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.
The Gentle Preservation of Children's Minds
Irving Lyrics
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Wake up and spray all the blood from the flowers
It was so hot, in the afternoon
They told us that we couldn't stop until the garden bloomed
When we were finished, we heard the sirens scream
I shook your back and woke you up from someone else's dream
You were so lost underneath the weight
Are you still mine
I hope you feel better this time
The gentle preservation of children's minds
Remember when we danced with your mother
She was so drunk in the living room
And then her profile, turned a certain way
Showed me how you would look thirty years from today
So come and talk to me in your language
With your glass eye and your wooden teeth
I think I know what's wrong I think I know what you're on
I think I know what they meant when they said you were gone
Are you still mine
I hope you feel better this time
The gentle preservation of children's minds
The lyrics of Irving's song The Gentle Preservation of Children's Minds are open to interpretation. The first verse speaks of a time when the singer and possibly a partner or friend, would wake up and spray blood off flowers. This unusual activity is never fully explained, but it appears to have been a task assigned to the singer and their friend. They were told they couldn't stop until the garden bloomed, suggesting that the activity may have been some kind of twisted ritual intended to bring about growth or change. The verse then ends with a description of a period where the two are confronted with sirens and the singer attempts to shake their friend out of someone else's dream.
The second verse details a memory of dancing with a drunk mother, who, when viewed from a certain angle, showed the singer a glimpse into their own future. The singer then invites the other person to speak to them in their own language, using vivid imagery like glass eyes and wooden teeth to paint a picture of an amputated or incomplete person. The end of the verse hints at them having some sense of what is causing their friend's issues, and that they believe their friend is gone or lost in some way. The chorus, which repeats twice, asks if the friend is still theirs and if they feel better this time, while also referencing gentle preservation of children's minds.
Overall, the lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia, desperation and loss. The reference to blood on the flowers hints at a violent or unsettling past, while the description of a future self is both eerie and inevitable. The repeated questioning of whether the friend is still theirs, suggests an element of doubt and a fear of losing the connection, but it also touches on themes of possession and ownership. The line "gentle preservation of children's minds" echoes this, perhaps referencing the idea that childhood memories can be fragile and need protection.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember when they used to make us
Looking back, there was a time when we were forced to do something unpleasant
Wake up and spray all the blood from the flowers
We had to remove the red color from the flowers each morning
It was so hot, in the afternoon
During the day, the heat was unbearable
They told us that we couldn't stop until the garden bloomed
We were told to keep working until the garden was in full bloom
When we were finished, we heard the sirens scream
After we completed the task, we heard a loud noise like an alarm
I shook your back and woke you up from someone else's dream
I woke you from a dream that wasn't yours, by shaking you
You were so lost underneath the weight
You felt heavy and lost under the burden
You turned into the type of person that you used to hate
You became something that you previously despised
Are you still mine
Do you still belong to me
I hope you feel better this time
I hope you are in a better place or feeling better now
The gentle preservation of children's minds
The idea of guarding or protecting the minds of children in a kind and nurturing way
Remember when we danced with your mother
Recalling a time when we danced with your mother
She was so drunk in the living room
Your mother was highly intoxicated in the house
And then her profile, turned a certain way
At a certain angle, her facial features looked different
Showed me how you would look thirty years from today
Seeing the resemblance between you and your mother, imagining what you would look like in three decades
So come and talk to me in your language
Speak to me in a way that is true to your unique style and identity
With your glass eye and your wooden teeth
With your artificial eye and dental prosthesis
I think I know what's wrong I think I know what you're on
I believe I have an idea of what's troubling you or what drug you are using
I think I know what they meant when they said you were gone
I think I understand why some might think you aren't really present or gone
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