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
The Night
School of Seven Bells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gives me no relief
Because I see you
You in everything
You've frozen my thoughts
You've frozen me out
I'm in the same place
Oh, our ending
Lit a fuse in my heart
Devouring, devouring
The night, the night
Chilled my bones with
A seething quiet, shaking me
Oh, our ending
Lit a fuse in my heart
Devouring, devouring
The night, the night
Chilled my bones with
A seething quiet, shaking me
Tell me, tell me
Since you went away
Does the space breathe?
Do you feel a change?
Is this the way
You thought it would be?
Do you feel the same
Without me, darling?
You have my arms
You have my legs
We are one contented skin
We are one continued pain
Oh, our meeting
Lit a fuse in my heart
Devoured me, devoured me
You have my arms (the light of day)
You have my legs
We are one contented skin (gives me no relief)
We are one continued pain
Oh, our meeting (tell me, tell me)
Lit a fuse in my heart
Devoured me (since you went away), devoured me
You have my arms (the light of day)
You have my legs
We are one continued skin (gives me no relief)
We are one continued pain
Oh, our meeting (tell me, tell me)
Lit a fuse in my heart
Devoured me, devoured me
The lyrics of School of Seven Bells' 'The Night' speaks of heartbreak and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer is haunted by memories of their ex-partner and everything around them reminds them of the person they lost, making it impossible to move on. The light of day, which typically brings hope and a fresh start, does not provide any relief to the singer because they see their ex in everything. The singer seems to have been left in the same place the ex-partner left them, unable to move on or forget the person they loved.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the pain caused by the relationship's end. The ending lit a fuse in the singer's heart, devouring the night and chilling their bones with a seething quiet that shakes them. The pain brought on by the break-up seems to be all-consuming, and the singer is unable to escape the pain even in the silence of the night.
The final verse is a plea to the ex-partner. The singer begs for answers, asking if the ex-partner feels the same as they do. The singer is still holding on to hope that their ex-partner might come back to them. They feel that their ex-partner has them in every sense, having their arms and legs and being one contented skin, even though the relationship is a continued pain.
Line by Line Meaning
The light of day
I am not comforted by the daylight
Gives me no relief
Because you are all I see
Because I see you
You are always on my mind
You in everything
You are a part of everything around me
You've frozen my thoughts
I cannot think of anything besides you
You've frozen me out
You have left me alone
I'm in the same place
Where you left me
You left me, baby
And it feels like you took a part of me with you
Oh, our ending
The end of our relationship
Lit a fuse in my heart
Started a reaction inside me
Devouring, devouring
Conquering my emotions
The night, the night
In the darkness
Chilled my bones with
Made me feel cold and scared
A seething quiet, shaking me
A deep, intense feeling of sadness that makes me physically shake
Tell me, tell me
I need to know
Since you went away
How have things changed
Does the space breathe?
Does the emptiness feel alive without me
Do you feel a change?
Are you affected by the fact that we're apart
Is this the way
Is this what you expected
You thought it would be?
When you left
Do you feel the same
Do you still have feelings for me
Without me, darling?
Or have you moved on
You have my arms
We are physically connected
You have my legs
We are one contented skin
We used to be happy together
We are one continued pain
But now we are both in pain
Oh, our meeting
The beginning our relationship
Devoured me, devoured me
I felt consumed by love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALEJANDRA ESTELA DEHEZA, BENJAMIN DAVID CURTIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
redfishradical
RIP Ben... I absolutely went crazy for this band from first listen. Intelligent, creative lyrics, hopelessly addictive melodies, dreamy vocals... For me as good as it gets. Sure wish the Deheza sisters were still putting out music!
RadioDonNowhere
radio doble nueve lima peru dixit!!!!
Rob G
What an amazing legacy he leaves behind. I will never stop loving his music and the effect it has had on my life. Rest in peace Mr Curtis.
Rich Underhill
the spirit of great music is still alive and well... lovely!
Cardboard Box
Sounds amazing! Sorry about his passing... This sounds like Cocteau Twins on MiniThins. I love it :) carry on, when the time is right.
Alex Pearl
Thank you for mentioning the Cocteau Twins! I thought she was Liz the first time I heard this song.
HdE's Totally Unoriginal Gaming Show
LOVE this band. And this song especially.
Shannon Fennessey
I saw these amazing individuals in concert.. what a treat for the eyes and ears. Two beautiful voices and a badass guitarist. I jam to this song a lot, makes me smile and move on with the day. Thanks for the good tunes! SoSB
Vanderley Vivas
Beautiful! Her voice reminds me sometimes of Ether Aura/ The Bluefowers.
Mad Hatters in jeans
i feel like i'm falling into the image :-) excellent song