While the band's early work blended noise rock with electropop, their later work incorporates Italo disco. The band is known for evolving through the years since their original collaboration, and experimenting with various musical genres.
They have released a number of albums since the early 2000s, their most recent being 2008's Deep Gems.
Glass Candy was formed by Ida No, from Vancouver, Washington and Johnny Jewel, from Austin, Texas, in 1996. The two began working together in Portland, Oregon, just across the Columbia River from No's hometown of Vancouver, Washington. No describes their early work as "droney and weird." Their first two singles, which they self-released under the name "Glass Candy & the Shattered Theatre", were "Metal Gods" (2001) and a cover of Josie Cotton's "Johnny Are You Queer" (2002). They toured with The Convocation Of... in 2001, and released a live album that year on Vermin Scum. Their first studio album, Love Love Love, was issued on Troubleman Unlimited in 2003. A second full-length followed on Troubleman the next year. Jewel founded Italians Do It Better with Mike Simonetti as a subsidiary of Troubleman. In 2007 Glass Candy released their third album B/E/A/T/B/O/X on this label to considerable critical praise. In late 2008, a rarities, b-sides and remix album was released under the name Deep Gems. In a review of Deep Gems, Spin Magazine referred to the band as "an eccentric Portland pair" that "spook the dance floor".
Glass Candy songs were used for a Chloe runway show, as well as used by Karl Lagerfeld for the Spring/Summer '08 Chanel Haute Couture fashion show and the Fall/Winter one of '08/'09.
Recently Glass Candy's "Digital Versicolour" was used in the soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn's feature length film Bronson.
Current members
Ida No - vocals
Johnny Jewel (formerly known as John David V.) - drums, programming
Former members
Avalon Kalin - drums
Jimi Hey - drums
Dusty Sparkles - saxophone and drums
Discography
Smashed Candy (Vermin Scum, 2001)
Love Love Love (Troubleman Unlimited, 2003)
Life After Sundown (Troubleman Unlimited 2004)
Iko (Troubleman Unlimited, 2005)
"I Always Say Yes (12" Main)" (Italians Do It Better, 2007)
B/E/A/T/B/O/X (Italians Do It Better, 2007)
Miss Broadway (Vinyl, 12")" (Italians Do It Better, 2008)
Deep Gems (Italians Do It Better, 2008)
The Message
Glass Candy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laughing like a Marvel hero
Now they're down playing the street
The winter's biting out their feet
The old cathedral bell still rings
And children love to laugh and sing
Love to scream and play the game
Before they be what they became
Stare out the two-pane window
That smoke escaping through the chimney
I have lost the gifts they tried to give me
Oh, they never went too far
I'm praying to some distant star
To tell me how things really are
Some forgotten causes how it seems
Though simple, still achieve their dreams
I only had my way
Life would be filled with summer days
But it's when tonight that tries to teach
Meanings that lie just out of reach
The message is the simple one
Only got by certain ones
The ones who breathe this atmosphere
If that's not you, try not to fear
You'll be left with many friends down here
In Glass Candy’s song “The Message,” the lyrics depict a party where people are laughing and having a good time before falling out a window and landing on the street. The winter’s cold is biting at their feet, as the old cathedral bell continues to ring in the background. The children are playing games and enjoying their carefree youth, unaware of what the future holds for them. The lyrics then take a turn to describe the singer lighting a silver candle and staring out the two-pane window, watching the smoke escape from the chimney. The first verse expresses a longing for something that seems lost, the gifts that were offered but never received. The singer is searching for answers to what lies beyond, the meanings that are just out of reach. The message is a simple one, but only certain people can grasp it. It is a message that breathes through the atmosphere and captures the essence of life.
The lyrics are rich in symbolism, and the song could be interpreted in several ways. One interpretation is that the song is about the fleeting nature of life, how people come and go, and how we struggle to find meaning in it all. The partygoers falling out of the window could be a metaphor for life, where we all come into this world, laughing and enjoying the moment. However, as we grow older, we begin to see things differently and realize that life is fragile and can end at any moment. The old cathedral bell ringing could symbolize the passage of time, while the children playing games signify the innocence of youth. The silver candle and smoke could be a metaphor for the search for meaning and understanding, but the gifts that were never received suggest that it may be an elusive quest. The message is there for those who can grasp it, but it remains out of reach for others.
Line by Line Meaning
The party fell out of the window
A group of people at the party fell out of the window while laughing.
Laughing like a Marvel hero
They were laughing loudly like a superhero.
Now they're down playing the street
They ended up on the street after their fall.
The winter's biting out their feet
The winter weather is making their feet feel cold and numb.
The old cathedral bell still rings
The sound of the old church bell can be heard.
And children love to laugh and sing
Kids enjoy having fun and making happy noises.
Love to scream and play the game
Children enjoy screaming and playing games.
Before they be what they became
Before becoming what they are today or before growing up.
I light the silver candle
The artist lights a candle made of silver.
Stare out the two-pane window
The artist is looking out of the window that has two panes of glass.
That smoke escaping through the chimney
The singer sees smoke escaping from a chimney.
I have lost the gifts they tried to give me
The artist has lost the gifts given to them by someone else.
Oh, they never went too far
The gifts didn't leave the singer's possession.
I'm praying to some distant star
The singer is hoping to receive guidance or help from a faraway star.
To tell me how things really are
The singer wants to know the truth or the reality of the situation.
Some forgotten causes how it seems
Possibly referring to causes for the current situation that have been forgotten.
Though simple, still achieve their dreams
Even simple things can help someone achieve their dreams.
I only had my way
If things went the singer's way,
Life would be filled with summer days
The singer's life would be happy and filled with warm, sunny days.
But it's when tonight that tries to teach
The artist learns something new tonight.
Meanings that lie just out of reach
The artist is having trouble grasping the full meaning of something.
The message is the simple one
The message is straightforward.
Only got by certain ones
Only some people will understand the message.
The ones who breathe this atmosphere
The people who exist or operate in this environment.
If that's not you, try not to fear
For those who don't understand, don't worry or be afraid.
You'll be left with many friends down here
The people who don't understand will still have many friends and supporters.
Writer(s): John Padgett
Contributed by Emma L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.