picture
The picture belongs to those things that endure over time
I think
It comes to my mind
About you
Of your existence and our past together
Often
Frequently or regularly
I can't forget all the things we did
I remember all the shared experiences we had
Some things last a long time
Reaffirmation of the everlasting quality of certain memories
Some things last a long time it's funny
The humorous side of the paradoxical nature of time-proof memories
But it's true
Despite its strangeness, it still holds true
And it's true
Repetition to reinforce the idea that some things are truly everlasting
But it's not funny
The concept is paradoxical but not a source of amusement
Time comes and goes
The months and years pass, and they change many things
All the while
During this interval
I still think of you
You remain present in my mind
Some things last a long time
Reiteration of the longevity of some memories
Your picture
That photographic representation of you
Is still
It hasn't changed from its previous state
On my wall
Adorning that specific section of my house
On my wall
Repetition to emphasize the picture's longstanding place on my wall
The colors
The chromatic components of the photograph
Are bright
They evoke vivid and intense feelings
Bright
Reiterated to indicate the unfading quality of the colors
As ever
Just like they were before, or even brighter
Times that we shared
Moments of coexistence that we experienced together
All that we forget
The many things that have slipped our memory or been lost in time
Some things last a life time
Some things remain with us forever, even if only in memory
Some things last a life time
Reiteration of the permanence of some memories
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Daniel Johnston, Jad Fair
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BuiltToSpillTapes
Lyrics:
I didn't know there was a problem
Well there's those few but nothing more
After you told me that, I couldn't smile or laugh
I couldn't smile or laugh
Too late for us
Too late for us
Tried to take it with you when you went and cracked in two
Too late for us
Too late for us
Tried to take it with you when you went and cracked in two
I didn't know there was a problem
Well there's those few but nothing more
After you told me that I couldn't smile or laugh
I couldn't smile or laugh
Too late for us
Too late for us
Tried to take it with you when you went and cracked in two
@BuiltToSpillTapes
Lyrics:
I didn't know there was a problem
Well there's those few but nothing more
After you told me that, I couldn't smile or laugh
I couldn't smile or laugh
Too late for us
Too late for us
Tried to take it with you when you went and cracked in two
Too late for us
Too late for us
Tried to take it with you when you went and cracked in two
I didn't know there was a problem
Well there's those few but nothing more
After you told me that I couldn't smile or laugh
I couldn't smile or laugh
Too late for us
Too late for us
Tried to take it with you when you went and cracked in two
@Built2Chill
For the last decade and a half I've been averaging three to four hours of built to spill a day ....and I'm only NOW hearing this for the first time?! Life changing thank you very much for showing these hidden gems left there by the greatest band of all time for us to find
@trevorwencl3796
I was in the band Fluke Starbucker which is on this Fort Hazel Magic comp. To say the least, it was an honor to be on the same compilation as Built To Spill and so many other great bands like Ryan Adams, 31 Knots, Lowbelly, etc. After some pleading, I got the Doug to agree to play this song at a show in SF in the late 90s. It turned out to be a very extended rendition as I recall. It was wonderful.
@BuiltToSpillTapes
Holy cow that’s incredible! You’re crazy lucky cause my god would I kill too hear a live version of this, and an extended one at that? Are you kidding me!? Well thanks for checking out the video and letting me know your story!
@hvndfvst
I didn't know how bad I needed this. thank you scholar and saint. too late for us.
@TheFaithChurch14
Galatians 4:8
King James Version
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
@justinleibow9076
This is phenomenal. Been a fan since first seeing 'em play in Seattle at the Sailors Union in 1995. And this track is rad to have access too. Plus, your other uploads!!! Thank you so much for sharing. Oh, and sharing the 2014 Gonna Lose recording on the same day as the new one releasing! Genius. That led me to this!
@BuiltToSpillTapes
Thank you so much for this comment! I’m really glad you’re enjoying what I have to offer!
@XxThomdiddyxX
Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve never heard it before and it’s got that classic moody broken-hearted Built to Spill vibe I love
@liamwynne566
This is great, very similar to Easy Way by them, but I ain't complaining!