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.
Steal Away
Murder By Death Lyrics
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like bells at a wedding,
and the whole sky fills with dust.
We'll get outta this town alive,
or in the ground;
Poke a hole through the clouds to breathe if we must...
Ohhh, tonight is the night
It is so bright.
Steal away.
Steal away tonight.
Well your momma and your papa,
they don't like me too much.
I've got a dark streak in my ways.
But you and me will stick together.
We're two birds of a feather;
together 'til the end of days.
Ohhh, tonight is the night
for the moon in June.
It is so bright.
Steal away.
Steal away tonight.
Well the locks are old,
and these bars are rusted.
This is no place for us to die.
Before the seas boil over,
and the wind and the water
make a grave for you and I;
cause we gotta get outta this place...
Ohhh, tonight is the night
for the moon in June.
It is so bright.
Steal away.
Steal away tonight.
The lyrics to Murder by Death's song Steal Away talk about two people who are in love and trying to escape a dangerous situation. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song with a sense of urgency and chaos as the bombs ring like bells at a wedding and the sky fills with dust. Despite these dangers, the couple is determined to survive and escape either alive or in the ground. They will do whatever it takes to survive, even poking a hole through the clouds to breathe.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of the night they are planning their escape - the moon in June is so bright and perfect for their getaway. Although the couple faces obstacles - like disapproval from their families and being locked up in a dangerous place - they vow to stay together until the end of days. They are willing to risk everything to get out of their current situation and make a better life for themselves.
Overall, the lyrics to Steal Away paint a picture of two people facing extreme circumstances and fighting to escape. The imagery used in the song adds to the feeling of urgency and danger, while the chorus emphasizes the hope and determination of the couple.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the bombs are ringin' like bells at a wedding, and the whole sky fills with dust.
There is chaos and destruction all around us, and the air is thick with debris and danger.
We'll get outta this town alive, or in the ground; Poke a hole through the clouds to breathe if we must...
We'll do whatever it takes to escape this place, even if it means digging our way out, or risking our lives to breathe.
Ohhh, tonight is the night for the moon in June. It is so bright. Steal away. Steal away tonight.
This is the perfect opportunity to escape, with the bright moonlight guiding us as we steal away.
Well your momma and your papa, they don't like me too much. I've got a dark streak in my ways.
Your parents disapprove of me because they know I have a tendency towards bad behavior.
But you and me will stick together. We're two birds of a feather; together 'til the end of days.
Despite other people's opinions, we have a deep bond and will remain together forever.
Well the locks are old, and these bars are rusted. This is no place for us to die.
The prison is in disrepair, and we don't want to spend our last moments in this dismal place.
Before the seas boil over, and the wind and the water make a grave for you and I; cause we gotta get outta this place...
We need to escape quickly, before we're trapped forever by the elements and the unforgiving sea.
Ohhh, tonight is the night for the moon in June. It is so bright. Steal away. Steal away tonight.
Once again, the night offers us the best chance to flee, with the moonlight illuminating our path to freedom.
Contributed by Kaelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.