The band met and formed in Greenville, North Carolina, USA while studying art at East Carolina University. Their first band was Art Lord & The Self-Portraits, which was also composed of Adam Beeby and Kymia Nawabi and lasted from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands, along with Erick Murillo, the bassist for The Kickass. Other former members include Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero (drums, 2008) and Denny Bowen (drums, 2009–2013 in studio; 2013–2014 touring)
Future Islands released Little Advances in April 2006, and a self-released split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura in January 2007. In July 2007, they recorded their debut album, Wave Like Home, with Chester Endersby Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, North Carolina. After a Halloween party in 2007, Murillo quit the band. In late 2007 and early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The "Feathers and Hallways" 7" was recorded in Oakland, California during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece. Upset! the Rhythm released Wave Like Home on 25 August 2008. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & The Self-Portraits. In 2009 the band signed to independent Chicago record company Thrill Jockey.
Their second album, In Evening Air, was recorded in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore and released on 4 May 2010.Their third full-length album, On the Water, was recorded in Elizabeth City, NC's historic, waterfront Andrew S. Sanders House. It was released on 11 October 2011.
These early albums from Future Islands are often associated with other bands affiliated with Wham City, such as Videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, OCDJ, Adventure, Dan Deacon, Weekends and Double Dagger.
In 2014, they released Singles with hit-track Seasons (Waiting on You). The band and song gained critical acclamation from Pitchfork and NME and performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, a performance that went viral. In 2017, they released The Far Field and most recently in 2020 they released As Long As You Are.
Doves
Future Islands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were built for making love and not for war
I'm screaming fire! fire!
Watching from the door
I'm feeling burnt clean, under your eyes
Putting me out
Ooh ooh, baby don't hurt no more
Ooh ooh, baby don't hurt no more
Ooh ooh, Ooh baby don't hurt no more
And I feel it go
What we held so slow
Goes so quickly
And I need to know
All I need to know
Is the pain of lying
It's just a little too much on my mind, this time
It's just a little too much
On my mind
And I'm begging you please, singing
(Chorus)
It's not for you, It's not for you
It's not for you
Ooh ooh, ooh baby don't hurt no more
Ooh ooh, ooh baby don't hurt no more
The lyrics to Future Islands’ song “Doves” reflects on the emotions of a tumultuous relationship on the brink of falling apart. The opening line, “We’ve traded places times before,” suggests that the two individuals in the relationship have switched roles of hurting each other and causing strife. Despite being built for “making love and not for war,” the relationship is full of fiery arguments, as expressed with the line, “I’m screaming fire! fire! Watching from the door.”
The chorus of the song embodies the pain that the singer is enduring in this relationship. The repetition of “Ooh ooh, baby don’t hurt no more” and “keep from crying” suggests that they are pleading for their partner to stop the emotional pain. The lines, “And I feel it go. What we held so slow. Goes so quickly,” signify the rapid disintegration of the relationship that once held so much promise. The singer is ultimately left with the “pain of lying” and the feeling that the relationship has become too much to bear.
Overall, “Doves” is a beautiful and powerful song that encapsulates the pain and turmoil of a relationship that is on the brink of falling apart. Through the use of evocative imagery and repetition of key phrases, Future Islands creates a sense of desperation and heartbreak that is sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced a difficult relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
We've traded places times before
We have been in each other's position before.
We were built for making love and not for war
We were meant to love each other and not to fight.
I'm screaming fire! fire!
I am shouting to show my feelings.
Watching from the door
I am observing everything from a distance.
I'm feeling burnt clean, under your eyes
I am feeling exposed and vulnerable in front of you.
Putting me out
You are calming me down.
And I feel it go
I feel everything that was good between us slipping away.
What we held so slow
Our relationship which bloomed slowly.
Goes so quickly
Is slipping away quickly.
And I need to know
I want to understand.
All I need to know
All that I require is to know.
Is the pain of lying
Is your feeling when you lie to me.
It's just a little too much on my mind, this time
I am overwhelmed by everything that is going on in my mind right now.
It's just a little too much
It is too much for me.
On my mind
In my thoughts.
And I'm begging you please, singing
I am pleading with you, singing.
Ooh ooh, baby don't hurt no more
Oh oh, my darling, do not hurt me anymore.
Ooh ooh, keep from crying
Do not cry, my love.
Ooh ooh, baby don't hurt no more
Oh oh, please do not hurt me anymore.
Ooh ooh, Ooh baby don't hurt no more
Oh oh, my darling, do not hurt me anymore.
It's not for you, It's not for you
It does not concern you.
It's not for you
It is not something that you need to worry about.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Gerrit Welmers, Samuel Thompson Herring, William Cashion
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind