There’s a scene in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov where the main characters Ivan and Alyosha discuss the existence of God. Ivan, in particular, questions the idea of God. Alyosha, on the other hand, is a monk, a believer, some may say, a holy fool.
Talk of faith and exalted things is rare in indie rock today. Enter Seattle band Ivan & Alyosha. Throughout their second release, the five song Fathers Be Kind EP, the band chart their own course between divinity and disbelief.
“I left my family and my home/to fight the battle on my own
I stole a car and drove away/but in my hate St. Paul did say
‘Glorify the Lord above/with your drink and making love
Glorify the Lord my son, with your whisky and your gun.”
Ivan & Alyosha began as the solo outlet for Tim Wilson but in spring 2007 the band formed after Tim met Ryan Carbary through a former band mate and mutual friend. Ryan and Tim began playing and recording together and a trip to Los Angeles to work with Eli Thompson (Richard Swift, Delta Spirit) spawned the name Ivan & Alyosha. According to Tim, Thompson is a huge Dostoevsky fan and the name stuck. With that, Wilson and Carbary released The Verse, The Chorus, their debut EP on Cheap Lullaby Records (Joan as Police Woman, The Silver Seas, Teitur). The stand out track “Easy To Love” earned NPR Song of the Day honors as “a propulsive, sweetly booming ode to love as a feat of endurance.”
The name Ivan & Alyosha is apt for a band cutting its teeth. As Ivan in Brothers Karamazov moves through the novel with doubts, Ivan & Alyosha navigate the indie rock world contemplating their path as a band. Tim says he writes songs about what’s current in his life. He recently married and had a son. Songs like “Living for Someone” and “Fathers Be Kind,” reflect Ivan & Alyosha grappling with the idea of being in a band and trying to fashion a career. Not only to follow their dreams but to earn a livelihood and support their families; a feeling he expresses in the former song, “Expecting our first child / Amid the great recession”. Despite the uncertainty, Ivan & Alyosha’s soulful folk tunes suggest a band inspired, hopeful and longing; a band unafraid to probe their collective faith and doubts.
Plus, things are different this time around. Tim and Ryan are joined by two others – Tim Kim and Pete Wilson, Tim’s brother. The band built a studio in a barn at Ryan’s parent’s house in Snohomish, 45 minutes outside of Seattle. Snohomish provides an idyllic setting with a charming main street lined by bars and little distraction. Self-recording their upcoming EP allows the guys more time together to create and perfect the new songs. Recently the band spent a week in New York playing gigs at 92Y Tribeca, Maxwell’s in Hoboken and Brooklyn’s Littlefield. They also took a trip to NPR Headquarters in Washington DC to record an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and opened a run of shows for the Jayhawks’ Mark Olson.
In the Brothers Karamazov, when Ivan asks Alyosha to renounce his beliefs, Alyosha refuses. Rather, he kisses Ivan on the lips. Seattle’s Ivan & Alyosha are not nihilist indie rockers but a new brand of tender dreamers. And non-believers be damned! God, or no God - these guys are no holy fools. They have their music to prove it.
Glorify
Ivan & Alyosha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
to fight the battle on my own
I stole a car and drove away
but in my head St Paul did say:
Glorify the Lord above
with your drink and making love
Glorify the Lord, my son
I shot my foe, now I feel bad
I beat my wife, now I feel sad
I cursed my brother and my friend
I broke my mother's heart again
Glorify the Lord above
with your drink and making love
Glorify the Lord, my son,
with your whiskey and your guns
Now tune my heart and tune my strings
And see what giving thanks might bring
For all I have was always thine
but I was fool to think it mine
We'll glorify the Lord above
with your drink and making love
Glorify the Lord, my son,
with your whiskey and your gun
Well, if you stay or if you go,
or if you stand or you're brought low,
we'll drink the wine
we'll eat the bread
but don't forget what Jesus said:
"Glorify the Lord above
with your drink and making love,
Glorify the Lord, my son,
till your work on Earth is done"
I said to
Glorify the Lord above
If you've plenty, if you've none
Glorify the Lord, my son,
with your whiskey and your gun
The lyrics of Ivan & Alyosha's song "Glorify" follows the narrative of a man who feels lost and alone. He leaves his home behind to fight a battle on his own, stealing a car in the process. However, he hears St. Paul's voice in his head telling him to glorify the Lord with his drink and making love, and his whiskey and his gun. Despite this advice, he ends up doing terrible things – he kills a person, hurts his wife, and breaks his mother's heart again. He realizes that everything he has is always the Lord's and not his own, and all he needs to do is to give thanks.
As the song progresses, the singer invites listeners to glorify the Lord above regardless of their station in life. The song is ultimately about finding God and redemption in a world full of sorrow and sin. The lyrics encourage listeners to find ways to give thanks and find joy despite their troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
I left my family and my home
I departed from my family and my home
to fight the battle on my own
I wanted to take on my challenges and obstacles without any outside help
I stole a car and drove away
I broke the law and took a vehicle that wasn't mine to travel away
but in my head St Paul did say:
even though I committed a sin, I realized St Paul's teachings are still resonating within me
Glorify the Lord above
Praise and honor the Lord above all else
with your drink and making love
Celebrate the Lord by enjoying the pleasures of life, both in drink and intimate relationships
I shot my foe, now I feel bad
I took the life of my enemy, and I regret my actions
I beat my wife, now I feel sad
I physically harmed my spouse, and it caused me remorse
I cursed my brother and my friend
I spoke negatively and harmed the relationships with my brother and friend
I broke my mother's heart again
I caused my mother emotional pain, which I've done before
Now tune my heart and tune my strings
Help me better harmonize my internal emotions and my external behavior
And see what giving thanks might bring
Reflect on how expressing gratitude might positively impact my life
For all I have was always thine
Everything I possess belongs to the Lord, and I'm simply a steward of it
but I was fool to think it mine
I was foolish to believe that my possessions and accomplishments were mine alone
If you stay or if you go,
Whether you decide to leave or stay
or if you stand or you're brought low,
Whether you feel superior or inferior
we'll drink the wine
Let's drink wine as a way to enjoy life
we'll eat the bread
Let's eat bread as a way to sustain ourselves
but don't forget what Jesus said:
But don't overlook what Jesus taught us
"Glorify the Lord above
Praise and honor the Lord above all else
with your drink and making love,
Celebrate the Lord by enjoying the pleasures of life, both in drink and intimate relationships
till your work on Earth is done"
Keep celebrating the Lord until your purpose and mission on Earth is complete
I said to
I spoke of
If you've plenty, if you've none
Whether you have an abundance of resources or none at all
with your whiskey and your gun
Celebrate the Lord with whatever means you have available, even if it involves whiskey and guns
Contributed by Colton M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Serge Sukhanov
Wonderful band!!
mustacheluvR21
There such a good band, and what I love more is the fact that each song has meaning in between the lines:)
Stacy Sage
So beautiful!
Connie D
i really love this song <3
Yesica1993
Beyond amazing!!!
TheOtherKB
By far my favorite song. Always brings me up from a bad mood.
Karen Minton
beautiful :)
Alessandro Morandi
wonderful guys!!!
ZJ S
These stripped down performances are incredible, too bad their albums tend to be over produced. Please sound like this more
kakdelarebyata
Did you consider adding more cowbell before recording? I love everything about this song.