The bands' story starts in Dayton, Ohio, where Wennerstrom found the name on a multiple choice video trivia game at a bar.
As a songwriting teenager during a time when Guided by Voices and Brainiac were packing local bars and three of the Breeders were still in town, Wennerstrom used to sneak into clubs to check out the scene. "I would just see those people—my music heroes—hanging out at the bar like everyone else," she remembers. "I could see myself in them. It gave me inspiration to do my own thing."
After doing the usual business of playing local shows, the trio set out the following year on a regional tour. One of the first gigs of the trip took them to a bar in Akron, where the Black Keys' drummer Patrick Carney just happened to be one of only a handful of people in the audience. This chance encounter led Wennerstrom and the Heartless Bastards to Fat Possum Records, with whom they released their debut, Stairs and Elevators, in early 2005.
The band moved on with critical praise in their back pocket, including a four-and-a-half star review from Rolling Stone, which took note that, when Wennerstrom “opens her throat on Stairs and Elevators … she sounds like she’s wailing on the shoulders of giants; her sad and angry vocals channeling all the swagger and spit of a young Robert Plant”
By whatever yardstick you care to measure, it was high time for Erika to get out of Dayton.
In true ascetic discipline, she moved to Austin, Texas in 2007 for a change of inspirational scenery and a new recording project. With the help of producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead), she assembled a group of musicians with whom she gave the songs life and uncovered yet another layer of Wennerstrom and the Heartless Bastards. Two of the new Bastards aren’t Texas ringers, but fellow Dayton brethren Dave Colvin on drums, and Jesse Ebaugh on bass, who actually played on the original demo that hooked Fat Possum, throw in one Austin native on guitar, Mark Nathan and you’ve got a new unstoppable force that “Take the stage and literally knock everybody down” – NY Times review of the Bastards SxSW record release performance.
The Decemberists’ guitarist Chris Funk said, "It's been a few years since I've had a voice on repeat in my mind. This voice seems to arrive in my ears while sound checking, often before the shows on a pre-show play list and after shows too -- the songs are just perfect and the band has found their spots behind this incredible woman. A unique and enduring artist arrived into our world once again."
The album, entitled The Mountain, (released February 2009) delivers the powerful howl that fans expect from the Heartless Bastards, but also weaves in adventure with mandolins, banjos, strings and Erika’s transcendent voice.
Brimming with confidence and creativity, The album Arrow (released February 2012) sees Heartless Bastards pushing their distinctive sound forward with their most eclectic, energetic collection thus far. The album – the Austin, Texas-based band’s first release with Partisan Records – is marked as ever by singer/guitarist/songwriter Erika Wennerstrom’s remarkable voice, at turns primal and pleading, heartfelt and heroic. Songs like “Parted Ways” and the searing “Low Low Low” expertly capture the Bastards’ multi-dimensional rock in all its strength and spirit. Following upon the difficult introspection of 2009′s acclaimed third album, The Mountain, Arrow stands as a powerhouse new beginning for Heartless Bastards.
“The Mountain was me going through some things after being in a relationship for nine years,” Wennerstrom says. ”This album is kind of like me being comfortable again.”
The Arrow Killed the Beast
Heartless Bastards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're the window
Out in the country you owe so quiet and still
Going now roamin', roamin' around in the day dreams
Burning my eyes is I looked towards the sun
Well the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
On the horizons the warm color of amber
The sky forms shadows all across the land
A simple life out here in the country
Where the skies full of mystery and mystery fills the air
Well the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh-oh oh oh
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh
All of my days I spend wandering out, out towards the sun
All of my days I spend wandering out, wandering towards the sun
And the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
And the arrow kill the beast
That is burning inside of me
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh-oh oh oh
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun
The Heartless Bastards' song "The Arrow Killed the Beast" is a song about liberation and rejuvenation. The song opens with a declaration of a new day arising and a request to be watched over as the singer begins their journey. The window referenced symbolizes the openness and possibility the world holds, and being out in the country away from the distractions and noise of the city means one can truly enjoy the quietness and stillness the rural areas offer. The singer roams around aimlessly and dreamily, which leads to the burning of their eyes as they stare at the sun. The horizon is described as being a warm amber color, and the sky forms shadows over the land. The country life is referred to as being simple, yet filled with mystery, and the sky and air are both full of it.
The repetition of the phrase "why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun" shows that the singer desires to leave their current situation and start anew. The arrow killing the beast inside of them symbolizes that they are now unencumbered and can move forward without any baggage or burden holding them down. The singer acknowledges that they spend their days wandering towards the sun, which can be interpreted as them searching for a new path or journey.
Overall, the lyrics of the song evoke a sense of wanderlust and a desire for freedom. The country is seen as a place of solace and rejuvenation, offering a new perspective and a fresh start. The arrow killing the beast inside suggests a release of the past and all the troubles it brings.
Line by Line Meaning
New day is rising look out for me
The singer is beginning a new day and asks others to watch out for them.
And you're the window
The addressee is a source of insight or perspective.
Out in the country you owe so quiet and still
The countryside is peaceful and calm.
Going now roamin', roamin' around in the day dreams
The artist is lost in their own thoughts and imaginings.
Burning my eyes is I looked towards the sun
The artist's gaze towards the sun is causing pain or discomfort.
Well the arrow killed the beast
Some obstacle or inner turmoil has been overcome.
That is burning inside of me
The singer has an intense inner struggle or passion that has been quelled.
On the horizons the warm color of amber
There is a beautiful, warm glow on the horizon.
The sky forms shadows all across the land
The shadows of clouds are moving across the landscape.
A simple life out here in the country
Life in the countryside is uncomplicated and straightforward.
Where the skies full of mystery and mystery fills the air
There is a sense of wonder and intrigue in the atmosphere.
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh-oh oh oh
The artist is urging the addressee to join them and move towards a brighter future.
All of my days I spend wandering out, out towards the sun
The singer spends their days seeking a brighter future.
And the arrow killed the beast
The obstacle or inner turmoil has been definitively overcome.
That is burning inside of me
The intensity of the singer's inner struggle or passion has been extinguished.
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh-oh oh oh
The artist is once again urging the addressee to join them and move towards a brighter future.
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ERIKA WENNERSTROM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hainocide
New day is rising look out for me
And you're the window
Out in the country you owe so quiet and still
Going now roamin', roamin' around in the day dreams
Burning my eyes is I looked towards the sun
Well the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
On the horizons the warm color of amber
The sky forms shadows all across the land
A simple life out here in the country
Where the skies full of mystery and mystery fills the air
Well the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh-oh oh oh
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh
All of my days I spend wandering out, out towards the sun
All of my days I spend wandering out, wandering towards the sun
And the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
And the arrow kill the beast
That is burning inside of me
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh-oh oh oh
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun
No no don't thx 😂
An Old Man Named dave
Thank goodness for you tube. Best band I’ve discovered, since 6 years back, with Magnolia Electric Company !! Aww god, the vocals and lyrics. Badassed guitar drums, and bass too. 7 straight songs now, and haven’t passed one up! 😊❤️✌️
w. neuman
*( Make Sure To Check~Out °MARATHON ;-- If You Hav'nt ALLREADY ! ) 👀🐕👀 €¥£ ^
Leslie Pérez Gómez
Muy HERMOSA✨ es como flotar en el aire mientras la escuchas :33 !! ✨
Enrique Garcia
Mis respetos señores para saber entender esta banda tienes que aver vivido lo que cantan. ❤🤘
Antoni C.
Ese "aver" duele a los ojos pero estoy de acuerdo contigo
Carlos va libre
love this song!
hainocide
New day is rising look out for me
And you're the window
Out in the country you owe so quiet and still
Going now roamin', roamin' around in the day dreams
Burning my eyes is I looked towards the sun
Well the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
On the horizons the warm color of amber
The sky forms shadows all across the land
A simple life out here in the country
Where the skies full of mystery and mystery fills the air
Well the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh-oh oh oh
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh
All of my days I spend wandering out, out towards the sun
All of my days I spend wandering out, wandering towards the sun
And the arrow killed the beast
That is burning inside of me
And the arrow kill the beast
That is burning inside of me
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun oh oh-oh oh oh
Why don't we go out, why don't we head towards the sun
No no don't thx 😂
Tdubya
Love it
Paolo Quevedo
my favorite song of the álbum <3 i love youre music guys
Emna Ali
Why this masterpiece is underrated !