Manchester Orchestra has released several extended plays and six studio albums: I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child (2006), Mean Everything to Nothing (2009), Simple Math (2011), Cope (2014) (as well as its accompanying acoustic version, Hope), A Black Mile To The Surface (2017), and The Million Masks of God (2021). They are signed to independent record label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, which is distributed through Sony Music Entertainment, and Loma Vista Recordings.
Manchester Orchestra originated in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. They are named after the English city Manchester, a place rich in musical history (The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Joy Division, Oasis, New Order, Happy Mondays). Feeling increasingly alienated at his "small-town-Georgia, Christian high school", Hull became so frustrated that he spent his senior year studying at home. Early in their career, the band recorded an album entitled Nobody Sings Anymore. However, it was never released due to the shift in the band's musical direction and personal changes undergone following its recording. The band stated that "the band that made the record was different to the band now." Some of the tracks written for the album were released instead on the EP You Brainstorm, I Brainstorm, but Brilliance Needs a Good Editor.
Following You Brainstorm, I Brainstorm, but Brilliance Needs a Good Editor, Manchester Orchestra recorded and released their debut album I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child. This album gained the attention of the music industry, and eventually led to their signing with Canvasback. The album was released nationwide July 27, 2007. Guitarist Robert McDowell did not appear on this album. The song Wolves At Night was featured in the video game NHL 08.
In October of 2008 the band recorded their second EP, Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind, with producer Dan Hannon and engineer Brad Fisher. It was released October 7, 2008.
In early September 2008, the band announced on their Myspace blog that they had begun recording their second album entitled Mean Everything to Nothing with producer Joe Chicarrelli (The Shins, My Morning Jacket). On February 4, 2009, the band posted a link to a free download of the single I've Got Friends and performed an acoustic version at The Fly’s In The Courtyard Sessions. The album was released April 21, 2009.
On January 26, 2010, the band released a digital split EP with Kevin Devine entitled I Could Be The Only One. Following the release of the Manchester Orchestra/Kevin Devine split EP, it was announced that Kevin Devine would record a full-length album along with the members of Manchester Orchestra later that year, with half the album written by Devine and half by Andy Hull. On April 10, 2010, it was announced the new project's name was Bad Books, and that the album would be released under that moniker, and not "Manchester Orchestra + Kevin Devine" as previously speculated. The self-titled full-length Bad Books album was digitally released on October 19, 2010, and on CD on November 9, 2010.
On March 2010, in an interview with the Dallas Observer, Hull mentioned that the band had begun work on a follow up to 2009's Mean Everything to Nothing tentatively entitled Let Go of Your Sorrowful Groaning. He also said that the band have around 34 songs they are demoing and that in writing this album he was imagining a "spiritual miscarriage". Later that year in an interview with Rip It Up magazine, the band announced that they were in the middle of recording their third full-length album. Although without a title, they explained that the album was completely different to anything they had released in the past. The album was being recorded with Dan Hannon and balanced between Blackbird Studios (Nashville, TN) and their own Favorite Gentlemen Studios (Atlanta, GA).
On October 23, 2010, during an appearance at Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia, following a Bad Books show in support of their recently released self-titled debut album, Manchester Orchestra debuted an acoustic version of the title track of their new album, Simple Math. Originally scheduled for release in March 2011, the band announced in January of 2011 that their third full-length studio album, Simple Math, would be released on May 10, 2011, as well as announcing the album's tracklist and revealing that the album was set to be a concept album.
For more info, check out their official site: http://www.themanchesterorchestra.com/ca/home
Colly Strings
Manchester Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your bourbon brown that can burn my eyes
I lost your presence underneath the bridge
Lock the door, let's talk it out
Against the wall, hands on my mouth
Could this be it, is it really over now?
You played your songs and you danced your dance
I unwrapped your presents underneath your feet
Nine to eleven you're getting weak
The tile is cold, I can barely speak
And I think she's gone, but I'll be sure for safety's keeping
If you say no, then no it will be
I'll stick it at our skin, pierced with colly strings
Just play it cool, yeah, and try to avoid being seen
I'll stick it at our skin, pierced for nothing
Well, yeah, I saw inside the mirror your smoking gun
[Incomprehensible], the subscribing one by one
And I fell so fast in Sufat's bedroom
You said, you saw it coming but you didn't see nothing
Your eyes are on the living room, your eyes are on the closet
Don't worry about, don't worry about anything
A pity invitation to an awkward house
For pseudo-boy that would rather wear a blouse
I sincerely saw your skin for the very first time
My curly hair and a voting booth
Confessingly, this is the first time I've loved you
And God I mean, God I mean it, I hope that I mean it
'Cause like dying young, idols got the best of me
Well, don't stop calling, you're the reason I love losing sleep
And the building collapse, we'll shop one, we'll shop one for something
I'll stick it at our skin, pierced for something
Besides, don't release me until it's over
Besides, you can't believe without fear
Besides, you can't believe without fear
The song "Colly Strings" by Manchester Orchestra consists of vivid imagery that portrays nostalgia and regret. The opening lines, "Take a leaf of paper and draw your mind, your bourbon brown that can burn my eyes," suggest the singer asking the listener to map out their feelings, even though they know it can be painful. The singer mentions losing touch with someone, and now they can only remember bits and pieces of their time together. The metaphor of colly strings emphasizes the sentiment of holding onto someone, an idea of how the singer wishes it could be.
The song moves to a moment where the singer is stuck in a room with someone, potentially an ex-partner, and they are trying to reconcile their past. The image of hands on the mouth emphasizes the fact that the singer wants to say something but can't form the words. The line "And I think she's gone, but I'll be sure for safety's keeping" suggests that the singer isn't sure if the relationship has ended, but they're accepting that it may have.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on past memories with their partner, describing them in detail. However, they also hint at the fact that they are still not over this individual, which is evident in lines such as "You're the reason I love losing sleep." The song concludes with the chorus, where the singer once again reiterates their desire to hold onto the person they lost while acknowledging that they may never come back.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a leaf of paper and draw your mind
Reflect on your innermost thoughts by putting them down on paper
Your bourbon brown that can burn my eyes
The intensity of your gaze is enough to make me feel overwhelmed
I lost your presence underneath the bridge
I feel like I've lost you and our relationship has fallen apart
Lock the door, let's talk it out
Let's have an honest conversation and try to work through our issues
Against the wall, hands on my mouth
I'm feeling trapped and unable to express myself fully
Could this be it, is it really over now?
I'm questioning whether our relationship is truly at its end
You wore a pink T-shirt and khaki pants
I remember the smallest details about you, including what you were wearing
You played your songs and you danced your dance
I loved how carefree and authentic you were when you expressed yourself
I unwrapped your presents underneath your feet
I admired you from a distance and couldn't help but notice everything about you
Nine to eleven you're getting weak
Your energy is slowly dissipating and you're becoming more vulnerable
The tile is cold, I can barely speak
I'm so nervous and upset that I can barely form coherent sentences
And I think she's gone, but I'll be sure for safety's keeping
I suspect that you've left me or moved on, but I need to confirm it for myself
If you say no, then no it will be
I'm willing to accept your decision and let go if that's what you truly want
I'll stick it at our skin, pierced with colly strings
I'm willing to endure pain and discomfort if it means staying close to you
Just play it cool, yeah, and try to avoid being seen
We need to be discreet and hide our true feelings from others
I'll stick it at our skin, pierced for nothing
I'm willing to endure pain and discomfort without any guarantee or reward
Well, yeah, I saw inside the mirror your smoking gun
I've uncovered damning evidence that shows you're guilty of something
[Incomprehensible], the subscribing one by one
The pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place
And I fell so fast in Sufat's bedroom
I fell in love with you so quickly and deeply that it was overwhelming
You said, you saw it coming but you didn't see nothing
You claimed you knew our relationship was doomed, but you were oblivious to the signs
Your eyes are on the living room, your eyes are on the closet
You're constantly scanning the room, perhaps looking for a way out
Don't worry about, don't worry about anything
Try not to stress or overthink things
A pity invitation to an awkward house
You invited me to your home out of obligation or empathy, but things feel uncomfortable
For pseudo-boy that would rather wear a blouse
I'm not the stereotypical masculine man, and I'm comfortable with that
I sincerely saw your skin for the very first time
I felt like I truly saw the real you for the first time
My curly hair and a voting booth
I have certain physical attributes and traits that make me stand out
Confessingly, this is the first time I've loved you
I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm truly in love with you
And God I mean, God I mean it, I hope that I mean it
I'm desperately hoping that my feelings for you are genuine and pure
'Cause like dying young, idols got the best of me
I've become obsessed with certain people or ideologies and it's taking a toll on me
Well, don't stop calling, you're the reason I love losing sleep
Even though I know it's not healthy, I can't resist staying up late to talk to you
And the building collapse, we'll shop one, we'll shop one for something
Even in the face of disaster or heartbreak, we'll continue searching for something meaningful
I'll stick it at our skin, pierced for something
I'm willing to endure pain and discomfort if it means finding true love or a deeper connection
Besides, don't release me until it's over
Don't give up on me or our relationship until we've tried everything possible
Besides, you can't believe without fear
In order to truly believe in something, you have to confront your fears and doubts
Besides, you can't believe without fear
In order to truly believe in something, you have to confront your fears and doubts
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDY HULL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind