The band's sound is generally a mix of staccato bass and rhythmic, harmonized guitar, with a snare heavy mix, drawing comparisons to post-punk bands such as Joy Division and The Chameleons.
The band formed in 1997 when Daniel Kessler met drummer Greg Drudy, previously a member of post-hardcore/screamo band Joshua Fit For Battle and Hot Cross, on the New York University campus. Kessler later added Carlos D. on the bass after meeting him in a history class. The line-up was complete after Kessler ran into Paul Banks, a friend whom he had met in Paris. In 2000, Sam Fogarino, whom the band knew through his job at a local record store, replaced Drudy. Carlos Dengler, who was responsible for bass and keyboards, left the band in 2010, and hasn't been replaced, but announced various names to help them perform live.
The band released Direction on the soundtrack of the television program 'Six Feet Under' on June 28, 2005. Shortly thereafter they left Matador for a major label.
Our Love to Admire was released on July 10, 2007 in the USA (July 9 in the UK) to generally favorable reviews. The Heinrich Maneuver was its first single.
Their self-titled LP was released on September 7th 2010 and the tracks Barricade , Summer Well , Lights , and Try It On have been issued as singles. After this album, the bassist Carlos Dengler has lefted the band.
El Pintor is the fifth Interpol's album and was released in September 8th 2014 with 5 singles, All the Rage Back Home, Ancient Ways. My Desire, Anywhere and Everything is Wrong. The album's name is an anagram for Interpol.
The last 2 Interpol's albums are Marauder (2018) and The Other Side of Make-Believe (2022) .
Stella
Interpol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
she knows there's people watching
the building fronts are just fronts
to hide the people watching her
she once fell through the street
down the manhole in a that bad way
the underground drip
it's just like her scuba days
daze
days
daze
She was all right cause the sea was so airtight she broke away
she was all right cause the sea was so airtight she broke away
she was all right but she can't come out tonight she broke away
she was all right yeah the sea was so tight, air-tight
she broke away broke away
she broke away broke away
she broke away broke away
she broke away
Stella?.
Bottom of the ocean she dwells
bottom of the ocean she dwells
from crevices carressed by fingers
and fat blue serpent swells
Stella
stella
oh stella
Stella i love you stella i love you stella i love you
she was all right cause the sea was so airtight she broke away
she was all right cause the sea was so airtight she broke away
she was all right but she can't come out tonight she broke away
she was all right yeah the sea was so tight, air-tight
she broke away broke away
she broke away broke away
she broke away broke away
she broke away
Well she was my catatonic sex toy love-joy diver
well she was my catatonic sex toy love-joy diver
she went down down down there into the sea
she went down down down there down there for me
Right on
oh yeah
right on
it's so good
oh yeah
right on
it's so good
oh yeah
There's something that's invisible
there's some things you can't hide
try to detect you when i'm sleeping
in a wave you say goodbye
The song "Stella" by Interpol is a hauntingly, mysterious tribute to a girl named Stella, who the singer is infatuated with. The opening lines suggest that Stella has a profound presence, with people watching her as she walks down the street. The front of buildings are just façades that hide the people watching her. She has a sense of danger about her. She once fell through the street down a manhole, and it seems as if she is in some way associated with the underground. The singer makes a connection between the underground drip and Stella's scuba days, which might suggest that Stella is a diver or somehow connected to the sea.
The chorus states that Stella was all right because the sea was so air-tight she broke away. This image of breaking away from something is both ominous and strangely alluring. The song takes a surreal turn as the singer describes Stella dwelling at the bottom of the ocean, caressed by fingers and fat blue serpent swells. The repetition of her name, "Stella," creates a hazy, dreamlike quality to the song. The final lines suggest a sense of loss and longing. The singer can detect Stella when he sleeps, but she is invisible, and she slips away like a wave.
Line by Line Meaning
When she walks down the street
Even when she's just walking down the street, she's aware that people are watching her.
she knows there's people watching
She's fully aware that people are observing her every move.
the building fronts are just fronts
The buildings that surround her are nothing more than facades meant to hide the people who are watching her.
to hide the people watching her
The purpose of the buildings' facades is to conceal the people who are keeping a close eye on her.
she once fell through the street
She had a terrible experience when she accidentally fell through the street.
down the manhole in a that bad way
She fell down a manhole and ended up injuring herself badly.
the underground drip
The sound of water dripping in the underground adds to the ambiance of her surroundings.
it's just like her scuba days
The sound reminds her of her scuba diving experiences.
Days
The passage of time.
daze
Being lost in thought, daydreaming.
She was all right cause the sea was so airtight she broke away
She was able to escape the trauma of the manhole fall because the water in the sea was so dense.
she was all right but she can't come out tonight she broke away
She survived the accident, but she's unable to leave the safety of the water.
she was all right yeah the sea was so tight, air-tight
The water was so dense that it held her in tightly and protected her from harm.
she broke away broke away
She was momentarily able to escape from her traumatic experience.
Stella?.
The singer is calling out to the person named Stella.
Bottom of the ocean she dwells
Stella is now living at the bottom of the ocean.
from crevices carressed by fingers
She's living in a place where ocean currents form crevices and caress the ocean floor.
and fat blue serpent swells
She's surrounded by the massive, slow-moving movements of the ocean's creatures.
oh stella
The singer is still calling out to Stella, indicating his concern for her.
Stella i love you stella i love you stella i love you
The artist is expressing his love and devotion to Stella.
Well she was my catatonic sex toy love-joy diver
The artist is revealing that Stella was his lover and she accompanied him on his dives in a passive state.
she went down down down there into the sea
Stella disappeared into the depths of the ocean.
down there for me
The singer is expressing that Stella's disappearance was for him.
Right on
The artist is expressing agreement with what's being said.
oh yeah
The singer is expressing enthusiasm or excitement.
it's so good
The singer is indicating that the situation (or perhaps his feelings for Stella) are extremely positive.
There's something that's invisible
The singer believes there is something that cannot be seen but is present anyway.
there's some things you can't hide
Some things simply can't be hidden or kept secret.
try to detect you when i'm sleeping
The artist implies that there is always someone who is trying to catch or watch over Stella, even in his dreams.
in a wave you say goodbye
When the waves come, Stella must say goodbye, indicating that she is still trapped in the ocean.
Contributed by Chloe F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.