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.
Savage Night At The Opera
Destroyer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
A savage night at the opera
Another savage night at the club
Let's face it, old souls like us are being born to die
It's not a war 'til someone loses an eye
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
Yes, I'm familiar with your scene
Some would say shockingly uptight
Twenty one gun salute to the fallen birds of the sky
I heard their record, it's alright
Hey, infinite sense of value
Hey, infinite sense of value
Hey, mystic prince of the purlieu at night
I heard your record, it's alright
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
You'll never guess just what I've seen
A horse abandoned midstream
Quatrain etched on a dirt pile
Quatrain etched hey, that's your style
You'll never guess just where I've been
A life abandoned midstream
Quatrain etched on a turnstile
Just set the loop and then go wild
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
The song “Savage Night at the Opera” by Destroyer is about the experiences of old souls like the singer and how they’re born to die. The song is set in an opera or a club where old souls like them gather. The singer feels a sense of familiarity with the scene, but he also finds it shockingly uptight. Despite this, he acknowledges the sense of value they bring to the table and the music they make. The lyrics also make references to broken dreams, abandoned horses, and a life abandoned midstream. These elements hint at the singer's disillusionment and the difficulties he’s experienced in life.
The lyrics capture an atmosphere of cynicism and disillusionment as the singer recognizes the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death. The line, “It’s not a war until someone loses an eye,” encapsulates this ethos where everything seems to be a battle or a struggle, and only when someone is hurt does it become real. Similarly, the images of the abandoned horse and life illustrate the singer's disillusionment, a reflection of how his own dreams and aspirations have faded away. Overall, the song paints a picture of a world where old souls gather, and while the scene may be familiar, it is also disheartening.
Line by Line Meaning
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
Musical intro/outro of the song
A savage night at the opera
A wild night at the club
Another savage night at the club
It's not the first time they've had a wild night
Let's face it, old souls like us are being born to die
The reality is that people like them will eventually die
It's not a war 'til someone loses an eye
A situation can't be considered a war until someone gets hurt
Yes, I'm familiar with your scene
I know what kind of people you are and what you do
Some would say shockingly uptight
Some might find them too strict or formal
Twenty one gun salute to the fallen birds of the sky
A tribute to those who have fallen, even if their death was insignificant to others
I heard their record, it's alright
I listened to their music and it's okay
Hey, infinite sense of value
A sarcastic way to say that people put too much value on insignificant things
Hey, mystic prince of the purlieu at night
Mocking someone who fancies himself a mysterious figure in the night
I heard your record, it's alright
I listened to your music and it's okay
You'll never guess just what I've seen
I've seen some crazy things, you wouldn't believe it
A horse abandoned midstream
A situation where someone gives up on something or someone halfway through
Quatrain etched on a dirt pile
Random and meaningless phrases or things written somewhere
Quatrain etched hey, that's your style
Mocking someone who writes random things as their signature style
You'll never guess just where I've been
I've been to some crazy places, you wouldn't believe it
A life abandoned midstream
Leaving or quitting on someone or something halfway through their progress
Quatrain etched on a turnstile
Random and meaningless phrases or things written somewhere
Just set the loop and then go wild
Just go crazy and have fun, don't overthink it
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
Musical intro/outro of the song
Ba, da, dum, bum, bum, ba, da, da, da
Musical intro/outro of the song
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Daniel Bejar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@IProvideLyrics1924
A savage night at the opera
Another savage night at the club
Let’s face it, old souls like us are being born to die!
It's not a war 'til someone loses an eye!
Yes, I’m familiar with your scene
Some would say, shockingly uptight
21-gun salute to the Fallen Birds Of The Sky
I heard their record, it’s alright…
Hey, Infinite Sense Of Value…
Hey, Infinite Sense Of Value…
Hey, Mystic Prince Of The Purlieu At Night!
I heard your record, it’s alright…
You’ll never guess just what I’ve seen…
A horse abandoned midstream…
Quatrain etched on a dirtpile…
Quatrain etched, hey that’s your style!
You’ll never guess just where I’ve been…
A life abandoned midstream…
Quatrain etched on a turnstile…
Just set the loop and then go wilder…
@futurhumen
Vancouver, Motorcycle, Destroyer, it doesn't get any better than this!!! Amazing!!!
@LoganMountstuart1
This is just my favourite song video ever. The last 30 seconds are just absolutely beautiful. My only regret is that it took so long to discover Destroyer. All his songs start as wierd and end in beautiful symphonies.
@scottEhall3
I freaking love Vancouver, I freaking love Destroyer. Thus this video is one of my favorites.
@octaneartllc
If your the same scott hall thats been dropped on his head 1000s of times in wwe your comment would make sense...
@tiagosousalage
gave me chills...great tune with a great video in a fabulous city!!! how i miss it...great times in vancouver. love the song, though :)
@GrowMasterGeneral
In Canada, green means go, yellow means go faster, and red means look both ways before you go.
@delmonteland
This actually made me miss vancouver. I didn't think that was possible.
@raymondfabrice6618
un groupe, d'une rare élégance, la bande-son de la société liquide...
@FailedRorschachTest
This was the only take they could keep, in the eight others the driver was murdered by a car.
@gundestrakid
Dan you are grandious!!