Girls in Hawaii is a belgian indie pop band.

Antoine and Lionel star… Read Full Bio ↴Girls in Hawaii is a belgian indie pop band.

Antoine and Lionel started to record their songs on their Dream Machine (an old 8 track-recorder). «We were friends an a bit bored. We had time and wanted to use it. I wrote a song, says Lionel, singer, composer and guitarist, and made it listen to Antoine (singer). I challenged him. Then he wrote another song back, and so on, we had several tracks. It started like that. We discovered that together, our songs had a coherence between them (...) It’s not an influence in our music, but Nirvana’s «Nevermind» is something very determinant for us, an eletrochoc. Then we discovered some american folk, such as Cat Power and Will Oldham. We also like Swell».

A couple of months after this «challenge» they call their own brothers and two other friends in order to form a band and play live. In the meantime they had sent some demos to promotors, magazines and record labels and, to their great surprise, answers began to come regularly back to them , as their songwriting and stage presence don't seem to leave many people indifferent. In may 2002 they join the stable of 62 TV Records (FlexaLyndo, M.Ward, Johnwayneshotme, Austin Lace, Papas Fritas, ao…). Afterwards, they spent the summer writing new songs and recording on a mobile multi-track recorder in various country houses.

«We wanted to control and master everything, and with someone outside the band to record us, it would have been harder, not knowing how to react in those new circumstances. So we stayed a «family», and record the album by ourselves. It reflects our differents moods. We sing in english, it’s our musical culture, Nirvana, The Pixies, Grandaddy,...»

The young band had to make important choices. « Some of us had jobs, or were studying at university. We kind of quit everything and moved to Brussels as we saw we could do something with this album...

Into Grandaddy or even Coldplay ? They just come from another place. Their intoxicating blend of vocal harmonies, subtle synths and acoustic guitars meld over a vast rhythmic landscape, with catchy melodies and commercial-sounding hooks through out. Now it is up to you to draw your own conclusions: have a walk among their ballads, their aerial arpeggios, their unclouded or dreamy melodies, their very own vision of folk music or even ambient….

Due to the accidental death of Denis Wielemans (1982-2010), the band decided to take a break.

Birthday Call
Girls in Hawaii Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You called me once
Late in the night
The day I was born
2 9 years ago now

You spoke about
Some memories
And told me why

You don't wanna live anymore (là, peut-être que leave pourrait aussi aller à la place de live mais je trouve que ça a moins de sens !)

Am I alone
Am I just stopped
These teen degrees
Ripped of my bones

Are you the same
Are you crying some
Weeping from home
Waiting for salvage

Sorry I'm disturbing you but I feel accept things doesn't much
I begin uprose, begin uprose, starting growing high
Don't wanna even try
I have a broken mind
Feeling like a lion in the sky

Some peace to dreams
Grows in the dark
My heart beats semi hard

So long appeared
I leave a sign
I hook on everyone

This is what you want (x4)
Carnation, carnation...

Sometimes I dream
That always bright
I make a wish
To shooting stars

Don't let me down
Don't let me dumb
To summer breeze
To summer breeze

Sorry I'm disturbing you but I feel accept things doesn't much
I begin uprose, begin uprose, starting growing high
Don't wanna even try
I have a broken mind
Feeling like a lion in the sky

Some [b]peace to dreams
Grows in the dark
My heart beats semi hard

So long appeared
I leave a sign
I hook on everyone

This is what you want (x4)
Carnation, carnation...

Overall Meaning

The song "Birthday Call" by Girls In Hawaii is filled with poignant lyrics and a sense of emotional depth that makes it stand out. The song appears to be an autobiographical narrative about a phone call that the singer received from a loved one. The song begins with the lines "You called me once/ Late in the night/ The day I was born/ 29 years ago now," setting up the theme of nostalgia and the passage of time.

Throughout the song, the singer contemplates topics such as loneliness, grief, and mental health. The lines "Am I alone/ Am I just stopped/ These teen degrees/ Ripped of my bones" express the feelings of isolation and confusion. The singer struggles with mental turmoil as suggested by the words, "I have a broken mind/ Feeling like a lion in the sky." The song ends on a hopeful note, with the lines "This is what you want/ Carnation, carnation," suggesting a desire for positivity and good things to come.

The song's lyrics are open to interpretation, but one possible reading is that the phone call refers to a conversation with a loved one who has passed away. The singer reminisces about "memories" with the person and later asks if they are "crying some/ Weeping from home/ Waiting for salvage." This interpretation would explain the song's melancholic tone and the emphasis on grief and loneliness.

Overall, "Birthday Call" is a powerful song with memorable lyrics, emotive vocals, and a dreamy, indie sound that transports the listener to another world.

Line by Line Meaning

You called me once
You reached out to me on the phone

Late in the night
During nighttime hours

The day I was born
The same day I came into this world

29 years ago now
Almost three decades have passed since that day

You spoke about
You mentioned or talked about

Some memories
Recollections or past experiences

And told me why
Explained the reasons behind something

You don't wanna live anymore
You no longer wish to carry on with your life

Am I alone
Do I have no one else around me

Am I just stopped
Have I stagnated or come to a halt

These teen degrees
These years of adolescence

Ripped of my bones
Taken away from me painfully

Are you the same
Have you gone through similar experiences

Are you crying some
Are you shedding tears for something or someone

Weeping from home
Crying from the comfort of your own residence

Waiting for salvage
Anticipating someone or something to come to your rescue

Sorry I'm disturbing you but I feel accept things doesn't much
Apologies for the intrusion, but I struggle to come to terms with things

I begin uprose, begin uprose, starting growing high
Encountering a sense of rebellion, progression, or elevation

Don't wanna even try
Not willing to make an effort

I have a broken mind
My mind is damaged or not functioning properly

Feeling like a lion in the sky
Experiencing confidence or empowerment despite being in an unlikely position

Some peace to dreams
A sense of calm or tranquility to one's aspirations or visions

Grows in the dark
Emerges or flourishes in challenging or unfavorable circumstances

My heart beats semi hard
My heart rhythm is somewhat irregular or infrequent

So long appeared
It's been a long time since I last saw you

I leave a sign
I leave a clue, indication or message

I hook on everyone
I attach or fixate on every person I encounter

This is what you want (x4)
This is the desire or intention you constantly have

Carnation, carnation...
A repetition of words that may symbolize something, but the meaning is left open to interpretation, possibly representing the complexity or ambiguity of life

Sometimes I dream
Occasionally, I envision something in my sleep

That always bright
That's continuously illuminated or full of light

I make a wish
I express a desire or hope for something to happen

To shooting stars
Hoping that an event or opportunity suddenly arises

Don't let me down
Do not disappoint me

Don't let me dumb
Do not allow me to become ignorant or foolish

To summer breeze
To a refreshing or light wind that brings a feeling of ease or comfort

Contributed by Adeline V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS