The band released their debut EP, I Saw Such Things in my Sleep EP, in September 2005; all 1000 copies sold out on the day of release. In January 2006, Guillemots were awarded fifth place in the BBC's Sound of 2006 list of favourite up-and-coming acts.
Their full-length debut LP, Through The Windowpane was released in July 2006, including Made-up Lovesong #43 from the Such Things EP and other previous singles Trains To Brazil and We're Here. The album's release date was timed so it would be eligible for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize, and the album did make the shortlist.
During the recording sessions for the album, the band recorded an EP entitled Of The Night made up of one song written by each band member. It was released via the internet on Valentine's Day 2006 and performed live in its entirety at the BBC Electric Proms 2006, with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Their performance of Bad Boyfriend was particularly memorable for the band donning animal masks, and Fyfe crying "Take me to orchestral paradise!" before the song's orchestral culmination. The EP was eventually released on CD and LP in November, to independent music shops only.
They were Scissor Sisters' support on their stadium tour in late 2006 and released a reworked version of Annie, Let's Not Wait, on 15 January 2007.
The latest album 'Red', which features an even more eclectic mix of influences and ideas, was released on March 24th 2008.
The band had a short break following 'Red', in which time Dangerfield released his first solo album, 2010's 'Fly Yellow Moon'.
Guillemots returned with critically praised 'Walk The River' in 2011.
In May 2012 the band announced that they would be writing and recording four seasonally themed albums over the remainder of the year and in to early 2013, starting with 'Hello Land!'
Windowpane
Guillemots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Should I head north or south?
You got me out on the lake
And I bank all my dreams on an earthquake
And I felt love come in through my windowpane
Tripping up the high road, tearing down the low
And I saw life chanting out the mantra
Words can't express what it means
And yes, I believe you
And I felt love coming through my windowpane
Tripping up the high road, tearing down the low
And I saw life chant, shouting out the window
If you want it, let it go if you want it, so
Oh, come in through my windowpane
Won't you come in through my windowpane?
Come in through
my windowpane
The opening lines of the song appear to provide a strange scenario of waking up with a shoe in the mouth and trying to decide on a direction to take, head north or south. It’s vague what the shoe is meant to symbolize but it's possible that the shoe is a symbol of the path he is about to take. He might not know which path is the right path to take. The next line references being out on the lake which could represent the vastness and isolation of life, and the feeling of being alone in the world. The final line of the verse suggests that he is banking all his dreams on an earthquake. This could signify his hopes that something major and important will happen and shake up his life, giving him new opportunities and experiences.
The chorus of the song is powerful and conveys the message of the song very clearly. The singer is feeling love come through the windowpane and affecting his life in a profound way. It seems that love serves as the catalyst for change in his life. The chorus suggests that if we truly want something, we need to let it go and let the universe take its course. Life will take us where we need to go, even if we don't know it yet. This message is reinforced in the second verse, which speaks of the difficulty of expressing the feelings and emotions we experience, but still believing in them.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up with a shoe in my mouth
I woke up with something unexpected and unpleasant in my life
Should I head north or south?
I'm unsure of the direction I should take in life
You got me out on the lake
You have taken me to a place where I am out of my comfort zone
And I bank all my dreams on an earthquake
I am hoping for something drastic to happen in my life to bring about change
And I felt love come in through my windowpane
Love entered my life unexpectedly and profoundly
Tripping up the high road, tearing down the low
Love has turned my life upside down, for better or worse
And I saw life chanting out the mantra
I witnessed life offering its wisdom through repetition of a phrase
If you want it, let it go if you want it, so
If you truly desire something, you must be willing to let it go
Words can't express what it means
I cannot fully articulate the significance of what I am experiencing
And yes, I believe you
I trust in the love that is present in my life
Oh, come in through my windowpane
I invite love to stay in my life and be a constant presence
Won't you come in through my windowpane?
I earnestly plead for love to remain in my life
Come in through
I am extending an open invitation for love to enter and stay in my life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FYFE DANGERFIELD HUTCHINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind