School of Seven Bells (often abbreviated as SVIIB) was a dream pop/shoegaze… Read Full Bio ↴School of Seven Bells (often abbreviated as SVIIB) was a dream pop/shoegaze/electronic band formed in 2007 in Brooklyn, New York, United States. The initial lineup consisted of Benjamin Curtis (guitar, synthesizers, vocals, production), Alejandra Deheza (vocals, guitar), and her identical twin sister Claudia Deheza (vocals, keyboards).

In October 2010, Claudia Deheza left SVIIB for personal reasons and the band continued as a duo. In 29 December 2013, Curtis (aged 35) died of cancer. School of Seven Bells is named after a mythical South American pickpocket training academy.

The Deheza sisters are former members of On!Air!Library! and Curtis was a former member of Secret Machines and Tripping Daisy. Curtis and the Deheza sisters met when both were opening on an Interpol tour. The three decided to end their commitments to their old bands, move in to a shared space, and create a home recording studio together.

The single "My Cabal" was released in May 2007 on the UK label Sonic Cathedral. A 12"/digital EP, Face to Face on High Places, was released in September 2007 on Table of the Elements. The band toured with Blonde Redhead in September of 2007 and with Prefuse 73 in November of 2007.

School of Seven Bells' debut album, Alpinisms, was released by Ghostly International in the U.S. on 28 October 2008.

Their second studio album, Disconnect From Desire, was released on 13 July 2010. Three singles were released from this album: "Heart Is Strange," "Windstorm," and "I L U."

On 28 February 2012, the band issued their third album, Ghostory. The singles "The Night," "Lafaye," and "Scavenger" helped to promote the album. On 13 November 2012, School of Seven Bells released the EP Put Your Sad Down.

On 29 December 2013, Benjamin Curtis died in New York City. He had been diagnosed with T-Cell lymphoma earlier in the year.

In October 2015, Alejandra Deheza announced that the band's fourth and final album, SVIIB, would be released in February 2016. In November, the band released the first single from the album, "Open Your Eyes."

Official site: http://www.sviib.com

Dust Devil
School of Seven Bells Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know
I know
You don't have to be cruel
But time has a heart for cruelty
And I'm not a fool
I know
It's what you do
I know more than you think I do

I know
I know
I don't have to be cruel
Though I have a heart for cruelty
But you've made me choose
I know better than you do
I know why you do what you do
I know how to do what you do
Better than you

I see you
I see you
Dismantled as the dust
Caught up by the wind
Forgotten as the dust
Caught up by the wind
Dismantled as the dust
Caught up by the wind

Forgotten as the dust
Caught up by the wind

Overall Meaning

The song "Dust Devil" by School of Seven Bells is a dark and introspective reflection on the cruelty of time and the human experience. The first verse is sung from the perspective of the singer, who knows that the person they are addressing doesn't have to be cruel, but acknowledges that time itself can be cruel. The singer is also aware that they are not naive and have a deep understanding of the situation at hand. The second verse, however, is sung from the perspective of the person being addressed, who has a heart for cruelty but has been forced to make a choice. They are aware of why they behave the way they do, but the singer claims to know better and implies that they also know how to be cruel better than the other person.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Dismantled as the dust/ Caught up by the wind/ Forgotten as the dust," painting a picture of the transience of human experience and the ultimately fleeting nature of our existence. The dust is a metaphor for the people and moments that make up our lives, and the wind symbolizes the uncontrollable forces that shape and move us. The song is a bleak reminder of our mortality, and the inevitability of both our triumphs and failures turning to dust and being forgotten over time.

Line by Line Meaning

I know
The singer is aware of the situation

I know
The singer is confident in their knowledge

You don't have to be cruel
The singer knows that the other person can choose to be kind

But time has a heart for cruelty
The passage of time can be harsh and unforgiving

And I'm not a fool
The singer is intelligent and perceptive

I know it's what you do
The singer is aware of the other person's actions

I know more than you think I do
The singer has deeper understanding than the other person realizes

I know
The singer is confident in their knowledge

I don't have to be cruel
The singer can choose to be kind

Though I have a heart for cruelty
The singer acknowledges their own potential for cruelty

But you've made me choose
The other person's actions have forced the singer to be cruel

I know better than you do
The singer has superior knowledge and understanding of the situation

I know why you do what you do
The singer understands the motives behind the other person's actions

I know how to do what you do
The singer is capable of the same actions as the other person

Better than you
The singer can perform those actions more effectively than the other person

I see you
The singer is aware of the other person's presence

Dismantled as the dust
The other person is disintegrating like dust

Caught up by the wind
The other person is being carried away by circumstances beyond their control

Forgotten as the dust
The other person is being neglected and overlooked

Caught up by the wind
The other person is being carried away by circumstances beyond their control

Dismantled as the dust
The other person is disintegrating like dust

Caught up by the wind
The other person is being carried away by circumstances beyond their control

Forgotten as the dust
The other person is being neglected and overlooked

Caught up by the wind
The other person is being carried away by circumstances beyond their control

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ALEJANDRA DEHEZA, BENJAMIN DAVID CURTIS, CLAUDIA DEHEZA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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