1996–2001
We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge, Destroyer's 1996 debut, is made up of sixteen lo-fi home-recordings. One reviewer suggested that the album combines Bejar's "gift for melodies" with “a concerted effort to make the recording downright inconsumable; the guitars are always out of tune, and the vocals of Fisher-Price quality. 'Static means punk / tuning is junk,' Bejar moans on one track.” [5] (Ideas for Songs, released on cassette in 1997, features songs akin to those on his first album. The cassette stemmed from a request to contribute songs for a compilation album.[6])
As Bejar gained popularity in Vancouver's music scene, he was joined by producer John Collins for 1998's City of Daughters, which was recorded at a proper studio. Pitchfork noted that the songs still sounded "homespun," also noting "[t]he wordiness that would become something of a trademark is in full effect," but that "unlike much of what came later, not every line is worthy of examination."[7]
Thief (2000) embodied "Bejar's first stab at matching his grandiose, idiosyncratic vision to a showier sound;" it was the first to feature a backing band on every track.[8] The record's "anthemic yet understated"[9] piano-driven ballads have characteristically enigmatic lyrics, though some reviewers interpreted them as critiques of the music industry.[10][11]
Streethawk: A Seduction (2001) realized the sonic refinement started with City of Daughters. Bejar put it this way: "I don't think it gives credence to any kind of conceptualization of the records, but I hope that City of Daughters, Thief, and Streethawk will pop into some kind of a progression that ends with Streethawk.“ [12] A critical success, the album (retrospectively) received a rating of 9.1/10 from Pitchfork.[7]
2002–2007
The 2002 rock album This Night was a dramatic change in style. The looser, less rehearsed style was criticized as "messy [and] haphazard without purpose,"[13] though other critics praised the "beautiful mess of sounds" as "challenging... [and] a powerful, cohesive whole."[11] In a 2006 interview (after the release of Your Blues and Destroyer's Rubies), Bejar said the album "came together pretty quickly - we probably could have used more than four or five days to mix the whole thing, but that's all hindsight. It's still my favorite Destroyer record."[12]
Your Blues (2004) saw Destroyer take another unexpected turn, using MIDI instrumentation for almost all the backing music. Bejar coined the term "European blues" to describe its unique, theatrical sound.[14] One reviewer pointed out that "Bejar’s unusual voice sounds more confident, and higher up" in the synth-rich arrangements.[15] In yet another twist, the EP Notorious Lightning & Other Works reworked six tracks from the record with a live band, the very thing the LP had forsaken (the band was Frog Eyes, who toured with Destroyer in support of Your Blues).
Bejar returned with a live band for 2006's Destroyer's Rubies, delivering arguably his most confident record up to that point. The backing band took new-found prominence and, according to Bejar, "[t]he production seems... warm and lush and pretty focused on just making the band sound good and having everything sit well together."[12] NOW Magazine observed, "[w]hile the sheer density of Bejar’s writing can be overwhelming, Destroyer’s Rubies is, on a musical level, the most ’accessible’ disc he’s released."[16]
2008–2013
For Trouble in Dreams (2008), "there was a scary lack of ideas coming into the record," Bejar admitted.[17] Destroyer's piano player Ted Bois took it upon himself, as an alternative to keyboard and piano accompaniment, to create all string and synth arrangements for the songs.[17] At the time, Bejar said it was the "hardest record" to make.[17]
After the 2009 EP Bay of Pigs came 2011's full-length album, Kaputt (featuring a slightly modified "Bay of Pigs" track). Bejar cited influences such as Miles Davis and Roxy Music for his new jazz-infused, lounge music-inspired, sophisti-pop direction. In multiple interviews, Bejar variously stressed that he "sang in a completely different manner, almost unconscious of even singing, more like speaking into a vacuum, and was really happy with the results."[18][19] The record entailed a number of firsts for Destroyer: first national television performance (on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon); first official music video; first female backing vocals; and the first time Bejar performed without an instrument on tour - his concentration placed solely on his singing. Kaputt was short listed for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize [20] and was Pitchfork's second best album of 2011.[21]
Although smaller in scale, Destroyer's fourth EP "Five Spanish Songs" continued to surprise listeners. Sung entirely in Spanish, Bejar covered songs by Sr. Chinarro (es). Bejar's own tongue-in-cheek press release announcing the new songs began: "It was 2013. The English language seemed spent, despicable, not easily singable."[22]
2014–present
Bejar released Poison Season on August 28, 2015. Bejar notes that the album's sound grew from "just really getting into what we were sounding like playing live [following Kaputt]."[4] Bejar added that he would not have been able to make such an ambitious album if Kaputt had not been successful.[23] Recorded with a live band and a pronounced string section, the album's "grand cinematic set of songs"[23] feature Bejar singing with a broader range than before: "This is the first record that I've ever done that comes close to my idea of myself as a singer," Bejar said.[24]
In 2017, Bejar released ken.
Holly Going Lightly
Destroyer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was idle in spring, and it felt good
I was fashioned after something made of wood, that I shouldn't have done
Some girls got guns
And some get into running favors for the Queen
Like deciphering what it means when the band goes
"Doorah, doorah, doorah, doorah"
I dug your poetry a grave and it felt good
I was modeled after something made of wood, that I shouldn't have done
Some boys build guns
And some have built the running errands for the King
Like making out the words when the band goes
"Doorah, doorah, doorah, doorah"
Hey there, pretty flower
Get yourself together
Mama's been looking for you
But mama should know better
I was silver I was gold
I watched Holly going lightly down the road
The lyrics to Destroyer's "Holly Going Lightly" are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The opening lines suggest a sense of emptiness or dissatisfaction with life. The singer describes themselves as "stark" and "ravening," suggesting a primal longing for something more. They also mention being "idle in spring," which can be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling stuck or stagnant.
The line, "I was fashioned after something made of wood, that I shouldn't have done," is particularly intriguing, as it is not immediately clear what it means. One interpretation could be that the singer has tried to mold themselves into something they are not, such as a puppet or a wooden idol. The repetition of the phrase "that I shouldn't have done" adds to the sense of regret or disappointment.
The second verse echoes the same themes of being modeled after something made of wood and feeling like a pawn in someone else's game. The lines, "Some boys build guns / And some have built the running errands for the King," suggest a sense of futility in trying to escape one's predetermined fate.
The chorus is similarly cryptic, with the repeated line, "Doorah, doorah, doorah, doorah." It is unclear what this signifies, but it could be interpreted as a nonsensical chant or a meaningless refrain.
The final lines, "I was silver I was gold / I watched Holly going lightly down the road," add a note of wistfulness or nostalgia to the song. It is unclear who Holly is or what significance she holds for the singer, but the image of her going "lightly" suggests a sense of freedom or ease that the singer may be longing for.
Overall, "Holly Going Lightly" is a song that invites interpretation and contemplation. Its enigmatic lyrics and haunting melody create a mood of introspection and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
I was stark I was ravening
I was depleted and starving for something.
I was idle in spring, and it felt good
I was lazy during a time of growth, and it felt satisfying.
I was fashioned after something made of wood, that I shouldn't have done
I became fashioned after something lifeless, which was a mistake.
Some girls got guns
Some women have power and control.
And some get into running favors for the Queen
Others find themselves doing favors for those in power.
Like deciphering what it means when the band goes "Doorah, doorah, doorah, doorah"
Trying to understand something mysterious or obscure.
I was bedsit and reviews were rave
I was living in a small living space and received good reviews.
I dug your poetry a grave and it felt good
I intentionally destroyed your artistic expression, which was gratifying for me.
I was modeled after something made of wood, that I shouldn't have done
I tried to emulate something lifeless, which was a mistake.
Some boys build guns
Some men have power and control.
And some have built the running errands for the King
Others find themselves doing favors for those in power.
Like making out the words when the band goes "Doorah, doorah, doorah, doorah"
Trying to understand something mysterious or obscure.
Hey there, pretty flower
Addressing someone as vulnerable or naive.
Get yourself together
Get your act together.
Mama's been looking for you
Someone has been looking out for you.
But mama should know better
That someone should have known better.
I was silver I was gold
I was once valuable and treasured.
I watched Holly going lightly down the road
I saw someone I admired leave without a care.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Daniel Bejar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind