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

dial
School of Seven Bells Lyrics

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I dreamed my perspective was on a dial
Wired to spare me from my will
I saw my world so dimly lit I felt my heart fainting within
And I was relieved to find how freely

The cold and strange
Could set its hue
To the setting sun

To subdue the most immersive blue

And if I wake under a sky weighed down
By clouds of ashen gray
Let me will the dial to turn and gild the air
With silver pearls of rain

I dreamed my perspective was on a dial
Wired to spare me from this will

That saw my world so dimly lit I felt my heart fainting within
And I was relieved

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to School of Seven Bells' song "Dial" depict a dream in which the singer's perspective on life is controlled by a dial. This dial is wired to spare them from their own will, causing them to see the world in a dim and faint way. However, the singer also finds solace in the fact that the cold and strange can manipulate the dial to create a different perspective. They dream of being able to will the dial to turn, creating a gilded sky of silver rain, despite the clouds of ashen gray.

This song is ultimately about the power of perspective and how perspective can be manipulated or changed, whether by internal willpower or external circumstances. The dial serves as a metaphor for this idea, showing how our perspective can be dialed in and out of focus, and how it can be influenced by different factors. Additionally, the lyrics highlight the importance of finding relief and solace in changing one's perspective and seeing the beauty in the world, no matter how dim it may appear at first.

Line by Line Meaning

I dreamed my perspective was on a dial
In my dream, I saw that the way I see things is like a dial, something that can be adjusted.

Wired to spare me from my will
This dial is set up in a way that it protects me from my own desires and thoughts.

I saw my world so dimly lit I felt my heart fainting within
As I looked at my life, everything seemed dark and hopeless, making me feel like giving up.

And I was relieved to find how freely the cold and strange could set its hue
But I found some comfort in the fact that even the unfamiliar and cold aspects of life have the power to change and bring new perspectives.

To the setting sun, to subdue the most immersive blue
In fact, the sunset can make everything appear differently, even the most striking blue.

And if I wake under a sky weighed down by clouds of ashen gray
If I wake up feeling beaten down by the burdens of life.

Let me will the dial to turn and gild the air with silver pearls of rain
I hope to have the strength to make changes to my outlook, to see the beauty in the rain.

I dreamed my perspective was on a dial, wired to spare me from this will
Repeated from earlier, emphasizes the importance of having a figurative dial to protect us from our own negative thoughts.

That saw my world so dimly lit I felt my heart fainting within
Also repeated from earlier, describes the difficult, hopeless place that can be reached mentally.

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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