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.
New Ways of Living
Destroyer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I should have sworn
Not to be born
Of this wretched glove too soon
But a dragon needs room!
A dragon needs room
A dragon needs room
To run, run, run, run
I was a desert in love with extremes.
You married well, a gentlewoman of means who
Kept the word "Destroyer" embroidered on her jeans, too
(La la la)
I wore skins. I didn't care who survived.
The band foretold trends from Spring of '85
They're calling it "The New Decay"
Hey, so am I.
(La la la)
Treacherous fop, don't be embarrassed
For looking good at your table on the terrace
That you call home, I'm sold
Paris, London, Rome's too old for you
And your kind
Explosions want to see what they can find
New ways of living
It's you and your kind
The new ways of living
The opening lines of "New Ways of Living" by Destroyer express a sense of regret and reflection on one's own choices. The singer ponders whether he should have loved someone more deeply, or perhaps not been born at all. The reference to a "wretched glove" suggests that life is something that can constrain and limit us. However, the repeated line "A dragon needs room!" suggests a rebellious spirit that refuses to be held back. Dragons are often associated with fantasy and myth, and their ability to fly and breathe fire makes them a symbol of power and freedom. The singer seems to be expressing a desire for more space and freedom to be himself.
As the song progresses, we learn more about the singer's past. He describes himself as a "desert in love with extremes," which suggests a wild and untamed quality. In contrast, the person he loved was part of the establishment, a "gentlewoman of means" who embodied a more conventional way of life. The reference to "Destroyer" embroidered on her jeans suggests that she may have been attracted to the singer's rebellious, non-conformist nature. The singer also mentions a band that "foretold trends from Spring of '85," which may be a reference to a specific musical movement or cultural moment.
The final section of the song takes on a more confrontational tone. The singer addresses a "treacherous fop" who is comfortable with his privileged lifestyle, but lacks the passion and excitement of people like the singer. The fop lives in cities like Paris, London, and Rome, which are seen as tired and outdated. The singer declares that he and his kind represent "new ways of living," which may be a call for more radical social and political change.
Overall, "New Ways of Living" is a complex and multi-layered song that explores themes of rebellion, regret, and social critique. The singer's use of vivid imagery and poetic language creates a surreal and dreamlike quality that adds to the song's appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I should have loved you
I am contemplating whether or not I should have loved you
Maybe I should have sworn
Perhaps I should have made a vow
Not to be born
To never have been born
Of this wretched globe too soon
To never have been born on this terrible planet
But a dragon needs room!
However, I am a dragon, and I require space to move and grow
A dragon needs room
As a dragon, I require ample amounts of space
To run, run, run, run
In order to fulfill my needs, I must run and move about freely
I was a desert in love with extremes.
I was emotionally vacant but drawn to the most extreme behaviors
You married well, a gentlewoman of means who
You were lucky enough to marry a wealthy and refined woman who
Kept the word "Destroyer" embroidered on her jeans, too
Also had the word "Destroyer" stitched into her clothing
(La la la)
Instrumental break
I wore skins. I didn't care who survived.
I would wear animal skins without regard for their original owners
The band foretold trends from Spring of '85
The musical group predicted popular trends as early as the spring of 1985
They're calling it "The New Decay"
This trend is being referred to as "The New Decay"
Hey, so am I.
I also embody this idea of decay and destruction
(La la la)
Instrumental break
Treacherous fop, don't be embarrassed
Deceitful fool, there's no need to feel ashamed
For looking good at your table on the terrace
Simply because you appear attractive while lounging outside
That you call home, I'm sold
I am convinced that this lifestyle is what I want
Paris, London, Rome's too old for you
The traditional cities of Paris, London, and Rome are outdated and not for you
And your kind
And others like you
Explosions want to see what they can find
The energetic and destructive forces within us crave new experiences
New ways of living
We desire innovative and unconventional modes of existence
It's you and your kind
You and those who share your sensibilities
The new ways of living
Are at the forefront of our desires
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Daniel Bejar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind