Murder by Death released its first studio album (Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing) in 2002, and has since released seven more studio albums. The band's current lineup consists of two founding members, Adam Turla and Sarah Balliet. Balliet plays cello for the band, an instrument that has been present consistently throughout the band's evolution. Murder by Death's 2012 album Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon reached #76 on the Billboard 200, making it the band's most successful release.
Murder by Death was formed in 2000 in Bloomington, Indiana, by guitarist Adam Turla, cellist Sarah Balliet, percussionist Alexander Schrodt, keyboardist Vincent Edwards, and bassist Matt Armstrong. One of the group's first shows was at the Channing-Murray Foundation's cafe The Red Herring in Urbana, Illinois, with former American Football drummer Steve Lamos' solo project DMS. After the show, the head of the TEAM AV record label with which Lamos was working offered to help Turla and his bandmates secure additional shows. Around the same time the band met Thursday vocalist, Geoff Rickly, when the two bands played on the same bill at a gig in their hometown of Bloomington. Rickly introduced the band, known at the time as Little Joe Gould, to his friend Alex Saavedra (owner of Eyeball Records), who also took an interest in the band. In 2001 the band self-released the eponymous Little Joe Gould EP and early the next year contributed the song "I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to the TEAM AV compilation Foreign Nationals. A short time later the group changed their name to Murder By Death, which they felt better represented their sound.
Murder by Death plays a range of music including instrumentals, rock and alt.country. The band uses cello (with an electric cello for live shows) to create a gothic sound with occasional Western references.
The band often arranges themes such as whiskey and the Devil into concept albums. For example, the band's second album, Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?, describes a story in which the Devil wages war against a small village in Mexico.
On The Dark Streets Below
Murder By Death Lyrics
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You've lost your way in this world
Slow down, and start again
You'll feel much better in the end
Annie's always been a live one, says the matroness
She never cries she never lets her sorrow get the best of her
She makes a kind of music of the buttons popping off her dress
On the dark streets below
Adelle came from a decent town, scraped by for first month's rent
Guessed with her brain she could find a job in management
She showed promise in algebra but now her talent's spent
On other people's dough
On the dark streets below
So get up kid
You're not licked yet
I never knew a time
When you wouldn't take a bet
Slow down, little girl
You've lost your way in this world
Slow down, start again
You'll feel much better in the end
August from the old country, came over on a ship
It was like a floating oil drum, had barely made the trip
She knew that she'd been screwed as soon she'd pulled up to the spit
Now she knows (Girls like her don't go)
The dark streets below
These folks got nowhere left to go
But the dark streets below
The dark streets below
The dark streets below
The dark streets below
The dark streets below
The lyrics of Murder By Death's song "On The Dark Streets Below" portray a sense of desolation and hopelessness felt by the people who have lost their way in life and ended up on the dark streets below. The song is an empathetic plea for them to slow down, start again and believe that they're not licked yet. It follows the stories of three women - Annie, Adelle, and August - who represent different shades of the same predicament.
Annie is a carefree person who knows that life can be tough on the dark streets below but refuses to let it defeat her. She keeps dancing despite the buttons popping off her dress. Adelle is a smart woman who believed in her talent for algebra but eventually gave up and ended up serving other people's interests. August came to the new country with hope but found that the reality was far from what she had imagined. The song acknowledges their struggles and reminds them that they can always begin again.
The song's melancholic melody and solemn lyrics give it a haunting quality that lingers on long after it's over. It speaks to the human condition of resilience and the power of hope in the face of despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Slow down, little girl
Take a moment to pause and reflect
You've lost your way in this world
You feel lost and disconnected from the world
Slow down, and start again
Take it easy and don't give up, try again
You'll feel much better in the end
If you don't give up, things will get better eventually
Annie's always been a live one, says the matroness
Annie is very lively and full of energy, according to the matroness
She never cries she never lets her sorrow get the best of her
Annie doesn't show her sadness or let it control her
She makes a kind of music of the buttons popping off her dress
Annie's carefree nature and movements create a unique sound
She knows that's just the way it goes
Annie accepts the harsh reality of life
On the dark streets below
This is a nod to the harsh realities of life, the hard streets where people struggle to survive.
Adelle came from a decent town, scraped by for first month's rent
Adelle is from a good town, but struggles to pay her rent each month
Guessed with her brain she could find a job in management
Adelle thought her intelligence would help her land a management job
She showed promise in algebra but now her talent's spent
Adelle had potential in math, but now it feels wasted
On other people's dough
Adelle has to rely on others for support to live
So get up kid
Don't give up, keep fighting
You're not licked yet
You haven't been completely beaten yet, you have a chance to succeed
I never knew a time
The artist has never experienced a time
When you wouldn't take a bet
When you weren't willing to take a risk
August from the old country, came over on a ship
August is an immigrant from the old country who came over by ship
It was like a floating oil drum, had barely made the trip
The ship August arrived on was in poor condition
She knew that she'd been screwed as soon she'd pulled up to the spit
August knew she was in trouble as soon as she arrived
Now she knows (Girls like her don't go)
August knows that she doesn't belong, she doesn't fit in
These folks got nowhere left to go
The people in this song have nowhere else to go but the dark streets below
But the dark streets below
The dark streets below represent the struggles, hardships, and difficulties of life
The dark streets below
The repetition emphasizes the title and theme of the song
The dark streets below
The song ends with another repetition, as if to say that this is the only reality for these people, and there's no escaping it.
Contributed by Tristan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.