In August 2006 MacNeil and Torr released their first album The Younger, through South African record label, Just Music), under the band name, Harris Tweed. In 2008 they adopted the name Dear Reader, after the Scottish textile company Harris Tweed asked them to stop using their name.
In 2008 MacNeil and Torr recorded their first album as Dear Reader called, Replace Why with Funny. The album was produced by Brent Knopf, of Menomena/Ramona Falls. Soon after, they signed a licensing deal with Berlin based indie label, City Slang, and the album was released in February 2009 – in Europe by City Slang, and in South Africa by Just Music.
In 2010 Replace Why with Funny won the award for Best English Adult contemporary Album at the South African Music Awards.
In 2010 MacNeil and Torr amicably parted ways and Cherilyn relocated to Berlin, where she wrote the material for the follow-up Dear Reader album, Idealistic Animals. The album was recorded in Leipzig, Germany and Portland, Oregon, again with the assistance of Brent Knopf and various other friends and musicians.
Idealistic Animals was released in Germany and South Africa in September 2011 and in Europe and the UK in November 2011. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 2012 South African Music Awards.
In 2012 MacNeil began work on the follow up to Idealistic Animals. This time, MacNeil produced the album herself, and recorded and edited most of it in her one-room apartment in Berlin. Dear Reader's 4th studio album is called Rivonia, and each song on the album is a story inspired by South African history. The album was released in Europe and South Africa in April 2013.
In April 2013 Dear Reader played a live radio concert with the Babelsberg Film Orchestra, which they recorded and released in December 2013 under the name We Followed Every Sound.
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Good Hope
Dear Reader Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She brought them to me
Though I’m sure they did curse her most murderous means
Thrown on the rocks
Broken bodies and hearts
They washed up on the shores of our southern most parts
What a price they had won
The green mountains that rose up above called them forth
So they hiked to the mount
To that high table top
Where the view that awaited the gaze shouted,
“You can do anything boy!”
They came from the sea
She brought them to me
Only time will show what sort of gift they will be
In the bay down below on a dark, friendless bed
Lay the vessel that carried their hopes in her breast
Now the thrill of the swell they had learnt to regret
But the view that awaited their gaze shouted,
“You can do anything boy!”
They came from the sea
She brought them to me
Though I’m sure they did curse her most murderous means
The opening lines of "Good Hope" by Dear Reader depict the arrival of a group of people on the shores of a new land. Despite their difficult journey, "thrown on the rocks" and with "broken bodies and hearts," these travelers are drawn to the "green mountains that rose up above." They make their way to the top of a high table, where they are greeted by a breathtaking view that seems to say "you can do anything boy!" The singer who is witnessing their arrival believes that only time will tell what kind of gift these people will be, but it seems clear that they are determined and resilient.
The song suggests that there is a sense of danger and uncertainty that comes with taking a journey into the unknown, represented by the "dark, friendless bed" of the ship that carried these travelers to their new home. But even with the fear and uncertainty, there is a sense of hope that comes with rising to a new challenge and achieving something previously thought impossible. The singer in the song seems to be in awe of these travelers and their bravery, despite the challenges they have faced.
"Good Hope" is a reflective song that invites the listener to consider what it means to take on a new challenge and step into the unknown. It offers a sense of wonder and respect for those who are willing to take that risk, even when the outcome is uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
They came from the sea
A group of people arrived by sea
She brought them to me
Someone (possibly referring to the sea) delivered the group to the singer
Though I’m sure they did curse her most murderous means
The group may have had negative feelings towards the means of their arrival (potentially rough seas or dangerous conditions)
Thrown on the rocks
The group was thrown or washed up on the rocky shore
Broken bodies and hearts
The group was physically and emotionally injured from the journey
They washed up on the shores of our southern most parts
The group ended up on the southern shores of wherever the singer is located
What a price they had won
The group paid a high price for their journey
Thought they barely had sought
Although they hadn't necessarily sought out this high price
The green mountains that rose up above called them forth
The mountains had an allure that made the group want to venture deeper into the region
So they hiked to the mount
The group hiked to the mountain
To that high table top
The group reached the highest point of the mountain
Where the view that awaited the gaze shouted, “You can do anything boy!”
The view from the high point of the mountain was inspiring and empowering
Only time will show what sort of gift they will be
It's unclear what kind of impact the group will have in the future
In the bay down below on a dark, friendless bed
There is a dark and unfriendly atmosphere in the bay below
Lay the vessel that carried their hopes in her breast
The boat that brought the group now rests in the bay with their dreams on board
Now the thrill of the swell they had learnt to regret
The group may have originally enjoyed the excitement of the journey, but now have come to regret it
But the view that awaited their gaze shouted, “You can do anything boy!”
Even though the group may be struggling, the view from the mountain still inspires them to believe in themselves
They came from the sea
The group arrived by sea
She brought them to me
The group was delivered to the singer
Though I’m sure they did curse her most murderous means
The group may have negative feelings towards how they arrived
Contributed by Anna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.