The band were founded at the University of Dundee in 1994 by Lightbody, Mark McClelland, and Michael Morrison of Shrug. After briefly using the name Polarbear, releasing the EP Starfighter Pilot (1997) and losing Morrison as a member, the band became Snow Patrol in 1997 and added Quinn to its lineup. Their first two studio albums, Songs for Polarbears (1998) and When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up (2001), released by the independent record label Jeepster Records, were commercially unsuccessful. The band then signed to the major record label Polydor Records in 2002.
Connolly joined Snow Patrol in 2002, and after their major-label debut album, Final Straw, the following year, with "Run", the album's biggest hit, the band rose to national fame. The album was certified 5x platinum in the UK. Their next studio album, Eyes Open (2006), and its hit single, "Chasing Cars"—reported in 2019 to be the most-played song of the 21st century on UK radio—propelled the band to greater international fame. The album topped the UK Albums Chart and was the best-selling British album of the year. In 2008, Snow Patrol released their fifth studio album, A Hundred Million Suns; then, in 2009, they released their first compilation album, Up to Now; and, in 2011, their sixth studio album, Fallen Empires, was published. The band released their seventh album, Wildness, on 25 May 2018.
During the course of their career, Snow Patrol have won seven Meteor Ireland Music Awards and been nominated for six Brit Awards and one Grammy. Final Straw, Eyes Open, and A Hundred Million Suns have sold ten million copies worldwide, combined.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Patrol
Studio albums
Songs for Polarbears (1998)
When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up (2001)
Final Straw (2003)
Eyes Open (2006)
A Hundred Million Suns (2008)
Fallen Empires (2011)
Wildness (2018)
3. Gleaming Auction
Snow Patrol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time it rains
Put myself on the waiting list
And get it all cleared up
You're the one with the attitude
Don't try and make me out
To be the root of the evil and
Lay back and suffer now
We both earned our award
Lay back and suffer now
We've both our award
Buried deep in your tower ground I'm sure I never got
Past any clue of the whereabouts of all the things I lost
Just because you were right before doesn't mean you're right
To make up now would just vindicate every doubt I had
It's not as simple as how much you think you care
You would've never known when to take the hands
Broken glass aside my feelings stay the same
Covered head to toe with blood and feel inspired
The lyrics of Snow Patrol's song 3. Gleaming Auction convey a sense of frustration, conflict, and resignation. The singer seems to be addressing someone, possibly a lover or a friend, who has a tendency to blame him for their problems and have a negative attitude. The singer expresses his exhaustion at having to deal with this person's moods and temper every time it rains or something goes wrong. He talks about putting himself on a waiting list to get over his heart attacks, which could be a metaphor for the emotional pain caused by this person. He makes it clear that he doesn't want to be seen as the root of evil or as responsible for everything that has gone wrong, and suggests that they both need to suffer through this situation.
The second half of the song explores the idea of loss, regret, and the difficulties of communication. The singer seems to be talking about a past relationship or a situation where he had to give up something valuable. He talks about lost things that he can't find, and a tower where he was buried deep. He also touches on the idea that just because someone was right before doesn't mean they are right now, and that reconciling with someone might not be the best option if it will only invalidate past doubts. He ends the song on a note of ambiguity, where his feelings remain unchanged despite being covered in blood.
Overall, the song seems to be about the challenges of navigating relationships that are fraught with conflict, guilt, and the weight of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
I get tired of the heart attacks
I'm exhausted with the constant emotional turmoil that comes my way
Every time it rains
Whenever there's a problem, it only gets worse as time passes
Put myself on the waiting list
I'm ready to take proactive measures to fix things
And get it all cleared up
I want to resolve any issue and clean up the mess
You're the one with the attitude
You are the one with a negative approach or behavior
Don't try and make me out
Stop trying to pin the blame on me
To be the root of the evil and
Don't try to make me the cause of all problems
A whole lot other stuff
There are many other things to consider
Lay back and suffer now
Let's both take some time to deal with the pain
We both earned our award
We both faced the consequences of our actions
Buried deep in your tower ground I'm sure I never got
I'm positive that I never received some of the things I lost
Past any clue of the whereabouts of all the things I lost
I don't know where to find the things that are missing
Just because you were right before doesn't mean you're right
Being right in the past doesn't make you right in the present
To make up now would just vindicate every doubt I had
Reconciling now would only strengthen my reservations
It's not as simple as how much you think you care
Caring isn't the only factor in a problem
You would've never known when to take the hands
You didn't know when to extend a hand for help
Broken glass aside my feelings stay the same
Even though things are falling apart, my emotions remain unchanged
Covered head to toe with blood and feel inspired
Despite everything, I still find motivation and drive
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY LIGHTBODY, MARK PETE MCCLELLAND, JONATHAN GRAHAM QUINN, NATHAN CONNOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind