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.
Trembling Peacock
Destroyer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, I wasn't born to rock
Oh, I was just plain born
And then I kind of grew and then, well
Vancouver made me, I guess it's true
Sired to the House of Lords
These days they call them "Coop Boards"
And now it's in my royal blood
On things that never change
Gods give and gods give our gifts away
Settle down, trembling peacock
No, I wasn't sent to rock you
Oh, I just kind of came
And then I withdrew and then, well
I guess the rest of you already knew
Sired to the House of Lords
On the day they declared it bankrupt and
Now conquered lands pay tribute to the shifts of your skirt
Children at play get hurt
And wars are won from a foxhole
The inner world of a dove is complex, I'm telling you
Lovers of the air, beware
But for us it's real simple
Look, shot through with arrows
A chest full of sparrows
Gonna show you the way to my heart
The song "Trembling Peacock" by Destroyer is a reflective piece that explores the the singer's identity and background. The lyrics suggest that the singer has a sense of detachment and resignation as they tell the "trembling peacock" to "relax" and "settle down". The words "No, I wasn't born to rock" and "No, I wasn't sent to rock you" imply a sense of not belonging or not fitting in with the typical rockstar image or persona. The singer's origin is also questioned, suggesting that they were "just plain born" and "kind of grew" before settling in Vancouver where they were "Sired to the House of Lords" which is now called the "Coop Boards".
The song continues on with the singer contemplating the futility of voting on issues that never change and the idea that gifts are given and taken away by the gods. The second verse further explores the singer's place in the world and the impact they have on others as "conquered lands pay tribute to the shifts of your skirt" and "children at play get hurt". The final line of this verse concludes with "wars are won from a foxhole" which implies that even small actions can have a great impact. The final stanza brings the song to a close with a contrast between the complex nature of the inner world of a dove and the simplicity of the singer's own heart, which is accompanied by imagery of arrows and sparrows.
Overall, "Trembling Peacock" is a song that invites the listener to consider their own place in the world and the impact they have on those around them. The lyrics suggest a sense of detachment and resignation but also convey a desire for connection and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Relax, trembling peacock...
Be calm, you nervous individual...
No, I wasn't born to rock...
No, my destiny wasn't to become a rockstar...
Oh, I was just plain born...
I was born without any exceptional qualities...
And then I kind of grew and then, well...
Eventually, I developed and evolved...
Vancouver made me, I guess it's true...
I became who I am due to my experiences in Vancouver...
Sired to the House of Lords
Born into a family with high social status...
(these days they call them 'Coop Boards')
(in the present day, such families are referred to as 'Coop Boards')
and now it's in my royal blood
As a result, I possess this trait as an inherent part of my nature...
to vote and vote and vote and vote
To participate in endless voting sessions...
on things that never change...
Regarding matters that remain unchanged despite the voting...
Gods give and gods give our gifts away...
The gods can provide us with gifts, but they can also take them just as easily...
Settle down, trembling peacock...
Calm down, jittery individual...
No, I wasn't sent to rock you...
No, I didn't come here to disturb or impress you...
Oh, I just kind of came...
I appeared without a clear purpose...
And then I withdrew and then, well...
And then I left or disengaged, and then things happened...
I guess the rest of you already knew...
Perhaps the other people around me were already aware of what happened next...
on the day they declared it bankrupt and
On the day when they claimed it was financially ruined and insolvent, and then...
now conquered lands pay tribute to the shifts of your skirt,
Now, you have people paying you respect due to your garment movement or style...
children at play get hurt,
Innocent kids suffer the consequences...
and wars are won from a foxhole...
And battles or conflicts are won while hiding in trenches or shelter...
The inner world of a dove is complex, I'm telling you...
I'm explaining that the emotional state of a dove is intricate and difficult to comprehend...
Lovers of the air, beware...
People who cherish flying creatures should be cautious...
But for us it's real simple...
However, for us, the solution is straightforward...
Look - shot through with arrows,
See - pierced by multiple arrows...
a chest full of sparrows,
A chest containing numerous sparrows...
gonna show you the way to my heart...
I'll illustrate how to capture my love or affection...
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Daniel Bejar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bh617
He used to be much more melodic like this
IVgic
The word genius gets thrown around a lot, but it's simply common sense here.