Bazan began his musical career by playing drums in the band The Guilty (later named Coolidge) with fellow songwriter Damien Jurado in 1995. Bazan had attended Shorewood High School with Jurado. In 2002, he played drums and sang backup vocals for Seldom; in 2004, he played with Starflyer 59. Bazan has made various studio appearances with Seattle-based bands; for instance, he played drums in 1998 on Unwed Sailor's Firecracker EP, and contributed to the Rosie Thomas album These Friends of Mine.
Bazan was part of The Undertow Orchestra with Mark Eitzel (American Music Club), Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), Vic Chesnutt, and Scott Danbom (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel). They toured the USA and Europe in 2006.Bazan is a personal friend of comedian Horatio Sanz, and performed at Sanz's 2006 Christmas show, The Ho-Ho-Horatio Christmas Special, at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. In 2007 he did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session.
Bazan recorded his first solo project, the EP Fewer Moving Parts, in between touring as a member of The Undertow Orchestra. The EP was released on 13 June 2006. Bazan recently finished a nationwide solo tour featuring Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and Johnathan Rice and also contributed a cover of the song "Let Down" to Stereogum's "OK X" project, a tribute to the Radiohead album OK Computer. A full length debut album with his new band "David Bazan's Black Cloud" is in the works for early 2009; it will be released by Barsuk Records.
On September 5, during an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Bazan mentioned his next album will be played entirely by him and he will recruit friends to play live when he tours. The album, 'Curse Your Branches,' will be released in the spring and may include, "Please, Baby, Please," a song he debuted during the interview. During his solo tour in September, Bazan has been playing seven new songs that will appear on his new album: "Please, Baby, Please", "Weeds in the Wheat", "Curse Your Branches", "American Flags", "Broken Arm", "The Stitches" and "Harmless Sparks."
A hidden page on Bazan's website was found by fans detailing an upcoming DVD release. The DVD is said to be interviews, intimate live performances filmed in his home studio, on his front porch, and while driving around in his Ford Bronco, Shot during two weekends in June and July in Seattle, WA.
On October 28th, 2008 Bazan released the album version of "American Flags" on his Facebook and Myspace pages in celebration of the 2008 election. It was made available for purchase on iTunes and other online vendors on November 4th, along with the version of "Please, Baby, Please" recorded for the DVD.
In 2017 Bazan reformed his band Pedro the Lion.
Virginia
David Bazan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You still lived on the street where you laid down for good
We all sat on the floor as my kids swam around us
You smoked cigarettes like I knew you would
We were worried about your personal salvation
Was it heaven or hell that you saw when your eyes closed?
You smiled at us floating high above the question
Virginia I had a dream we were closer than brothers
Singing "Pictures of You", crashing cars, skipping school
We drove all over town as the days blurred around us
We wore out your cassettes, we were nobody's fools
They were worried about our high school graduation
They read us a poem, "Oh The Places You'll Go!"
You smiled it off, floating high above the question
Like you knew something they didn't know
The song Virginia by David Bazan talks about a dream in which the singer visits an old friend named Virginia. In the dream, Virginia still lives on the street where she died, and the singer brings their kids to visit. The dream takes the two on a journey through their past, visiting different moments in their lives. They reminisce about their high school days and the worry surrounding graduating and entering the real world. The lyrics also hint at Virginia's potential drug use, indicated by her smoking cigarettes.
Despite the dark themes, the overall tone of the song is wistful and nostalgic. The dream sequence highlights the bond between Virginia and the singer, even though they both went down very different paths in life. The song touches on themes of regret and the pain of losing someone to addiction. The overall tone is one of longing for a lost friendship.
Overall, Virginia is an introspective song that delves into complex emotions surrounding addiction and loss. It portrays the pain of losing someone and the journey of coming to terms with their absence.
Line by Line Meaning
Virginia I had a dream you invited us over
The singer dreamt that they were invited over to Virginia's house.
You still lived on the street where you laid down for good
Virginia still lived on the same street where she had passed away.
We all sat on the floor as my kids swam around us
The singer, their children, and Virginia sat on the floor while the children played around them.
You smoked cigarettes like I knew you would
Virginia smoked cigarettes just as the artist expected her to.
We were worried about your personal salvation
The artist and their companions were concerned about Virginia's spiritual well-being.
Was it heaven or hell that you saw when your eyes closed?
The singer asks what Virginia experienced when she passed away.
You smiled at us floating high above the question
Virginia smiled at them, avoiding the question as if she knew something they didn't.
Like you knew something we didn't know
The artist believes Virginia has knowledge or understanding that they lack.
Virginia I had a dream we were closer than brothers
The artist had another dream that they were very close with Virginia.
Singing 'Pictures of You', crashing cars, skipping school
The artist and Virginia sang together, drove around recklessly, and skipped school.
We drove all over town as the days blurred around us
The singer and Virginia drove around for hours, losing track of time.
We wore out your cassettes, we were nobody's fools
The group spent all their time together, listening to Virginia's music and having fun.
They were worried about our high school graduation
The singer's friends and family were concerned about their academic future.
They read us a poem, 'Oh The Places You'll Go!'
The singer's loved ones read them a poem about their future possibilities.
You smiled it off, floating high above the question
Virginia disregarded their concerns about the future as if she knew something they didn't.
Like you knew something they didn't know
The artist continues to speculate that Virginia has knowledge that others do not.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID SHANNON BAZAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paco Robbins
David is seriously one of the most underrated artists I've ever listened to.
Ryan_82_
Amazing song!! His music has a rare purity to it that a lot of music doesnt have.
Jeremymc6
Amazing. I can't possibly like this video enough times. Bazan manages to sing every single song like its the last song and word he'll ever sing/say. Kudos.
Stephen Joshua Martinez
I can't stop listening to this song. It's like some kind of good dream. Bazan's a master at his craft. Love the line, "... we wore out your cassettes, we were nobodies fool."
esgm211246
impossible not to repeat this over and over again. what a wonderfull song.
twobirdstone
My favorite from this set!
fleumaticojoe
pure greatness
Nicolas Quiñones
Great song!
gabrielasterisk
the delivery. amazing.
Butterfliesandzebras
Look at his face, I can't bare to watch him sing, it's intense!