Eventually, Envelopes were approached by London based label Brille Records. We were going to be their first band. To make it work professionally though, we had to meet more often than a couple of times a year, and cut a few years from our usual song production time. So we had a crack at it, and told Brille what we needed to be a proper functioning band, for real: a house for five people, with recording equipment, and no obligations to work with anything other than the music to support our living. What do you know? They said yes.
To this day the band have cost tons and made zero money, but a few people think they are the best band ever. Music always gets you right at the heart when it risks being ridiculous. Envelopes are very direct and uncomplicated in this way. And yet, in other ways, elusive. The message is never in the lyrics, and rarely in a hook, but rather somewhere in the saturated cluster of melodies, woven into a multi-coloured flying rug, circling around your head on its passing. You have to hear it. Really. It is a message of all-defying unjustified joy. And ‘Here Comes the Wind’ is a future classic. Usually I’m all about “to each their own” and unwilling to pass aesthetic judgement, but this album is of profound quality.
My last nine months with the band, in 2005, I lived with them in a big house outside Elvington, North Yorkshire, surrounded by vast fields of farmland. Animal Farm, GTA San Andreas and the 144 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, imported from Hong Kong, only lasted so long. Cabin fever, running out of heating oil and endless amounts of rain nearly broke us. Our hope was only kept alive by frequent London shows and the pot of gold stored on our hard drive, the possibility of a damn good album. Sometimes we could almost touch it. I have heard seven versions of some of these songs and recorded half of them. There were a few defiantly behaving children I thought I would never see, or hear, released. That’s why it is so rewarding to finally hear them completed. Although, I must admit that the versions I am listening to whilst writing this will undergo a few changes still. It is Envelopes we are talking about and they have serious problems declaring anything finished and final.
I am proud of this bunch. I had to jump ship shortly after the efforts of six months of recording were reinterpreted as “sketches”, and recording from scratch was declared to commence in a real studio. But they bit the bullet. It’s been over a year now, and I have hardly seen them. They entered boot camp mode, closed the blinds and learned how to use the fancy coffee machine in southern Sweden’s Tambourine Studios. And then they didn’t leave.
Halfway through their Tambourine exile I saw one of their rare Swedish concerts. It’s such a treat to be off-duty and just enjoy the show. My last effort for the band was writing a book of bass tablature for my replacement Ulf, for him to learn before their tour. He did it flawlessly. Listening to my favourite band playing my favourite songs on stage, for the first time, was easily one of my very best concert moments. It happened to be the band I had never been able to see before, since I was in it. They were good. Very good. Do try and see them. People usually really like it.
Biography by Maja Karlsson, former bass player.
Boat
Envelopes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can´t believe
the humiliation
And today I was going away
And today I was going outside for the first time in a day
And every second day
And every second day
But today it’s the day
I don’t want to go to school
I don’t want to go tomorrow
When you talk about school
Her face is full with sorrow
Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret
J´étais là aujourd´hui
Et depuis toute ma vie
And if I was the one to blame
I want to see the proof and the papers
Its wasn´t like this and this this
I know I am in charge but Im not putting nay effort into it
Taking it easy is what I am pleased with
The lyrics to Envelopes's song "Boat" depict feelings of frustration, disappointment, and a sense of wanting to escape from mundane daily routines. The opening lines suggest that the singer has been going through various files and memories, possibly trying to find answers or make sense of a situation. However, this search only leads to further humiliation and frustration.
The next lines express the singer's yearning to break free from their current situation. They talk about wanting to go outside for the first time in a day, emphasizing the monotony and confinement they feel. The repetition of "every second day" implies a cycle of dissatisfaction and being "always wrong," but today is different. Today is the day when they hope for a change or a breakthrough.
The following lines shift focus to the singer's dislike for school and their reluctance to attend. They mention someone, possibly a friend or a loved one, whose face is filled with sorrow whenever the topic of school arises. This suggests a shared feeling of discontentment or dissatisfaction with their current educational experience.
The repetition of the word "Cabaret" seems unrelated to the previous lines and adds an element of surrealism to the song. It may symbolize a desire for something different or more exciting than the mundane routine of daily life. The lines that follow express the singer's desire to see evidence or justification if they were indeed at fault for something, implying a need for validation or understanding.
The final lines reveal that the singer acknowledges their role as being in charge but admits to not putting much effort into it. They find satisfaction in taking it easy, suggesting a preference for a more relaxed and nonchalant approach to life.
Overall, "Boat" conveys a sense of frustration with routine, a desire for change, and a contemplation of personal responsibility.
Line by Line Meaning
I´ve been through all the files and stills
I have thoroughly examined all the documents and images
I can´t believe the humiliation
I am unable to accept the embarrassment I experienced
And today I was going away
And today I was preparing to leave
And today I was going outside for the first time in a day
And today I was venturing outdoors for the first time in a day
And every second day
And every alternate day
And every second day
And every alternate day
I was always wrong
I was consistently incorrect
But today it’s the day
But today is the day where things change
I don’t want to go to school
I have no desire to attend school
I don’t want to go tomorrow
I have no intention of going tomorrow
When you talk about school
Whenever the topic of school is brought up
Her face is full with sorrow
Her face displays a great amount of sadness
Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret
Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret Cabaret
J´étais là aujourd´hui
I was there today
Et depuis toute ma vie
And since my whole life
And if I was the one to blame
And if I was the individual at fault
I want to see the proof and the papers
I desire to examine the evidence and documentation
Its wasn´t like this and this this
It was not in this manner and in this way
I know I am in charge but I'm not putting any effort into it
I acknowledge my responsibility, but I am not exerting any effort towards it
Taking it easy is what I am pleased with
I find satisfaction in taking things easy
Lyrics © CHRYSALIS EDITION FRANCE, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Audrey PIC, Carl ORRLING, Hans BERGLIND DEHLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind