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
Heart Is Strange
School of Seven Bells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel more like spirits to chase
My nights are full of strangers
And even stranger ends
My love, there comes a time in everything
When these silent grips become ingrained
As the grooves assembled on your skin
The machine of will
That shakes me constantly
Makes the silence behind me
Snarl like a swarm of bees
My love, the heart is strange and dissonant
I know I should be happier now
Than I've ever been
But stillness weighs heavy and cold on my skin
Darling, you've got to shake this
Shape you've been drifting in
Oh I used to think that this rage was living
But that movement feigns a lull so deceiving
When nothing has changed in your life
My love, there comes a time in everything
When these silent grips become ingrained
As the grooves assembled on your skin
The School of Seven Bells' song Heart is Strange deals with the complexities of relationships, personal struggles, and the search for meaning in life. The lyrics evoke a sense of dissatisfaction with one's current state of being, despite the presence of love and happiness. The first verse describes a feeling of restlessness and disconnection, where the days feel like they are slipping away, and the nights are full of strangers. The second verse talks about the silent grips that become ingrained on our skin, referring to the way our experiences shape us, leaving marks that cannot be easily erased.
The chorus speaks to the central theme of the song, that the heart is strange and dissonant, at odds with our rational minds that tell us we should be happy. The singer knows that they should be grateful for what they have, but stillness weighs heavy, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction. The bridge speaks to the idea that we need to break free from our self-imposed limitations and shake the shape we have been drifting in. The final verse speaks to the idea that we need to recognize the patterns in our lives, acknowledge the things that need to change and take action to make them happen.
Overall, Heart is Strange speaks to the idea that human beings are complex and flawed, and that happiness is not just a matter of circumstance, but a mindset and a way of living.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately the days
I have recently experienced a change in my days
Feel more like spirits to chase
My days seem like an elusive target that I must pursue
My nights are full of strangers
I spend my nights with unfamiliar people
And even stranger ends
My nights often conclude in peculiar ways
My love, there comes a time in everything
My darling, there is a moment in every circumstance
When these silent grips become ingrained
When these unnoticed holds become embedded
As the grooves assembled on your skin
Like the ridges formed on your skin over time
The machine of will
The force of determination
That shakes me constantly
Which frequently unsettles me
Makes the silence behind me
Causes the quietness after me
Snarl like a swarm of bees
To sound like the buzzing of a large group of bees
My love, the heart is strange and dissonant
My darling, the heart is surprising and lacks harmony
I know I should be happier now
I understand that I ought to feel more joyous at present
Than I've ever been
Than I have ever been before
But stillness weighs heavy and cold on my skin
Yet calmness burdens me deeply like a cold weight
Darling, you've got to shake this
My dear, you must overcome this
Shape you've been drifting in
The form you have been aimlessly moving through
Oh I used to think that this rage was living
I used to believe that this anger was vibrant
But that movement feigns a lull so deceiving
But that motion pretends to be quiet in a seductive way
When nothing has changed in your life
Despite nothing altering in your existence
My love, there comes a time in everything
My darling, there is a moment in every circumstance
When these silent grips become ingrained
When these unnoticed holds become embedded
As the grooves assembled on your skin
Like the ridges formed on your skin over time
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
ibelieveicansoar
Proof of why SVIIB is, in my opinion, a top 5 synth pop band of all time
jeddak
Vocal harmonies on the verse are absolutely exquisite; the dreamy arrangement and production is icing on the cake. A true classic from the moment it was released.
Night Mike
There have been plenty of great tracks from this band, this is my favorite off the album, it is hooky and never gets old.
Elise Who Draws
This song is absolutely phenomenal! I was in a local record store last weekend and they put on Ghostory, and "The Night" just blew me away. I wanted to listen to everything I could find of theirs. BEAUTIFUL music!!!
Elena Bédmar
Qué preciosa canción.
felipe santos
adoooroo ... UMA das Melhores musicas de 2010 !!!!! love this song
MewoAndTheCrow
So so good :D Calls back the good side of the 80's. :D
mighty58
Love it!!!
dj over
Fantastic song!!
tommystarg
Enjoying this on a relaxing saturday afternoon philly~ thank you~