Their signature song is Gorecki, from their eponymous debut album and it was inspired by Henryk Górecki's Third Symphony, the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. Other essential songs are Cotton Wool, God Bless, B Line, Gabriel, Sweet, and Wonder.
To date, the band has released six studio albums: Lamb (1996), Fear of Fours (1999), What Sound (2001), Between Darkness And Wonder (2003), 5 (2011) and Backspace Unwind (2014). In 2003 they also issued a compilation entitled Best Kept Secrets.
In February 2005, Lamb announced that they would pursue their own solo projects, ending their collaboration for now. Their last concerts were in Paradiso, Amsterdam, and these shows appear in the DVD 'Lamb Live at the Paradiso' which was released in 2011.
Lou Rhodes released her first solo album Beloved One (2006) which received a Mercury nomination. This was followed by Bloom (2007), and One Good Thing (2010). Lou also branched out and became an author, with children's books The Phlunk (2013) and The Phlunk's Worldwide Symphony (2014 Strata Books).
Producer Andy Barlow focused on his band Hoof and a project called Luna Seeds with vocalist–songwriter Carrie Tree, and produced the Fink album Distance and Time. In 2013 Barlow's debut solo album as LOWB, Leap and the Net Will Appear was re-released on a new label, Distiller Records. Andy continued to work as a producer, working with Bristol band The Ramona Flowers on their album Dismantle and Rebuild (2014) which he also co-wrote. Most recently, he produced and mixed David Gray's new album Mutineers (2014).
The hiatus ended in 2009 when Lamb reunited and started performing again. Lamb returned to the studio the following year to record their fifth studio album 5 which was released in 2011. They also released their first live album in 2011 Live at Koko and the long-awaited DVD Lamb Lamb Live at the Paradiso.
In October 2014, the band released a new album Backspace Unwind, followed by a single 'We Fall in Love' (subsequently voted "Best Chillout/Lounge Track" at the International Dance Music Awards 2015). They began a tour in 2014 which included the UK and Europe. The tour continued into 2015 with shows and festivals in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
There are other artists with the same name:
(2) A group formed by Barbara Mauritz and Bob Swanson in San Francisco in the late 1960s. This group disbanded in 1972. The minor San Francisco group Lamb tend to be remembered only for their appearance on the Fillmore: The Last Days concert album, where they were one of several non-star artists on a set dominated by bigger names like the Grateful Dead, Santana, and Boz Scaggs. The band did actually put out three albums in the early '70s, however, and were quite an interesting group. Not only were they not readily comparable to other acts on the San Francisco rock circuit, but it's debatable whether they could be fairly categorized as a rock band at all. Their music blended jazz, folk, singer/songwriter pop, gospel, and even some classical and avant-garde influences. Certainly the dominant figure was singer Barbara Mauritz, whose bluesy and earthy vocals had considerable resonance, but which could also traverse the band's frequently mystical, poetic lyrics with much delicacy and nuance. Reminiscent in spots of such varied artists as Tim Buckley, Judy Collins (in her art-song phase), David Ackles, and Savage Rose (in that band's most gospel-soaked period), their records were ultimately idiosyncratic enough to defy ready comparison to anyone. And they were, too, ultimately too inaccessible to make much commercial impact, despite plenty of tracks of considerable power, beauty, and enigma.
Lamb were formed by the duo of Texan singer Mauritz and multi-instrumentalist (though primarily guitarist) Bob Swanson. The two (writing both separately and together) was responsible for the band's material. They attracted attention in San Francisco when they opened for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for a few nights at Winterland in November 1969. Impresario Bill Graham became their manager, and producer David Rubinson, who had worked with notable groups such as Santana and Moby Grape, acted in that capacity for their first record. Their debut album on the Fillmore label, A Sign of Change, was perhaps their most uncompromising and experimental, relying largely on jazz-folk acoustic arrangements and spotlighting Mauritz's impressive voice on impressionistic, dream-like lyrics. They moved over to Warner Bros (while retaining Rubinson as executive producer) for the follow-up, Cross Between, which moved toward slightly more mainstream rock arrangements and a more pronounced gospel feel on several tracks. Yet others were throwbacks to the first album in their obscure but enchanting poesy, sometimes owing more to a classical-influenced art song tradition than conventional pop music.
Lamb went yet further toward gospel-rockish material on their third and final album, Bring Out the Sun, which was their most mainstream outing, though hardly mainstream overall, with a couple of tracks again giving vent to their more experimental jazz-folk-classical side. The LP was co-billed to Lamb and Barbara Mauritz, though Swanson was still involved as a composer and instrumentalist on much of the material. Whether or not this co-billing was intended as a transition from Lamb to a solo career, Mauritz was soon recording as a solo, putting out Music Box for Columbia. Her solo career didn't take off, however, although she continued to perform and write (composing the music for many commercials). In the mid-'80s, Bob Swanson returned full-time to photography. The Lamb founded by Swanson and Mauritz, incidentally, had no relation to either the Christian rock band Lamb that began to record later in the '70s, or the drum'n'bass duo Lamb that began recording in the late '90s.
(3) A demoscene musician, active from early 1990s till early 2000s, known for composing many chiptunes, as well as themed collection-album called Autumn Leaf.
(4) A messianic Jewish pop music group formed in 1972 by Joel Chernoff and Rick "Levi" Coghill. This group has recorded as recently as 2005 (with Ted Pearce replacing Rick Coghill).
(5) A Japanese duo from Tokyo, formed in 1999. Kudo sings, Nakamura does everything else. They make pretty, light-hearted, chilled-out pop.
(6) A Japanese rockband who regularly do shows in Tokyo, Japan. They're known for their melodic, emotional, and exciting sound with twin guitars, and bass and drums. Lamb's music has taken on elements from post-rock, math-rock, and pop.
Their first EP, MEME, was released in April of 2020.
Build a Fire
Lamb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What took it away from me
Right from the start
Thought it was mine to keep
Where are the days
Where dreams came so easily
Thought they would stay
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it higher and higher
Find my way again
So now I know
The road isn't always straight
You die or you grow
Play games with the hand of fate
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it higher and higher
Find my way again, again, again, again
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it higher and higher
Find my way again, again, again, again...
The lyrics to "Build a Fire" by Lamb express the feeling of losing oneself and the struggle to find one's way back. The opening lines "Where is my heart/What took it away from me/Right from the start/Thought it was mine to keep" imbue a sense of confusion and questioning. The singer is searching for their heart, the driving force behind who they are, and cannot understand how it went missing. The next two lines "Where are the days/Where dreams came so easily/Thought they would stay/Thought they would always be" shed light on the singer's sense of longing for simpler times, when they didn't have to think about losing themselves or their dreams.
The chorus, "Gonna build a fire/Set it all aflame/Build it higher and higher/Find my way again," represents the singer's determination to take control of their life again. The fire is a metaphor for change and growth, as the singer sets flame to the old version of themselves and builds a new one. The repetition of "again" emphasizes the singer's belief in their ability to start anew and find their way back.
In the second verse, the lyrics "So now I know/The road isn't always straight/You die or you grow/Play games with the hand of fate" add depth to the song's message. The singer has come to the realization that life is not always easy, and that one must either adapt and grow or fall behind. The idea of "playing games" with fate suggests that the singer is willing to take risks and make changes in order to get to where they want to be.
Overall, "Build a Fire" is a song about taking control of your life and finding your way back to your true self. It expresses a relatable struggle that many people face when they feel lost or disconnected, and the determination needed to overcome it.
Line by Line Meaning
Where is my heart
I have lost touch with my true desires and passions
What took it away from me
Something or someone has caused me to lose sight of what's important to me
Right from the start
This has been a problem for me since the beginning
Thought it was mine to keep
I assumed that my heart would always belong to me and guide me
Where are the days
I miss the time when things were easier and I had hope
Where dreams came so easily
I used to have a clear vision for my future and it seemed achievable
Thought they would stay
I expected my dreams to last and continue driving me forward
Thought they would always be
I assumed my dreams were a permanent part of my life
Gonna build a fire
I am going to take action and ignite change
Set it all aflame
I am going to release the old and start fresh
Build it higher and higher
I am going to elevate my ideas and aspirations
Find my way again
I am going to rediscover my purpose and direction in life
So now I know
I have gained insight and understanding
The road isn't always straight
I now recognize that life is full of twists and turns
You die or you grow
We either give up or evolve to overcome challenges
Play games with the hand of fate
Our lives are in part shaped by chance, but we can still influence the outcome
Again, again, again, again
I am committed to continuing this process and staying proactive in shaping my life
Contributed by Gavin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Roiy Benkel
Where is my heart
What took it away from me
Right from the start
Thought it was mine to keep
Where are the days
Where dreams came so easily
Thought they would stay
Thought they would always be
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it hight and higher
Find my way again
So now I know
The road isn't always straight
You die or you grow
Play games with the hand of fate
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it hight and higher
Find my way again, again, again, again
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it hight and higher
Find my way again, again, again, again...
Marta T
My heart is pounding with the rhythm of this song. Seriously... Just amazing...
Maja_0511
They have such an amazing energy, it's contagious :)
Adam Kent
This track is amazing.
2Blit
I'm So happy to see new stuff! I was afraid you two were gone. Thanks for more music love it!
Timoteo Méndez
Amo, amo, amo esta canción!!!
Roiy Benkel
Where is my heart
What took it away from me
Right from the start
Thought it was mine to keep
Where are the days
Where dreams came so easily
Thought they would stay
Thought they would always be
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it hight and higher
Find my way again
So now I know
The road isn't always straight
You die or you grow
Play games with the hand of fate
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it hight and higher
Find my way again, again, again, again
Gonna build a fire
Set it all aflame
Build it hight and higher
Find my way again, again, again, again...
Adrian Frandes
Lou and Andy, you absolutely made my day. Thanks for making more music for us
karol kowalask
piekny utwór idealny na Woodstock :)
Edsel's Reading Channel
Thank you, Artists of Lamb. I've followed you since 1999. Your music really struck me. It was way before the drums and bass; From then until now, your works are what I need, and homegirl is super hot as ever.
Sentinel G.
My #1 song to drive to ! 🤟❤️