Buried Beds sprang from the New Planet Art Collective, a West Philly haven for painters, musicians and writers where high-school friends Brandon Beaver and Eliza Hardy lived. Each began helping the other with their songs, creating a sound that mixed the harmonies of old-time Americana with the sad sensibilities of Carole King and Randy Newman. With the help of Philadelphia producer Edan Cohen and string arrangements by Brendan Cooney, another high-school friend, the songs took on new life in the studio, resulting in their first, self-titled EP. A second EP, Po Tolo, soon followed, garnering rave reviews from respected outlets like The Onion, The Believer and Philadelphia Magazine. Po Tolo’s haunting “River” even made its way into a Converse commercial
Live, the band was still just Brandon and Eliza, who now found themselves with two EPs full of lushly orchestrated songs that were impossible to play in a duo setting. After months of using a rotating who’s-who of Philly indie rock musicians and string players as a backing band, they assembled the full-time band that appears on Buried Beds' first full-length, Empty Rooms.
On Empty Rooms, every aspect of Buried Beds’ sound has grown. Working with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Curtis Institute and the Peabody Conservatory, the band and Brendan Cooney have created an ambitious hybrid of classical music and Americana-rooted pop. On songs like “Great Divide” and “Perfect Skyline,” a muscular rhythm section combines with Cooney’s otherworldly string arrangements to create a new kind of chamber rock; the echoing atmospheres of the title track and “Anchor and Sea” find the band taking folk in a spaced-out, experimental new direction; and the lilting melodies of ‘Camellia,” “Insomnia” and the whimsical “Forever in You” show that their pop songcraft has been refined even further.
CAMELLIA
Buried Beds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching you
Tracing a thousand footsteps
Which one will bring you closer to me?
Life goes on
Though i am trying not to Is it too much to ask for your dreams?
Camellia you're a flame in my heart
And i just can't live without you
I don't see much in this world
But i see my arms around you
Once in a while
I set the table for two
Visions of days i never knew
Tired eyes
Up late, dreaming lifetimes
Wandering through october blue
Camellia you're a flame in my heart
And i just can't live without you
I don't see much in this world
But i see my arms around you
Camellia you're a flame in my heart
And i just can't live without you
I don't see much in this world
But i see my arms around you
And i would follow you down, so far
The song "Camellia" by Buried Beds is a poignant and emotional tribute to a lost love. The lyrics speak of a deep longing for the person who has left, a yearning to be reunited with them once again. The singer watches as the object of their desire moves further away, tracing their footsteps and trying to find a way to bridge the distance between them. Despite the fact that life goes on, the singer is unable to let go of the hope that someday, they will be able to be with their loved one again.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of bittersweet nostalgia, as the singer remembers visions of a life they never got to live. They set the table for two, imagining what it would be like to share the sort of moments that they will never actually experience. The refrain of "Camellia you're a flame in my heart" repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the intensity of the singer's feelings and their inability to move on without their lost love.
Overall, "Camellia" is a powerful and heart-wrenching exploration of grief, longing, and the quest for connection in the face of loss. It's a song that captures the pain of a broken heart, as well as the hope that someday, things might be better.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I would follow you down, so far
Expressing deep commitment and loyalty, willing to follow the beloved through everything
Watching you
Keeping a close watch on the beloved, being attentive to their actions
Tracing a thousand footsteps
Following the beloved's trail and every step they take, trying to understand their journey
Which one will bring you closer to me?
Hoping and yearning to be reunited with the beloved, wondering which path would lead closer to them
Life goes on
Acknowledging that life continues even when the beloved is away
Though I am trying not to
Trying to cope with the absence and longing, even though it is hard
Is it too much to ask for your dreams?
Wishing to share the beloved's dreams and aspirations, asking if it is too much to hope for
Camellia you're a flame in my heart
The beloved is a source of passion, intensity and warmth in the artist's heart
And I just can't live without you
Reiterating the depth and urgency of the artist's feelings and need for the beloved
I don't see much in this world
Acknowledging the bleakness and emptiness of the world without the beloved
But I see my arms around you
Finding hope and joy in the thought of embracing the beloved
Once in a while
Occasionally, from time to time
I set the table for two
Preparing a meal for two people, imagining a future where the beloved is present
Visions of days I never knew
Imagining a future and a life with the beloved that has yet to come, full of unknown possibilities
Tired eyes
Eyes that are weary and longing, due to the absence of the beloved
Up late dreaming lifetimes
Staying up late, lost in thoughts and fantasies of the life and experiences they could share with the beloved
Wandering through October blue
Feeling lost and melancholic, immersed in a mood of sadness and longing
And I would follow you down, so far
Reiterating the depth of devotion and willingness to follow the beloved anywhere
Contributed by Gavin T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@micwright6279
what an inteligent and informative comment, profesor Jimmyjack my compliments!
@micwright6279
awesome! I always pray that someone will put up a show that I was in, congrats man, keep livin' the dream for me!
@YumeiKitty
I'm pretty sure this was the Ace's Basement show in Greensboro, NC... and if I''m right I was there this show was amazing.
@hyperform2
most people like them for those vocals cuz they kick ass
@Jwt1986
omfg no way. I'm the tall guy that's in the way, this was at Ace's Basement in like 2003.
@lizardman458
whoa! tommy looks different
@mastoslayerica
they are so good instrumentally but i wish that the vocalist would shut up.