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.
The Bad Arts
Destroyer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We spent the better part of the day
Waiting for the wave to hit our side of town
It didn't
Absolve, absolve, absolve
I washed my hands of the stuff of legends
And what news of the horizon?
I hear it's all just a horizontal myth
Indulge yourself for once, feel medium between them
God damn, your eyes
They just had to be twin prizes waiting for the sun
And God damn, your eyes
They just had to be twin prizes waiting for the sun
They just had to be twin prizes waiting for the sun
See them sporting those eagle iron-ons
You made me swear never to wear
Why did you spend the '90s cowering?
Why did you spend the '90s cowering?
And they're singing those inspirationals
You penned back in '72
And the hotels of choice are now toasting your voice
As the spas ring out, "What's another word for sacrament?"
The world woke up one day to proclaim
"Thou shalt not take part in, or make, bad art"
In these tough, tough times
Friends like mine would rather dash than dine
On the bones of what's thrown to them
When a wave of her wand has us back at the pond
Taking notes for our crooked underground
The world woke up one day to proclaim
"Thou shalt not make or take part in the bad arts"
You see, the singer sold us out
The guitarist lost his clout on Life-Of-The-Mind Day
When signs become impure again
The crowd doesn't know where or when
To let it all hang out
Bloodlet yourself, street style
You've got the spirit, don't lose the feeling
You've got the spirit, don't lose the feeling
You've got the spirit, don't lose the feeling
You've got the spirit, don't lose the feeling
Don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
You've got the spirit
The opening lines of "Absolve, absolve, absolve" in Destroyer's "The Bad Arts" suggest a desire for forgiveness or release from guilt. The singer then describes waiting for a "wave" that never comes, perhaps a metaphor for waiting for something miraculous to happen but being let down. The reference to legends and myths further implies a disillusionment with the unknown and the intangible. The singer urges listeners to stop cruising and start criticizing, indicating a need to be more discerning and thoughtful. The repeated refrain of "God damn, your eyes / They just had to be twin prizes waiting for the sun" seems to express a sense of awe or admiration for someone.
The second part of the song features references to the '90s, specifically the trend of wearing eagle iron-ons and writing inspirational songs. The singer questions why people spent the decade cowering instead of standing up for what they believe in. The world is said to have proclaimed that "Thou shalt not take part in, or make, bad art" and friends are described as being picky about what they consume. The last lines encourage the listener to hold onto their spirit and not lose their feeling.
Overall, "The Bad Arts" seems to explore themes of disillusionment with the world, the need for discernment and criticism, and the importance of staying true to oneself and one's creative spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Absolve, absolve, absolve
Forgive, forgive, forgive
We spent the better part of the day
We used most of our day
Waiting for the wave to hit our side of town
Waiting for something big to happen, but it didn't
It didn't
It never happened
I washed my hands of the stuff of legends
I distanced myself from mythical stories
And what news of the horizon?
What's the latest update?
I hear it's all just a horizontal myth
I heard it's all just made up
So stop your cruising, start your criticizing, oh
Stop being idle, start criticizing something
Indulge yourself for once, feel medium between them
Focus on yourself and find balance between others
God damn, your eyes
Your eyes are stunning
They just had to be twin prizes waiting for the sun
They're the best features that stand out
See them sporting those eagle iron-ons
See them showing off eagle logos
You made me swear never to wear
You made me promise never to wear them
Why did you spend the '90s cowering?
Why were you afraid and staying hidden in the 90s?
And they're singing those inspirationals
They're singing upbeat music
You penned back in '72
You wrote in 1972
And the hotels of choice are now toasting your voice
And the popular hotels are celebrating your singing voice
As the spas ring out, "What's another word for sacrament?"
As the spas play music, people are asking, "What's another word for a religious ceremony?"
The world woke up one day to proclaim
People suddenly declared
"Thou shalt not take part in, or make, bad art"
"Do not create or be involved in poor art"
In these tough, tough times
In these difficult circumstances
Friends like mine would rather dash than dine
My friends would rather leave than eat
On the bones of what's thrown to them
On what little is given to them
When a wave of her wand has us back at the pond
When a magic spell takes us back to where we started
Taking notes for our crooked underground
Documenting for our unscrupulous subterranean community
You see, the singer sold us out
You see, the lead vocalist betrayed us
The guitarist lost his clout on Life-Of-The-Mind Day
The guitarist lost his influence on a certain day
When signs become impure again
When symbols are no longer pure and genuine
The crowd doesn't know where or when
The audience has no idea where or when
To let it all hang out
To express themselves freely
Bloodlet yourself, street style
Unleash yourself, in urban fashion
You've got the spirit, don't lose the feeling
You have spirit, don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
(You've got the spirit) don't lose the feeling
(You have spirit) don't lose that energy
You've got the spirit
You have an energetic and positive attitude
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Daniel Bejar, Jason Zumpano, John Edward Collins, Scott Morgan, Stephen Michael Wood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@biddyfox
the world woke up one day to proclaim "thou shalt not take part in or make bad art"
@optimisticnihilist
Absolute BANGER still !
@leo-pf2sq
discover weekly treasures
@ryangroenenboom7140
I love the part where it just starts grooving with the drums bass and Bejar
@slye1991
god damn this song i so fucking good
@monkeyfeetmonkeyshoes8300
Love this album!!!
@TylerJamesLogsdon
The second half of this song gives me a big ass grin : )
@jessfestt
completely perfect.
@optimisticnihilist
''You 've got the spirit, don't lose the feeling'' my favourite quite of all times :) want it tattooed on me..
@optimisticnihilist
*quote