Elizabeth Harper is a former drama student from Los Angeles, USA. Harper also pursued a solo career as an indie rock singer-songwriter. She released a studio album Elizabeth Harper in 2004 (2005 in the UK and 2006 in Japan). After the producer Mark Richardson remixed a song, she preferred Richardson’s version to the original, and the two eventually reconvened in Brooklyn. They began fusing Harper’ songs with sampled drumbeats and synthesized instruments and named the collaboration Class Actress. Later, multi-instrumentalist/engineer Scott Rosenthal joined the group.
In 2010, Class Actress released the 5-track EP Journal of Ardency on Chris Taylor’s (of Grizzly Bear) Terrible Records.
In October 2011, the band released the debut album Rapprocher (meaning "to come closer" in French) on Carpark Records. The album received many positive reviews. The single "Weekend" supported the album.
Official site: http://classactress.tumblr.com
All the Saints
Class Actress Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
keeping watch over deviances
all the saints who line the bridge
never really knowing all they want to use
neatly folded up in boxes, hoping you'll forget
but reenacting every word you say
do you think that i care about
all i know is you are not ?? with you
all the saints who line the bridge
taking notes for me, reading lips
all the saints who line the bridge
if death wasn't enough, i don't know what there is
neatly packaged conversations, hoping you'll forget
god forbid an altercation, making you forget
that nothing's ever going to be the same
do you think that i care about
what we talk about when we talk about love
The lyrics to Class Actress's song "All the Saints" seem to center around the idea of being watched and judged by some kind of higher power or authority figure. The repeated lines about "all the saints who line the bridge" create a sense of vigilance and scrutiny, as if the singer is constantly being monitored and evaluated by these unnamed figures. The lines "taking notes for me, reading lips" add to this sense of surveillance and hint at a potential lack of privacy or agency on the part of the singer.
There's also a sense of frustration and futility in the lyrics, particularly in the lines "neatly folded up in boxes, hoping you'll forget / but reenacting every word you say" and "neatly packaged conversations, hoping you'll forget / god forbid an altercation, making you forget / that nothing's ever going to be the same." These lines suggest that the singer is trying to move on or forget certain aspects of their life or relationships, but is unable to due to the watchful gaze of the "saints" and their own inability to let go of the past.
The repeated refrain of "do you think that I care about / what we talk about when we talk about love" adds another layer to the song's meaning, as if the singer is trying to distance themselves from something - maybe a specific person or relationship - that they feel has been overcome by outside forces.
Overall, "All the Saints" seems to be exploring themes of surveillance, judgment, and the struggle to let go of the past. The lyrics create a sense of tension and anxiety, highlighting the feeling that someone or something is always watching and controlling the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
all the saints who line the bridge
Numerous people who are pious and saint-like are standing on the bridge
keeping watch over deviances
They are observing wrongdoings and irregularities with vigilance
never really knowing all they want to use
However, they themselves are unsure of their purpose
neatly folded up in boxes, hoping you'll forget
They are trying to forget and discard certain things, hoping no one will remember them
but reenacting every word you say
Despite this, every word said by the artist is remembered and repeated
do you think that i care about
The singer asks whether the other person thinks they care
what we talk about when we talk about love
about what they discuss regarding the topic of love
all i know is you are not ?? with you
All the artist knows is that they are not good with the other person
taking notes for me, reading lips
The saints are making notes for the artist and are lip-reading
if death wasn't enough, i don't know what there is
They don't know what else could cause a significant impact, if death does not affect them enough
neatly packaged conversations, hoping you'll forget
The conversations are arranged perfectly and presented succinctly, in the hopes that the other person will forget about them
god forbid an altercation, making you forget
The artist wishes to avoid any conflict or fight, thereby causing the other person to forget about them
that nothing's ever going to be the same
Whatever was there before, has now been lost, and things cannot be how they used to be
Contributed by Ellie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.