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.
She's Not Shy
Irving Lyrics
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From the back room
With her eye lids, with her eye lids
And she is talking, with an accent
That it sounds good, that it sounds good
I don't really love you again, I was just being lonely by myself
I don't really love you again, I was just being lonely by myself
And she's not shy, she's not shy, the girl is not shy, she's not shy
And I get shy, so shy, and she's not shy
Oh no, alright then let's go and she said oh no alright then let's go
And a friend is going to tell you
When we get back, the day we get back
But it was nothing, just a kiss there
On the lips so, now we fall apart
The lyrics of Irving's song She's Not Shy depict a situation where the singer is confessing that he does not really love a girl, and that he was just feeling lonely. Meanwhile, the girl in question is watching from the back room, talking with an accent that he finds attractive, while he gets increasingly shy. Despite this contrast between his shyness and her confidence, the two decide to go out together and she tells him "alright then let's go". The song ends with the singer explaining that although they shared a kiss, it was nothing that led to any serious relationship, and that they have now gone their separate ways.
The song has a compelling atmosphere of vulnerability, isolation, and anxiety, which is further accentuated by the singer's inability to express his feelings freely. On the one hand, he admires the girl's outgoing nature and distinctive accent, which he finds charming. Yet, he is overcome by his own shyness and self-doubt, which causes him to hesitate and feel misunderstood by her. Overall, the lyrics appear to be about the push and pull of attraction, loneliness, and uncertainty that characterizes many romantic encounters.
Line by Line Meaning
She is watching
She is observing the situation from afar.
From the back room
She is watching from a position where she is not easily seen.
With her eye lids, with her eye lids
She is peering from behind her closed eyelids.
And she is talking, with an accent
She is speaking with a distinctive manner of pronunciation.
That it sounds good, that it sounds good
Her accent is pleasing to the ear.
I don't really love you again, I was just being lonely by myself
My previous statement of affection was not genuine, but rather a result of my own loneliness.
And she's not shy, she's not shy, the girl is not shy, she's not shy
The girl is confident and unreserved.
And I get shy, so shy, and she's not shy
In contrast to her boldness, I become bashful.
Oh no, alright then let's go and she said oh no alright then let's go
Despite expressing hesitation, she agrees to go along with the plan.
And a friend is going to tell you
An acquaintance will reveal to you.
When we get back, the day we get back
Upon our return at a future date.
But it was nothing, just a kiss there
The incident was not significant, merely a brief physical gesture.
On the lips so, now we fall apart
However, this insignificant event caused our relationship to dissolve.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: AARON BURROWS, ALEX CHURCH, BRENT MICHAEL TURNER, BRIAN R CANNING, STEVEN SATHER SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind