Formed initially by members Alex Church (bass), Steven Scott (guitar) and Brian Canning (guitar), Irving began as a thrown-together rock outfit to accompany a friend’s art opening. Within a month, Brent Turner (drums) joined, and the group began working in earnest on the songs that would eventually appear on its first album, Good Morning Beautiful. The release of GMB in 2002 showcased the band’s penchant for writing witty pop songs with whimsical backup vocals and upbeat melodies.
By the year’s end, Aaron Burrows (keyboards) signed on, and the band was back in the studio. The I Hope You’re Feeling Better Now EP, released in 2003 to critical acclaim, exhibited Irving’s unrelenting willingness to experiment with pop song structures, and highlighted the innate strengths of a band in which all five members are songwriters.
In the two years since the release of the EP, Irving has opened for such notables as Franz Ferdinand, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene and The Polyphonic Spree. The band’s songwriting has also taken a noticeably more thoughtful turn. While the innate pop sensibilities continue to stand out above all else, Irving’s songwriting has matured—the sounds and structures more intricate, the subject matter more thoroughly realized.
"Death In The Garden, Blood On The Flowers" is the result of five musicians and their distinct influences, bound by an uncanny knack for melody and harmony. With production and engineering help from Phil Ek (The Shins, Modest Mouse), as well as Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart) and Jim Fairchild (from Grandaddy), Irving corrals its many distinct influences into a clear vision. From the oblique percussive start of the title track, to the psych-pop chaos of “Situation” to the so-bizarre-it-works background breathing on “I Want To Love You In My Room,” the band pulls unforgettable hooks out of the most unlikely places.
In 2007, Church left the band to form his own band, Sea Wolf, while the remaining members put Irving on hold to form a new band with singer Claire McKeown, Afternoons, not to be confused with (or sure to be confused with) the Welsh pop band The Afternoons.
Eyes Adjust to Light
Irving Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
were you waiting for your eyes to adjust to the light
were you thinking of the one
who came and took your mind
away from all this
Did you realize that you'd lost the only love
you've ever had and when you wake up next to strangers
and do you ever feel ashamed
when you can't remember the strangers' name
Did you think about the things you've had
but did not want to keep
and do the noises outside the window
make it hard for you to fall asleep
do you stay up all night
as your eyes would adjust to the light
Did you really know
all those who you really thought you knew
and did they keep you from the things
you thought you'd really like to do
and do you ever feel sorry
for certain things you said about them
Were you disappointed by the things
you thought that you had found
and do you still feel sorry for the people
who walk aimlessly around
and do they just fill up the space and make it hard
for you to walk around in
Were you listening for something better
you could hear and were you waiting
for a nicer image to appear
or do you love the things too much
and hold them close until they disappear
The song "Eyes Adjust to Light" by Irving is a melancholic ballad that explores the regrets and doubts of a person who has lost their love and is left alone in the darkness of their own thoughts. The song begins with the singer asking the listener a series of questions, to which a response is unnecessary, as the answers are already implied in the song's themes. The line "were you staring in the darkness on an autumn winter night" sets the mood and conveys a sense of emptiness and loneliness that pervades the song. The recurring motif of eyes adjusting to light is used to symbolize the singer's process of coming to terms with the loss of their lover and the feelings of regret and sadness that come with it.
The lyrics use imagery to describe the singer's state of mind, such as "waiting for your eyes to adjust to the light" and "thinking of the one who came and took your mind away from all this". These images create a sense of longing and nostalgia that is at once both painful and beautiful. The song further delves into the aftermath of the singer losing their love, and the feelings of guilt and shame that come with moving on and being with other people. The line "and do you ever feel ashamed when you can't remember the strangers' name" speaks to the sense of disconnection and alienation that the singer feels even when surrounded by others.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the complexities of human relationships and the aftermath of love lost. The lyrics are achingly honest, and the melancholic melody and sparse instrumentation perfectly convey the sense of loss and longing in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Were you staring in the darkness on an autumn winter night
Were you gazing at the blackness on a cold night in Fall or Winter?
were you waiting for your eyes to adjust to the light
Were you anticipating for your eyes to adapt when the light comes back?
were you thinking of the one
Were you reminiscing of someone special?
who came and took your mind
Who came and engaged your thoughts and emotions deeply?
away from all this
Away from the current environment and surroundings?
Did you realize that you'd lost the only love
Did you come to terms that you had lost the only true affection you had?
you've ever had and when you wake up next to strangers
The love that you had has gone and you wake up next to unfamiliar people?
does it make you feel sad
Does this make you feel sorrowful and unhappy?
and do you ever feel ashamed
Do you sometimes feel embarrassed?
when you can't remember the strangers' name
Is it troubling to you when you can't recall the name of those whom you share close proximity with?
Did you think about the things you've had
Did you ponder on the possessions that you owned?
but did not want to keep
But decided to let go of possessions that you no longer needed or wanted?
and do the noises outside the window
Do the sounds from outside the window?
make it hard for you to fall asleep
Make it difficult for you to doze off?
do you stay up all night
Do you find yourself staying awake through the night?
as your eyes would adjust to the light
As your eyes get used to the light or as you wait for the sun to rise?
Did you really know
Did you genuinely know?
all those who you really thought you knew
Everyone you assumed you knew very well?
and did they keep you from the things
Did they prevent you from participating or doing things?
you thought you'd really like to do
Things you believed would give you truly satisfying experiences?
and do you ever feel sorry
Do you sometimes regret?
for certain things you said about them
For some particular comments you made about them?
Were you disappointed by the things
Were you let down and disenchanted by certain things?
you thought that you had found
Things that you believed you had discovered or uncovered?
and do you still feel sorry for the people
Do you still feel remorseful for these people?
who walk aimlessly around
Those who wander or move around without purpose?
and do they just fill up the space and make it hard
And do they just take up space and make it difficult?
for you to walk around in
For you to move around comfortably?
Were you listening for something better
Were you searching for something superior?
you could hear and were you waiting
That you could pick up aurally and you were anticipating?
for a nicer image to appear
For a prettier or more pleasant image to materialize?
or do you love the things too much
Or do you cherish the things so deeply?
and hold them close until they disappear
That you cling to them until they vanish or fade away?
Contributed by Ella J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alexanderaultman
Kind of sounds like Jeff Mangum here.