The band has released two EPs, 'The Starlight EP' (2009) and 'Misfortunes & Minor Victories' (2010). Budgets being tiny for the EPs, the band borrowed an eight-track recorder and captured every intimate breath and soaring crescendo in their own homes and at an isolated house in Northumberland. Handmade sleeves for both EPs reinforced the self-sufficient approach.
Their debut album 'Gracious Tide, Take Me Home' was released on 19 September 2011 through Bella Union . The album was produced by Paul Gregory, as he did the band’s first two EPs. Relishing their independence, the band eschewed a recording studio for the album, though the loud bits were done in a basement of a shop in Newcastle.
www.LanternsOnTheLake.com
If I've Been Unkind
Lanterns on the Lake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I, I lost my spine
And I dreamt of awful things
Like company
And physical interaction
When you went missing
I looked almost everywhere
You were never even there
You were never even there
You were never even there
You were never even there
Thought I saw you the next night
You were nowhere to be seen
Of course, it's probably best
It wasn't such a nice dream
When you went missing
I looked almost everywhere
I sailed the seas
You were never even there
You were never even there
You were never even there
You were never even there
The song "If I've Been Unkind" by Lanterns on the Lake is a melancholic and introspective piece that talks about lost connections and regrets. The first verse talks about the singer's physical and emotional limitations. The lines "You wanted a piggyback/ Well I, I lost my spine" convey a sense of weakness and inadequacy on the part of the singer. They feel unable to offer the support requested of them.
The next two lines "And I dreamt of awful things/ Like company and physical interaction" suggest that the singer has been starved of intimacy and companionship. This potentially brings to mind the idea of the singer being in quarantine or isolation, leaving them to crave interaction with others.
The second verse brings up the theme of loss and desperation. The lines "When you went missing/ I looked almost everywhere/ I sailed the seas/ You were never even there" evoke a sense of longing and futility. It suggests that the singer has lost someone or something significant and despite their best efforts, they cannot find it.
The repetition of the line "You were never even there" at the end of each stanza adds to the somber and resigned tone of the song. Overall, "If I've Been Unkind" is a song about missed opportunities and the regret that comes with them. It tells a story of isolation and longing, and the difficulty of finding connection when we feel disconnected from ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
You wanted a piggyback
You desired support and comfort from me.
Well I, I lost my spine
I became weak and feeble, unable to provide you with the support you needed.
And I dreamt of awful things
I had nightmares and negative thoughts.
Like company
I craved companionship and someone to be by my side.
And physical interaction
I longed for intimacy and physical closeness.
When you went missing
When you were absent or gone from my life.
I looked almost everywhere
I searched through many places and tried different methods to find you.
I sailed the seas
I went through great lengths and obstacles to look for you.
You were never even there
But it was futile and you were not there or present.
Thought I saw you the next night
I imagined seeing you the following night.
You were nowhere to be seen
But you were not actually there or visible.
Of course, it's probably best
And perhaps it is for the best that it was just a dream and not a reality.
It wasn't such a nice dream
Because it was troubling and unsettling to see you in my dreams instead of reality.
Writer(s): Adam Sykes, Sarah Kemp, Oliver Ketteringham, Paul Gregory, Hazel Wilde, Brendan Sykes
Contributed by Juliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.