The band’s trademark fashion is the waistcoat, giving them an air of "frumpiness". When asked about the rumour that the band's name refers to a fire in an arcade, Win Butler replied: "It's not a rumour, it's based on a story that someone told me. It's not an actual event, but one that I took to be real. I would say that it's probably something that the kid made up, but at the time I believed him." Win Butler and his brother Will grew up in Texas.
Band formation
The Arcade Fire formed around the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. Joining together as recently as mid-2003, the current line-up solidified in late 2003/early 2004, when their first full-length album Funeral was recorded. Before this an eponymous EP (often referred to by fans as the Us Kids Know EP) had been sold at early shows. The EP was subsequently remastered and given a full release once the band started becoming more prominent. The Arcade Fire are known for their enthralling live performances, as well as its use of a large number of musical instruments. In addition to mainstays guitar, drums, and bass guitar, members play piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, keyboard, French horn, accordion, and harp. With several able musicians, the band take most of their instrumental diversity on tour and members switch instrumental duties throughout their shows. The number of instruments, along with a wide set of musical influences has provided a substantial number of resources on which to draw from during the recording process. The promise showed by the band in its live shows allowed it to land a record contract with Chapel Hill-based independent record label Merge Records.
Funeral
Their first full-length album, Funeral, debuted in September 2004 in the USA and in February 2005 in the UK, and was very highly acclaimed by critics. The title of the debut album was chosen because of the deaths of several relatives of band members during recording. These events created a sombre atmosphere which influenced songs such as "Une année sans lumière" ("A Year without Light"), "In the Backseat", and "Haïti", Chassagne's elegy to her lost homeland.
Without a major label backing, the success of the band and the album Funeral has been acclaimed as an Internet phenomenon. After a 9.7 rating from Pitchfork, Merge Records sold out their inventory of Funeral and it became the label's first album in the Billboard 200 chart. An early tip from David Bowie was also influential. The band booked small clubs for their 2004 tour but growing interest forced many venue changes, far beyond the band's expectations, and continued internationally into mid-2005 throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the SummerSonic Festival in Japan. Taking much of the summer of 2005 off, the band made four key festival appearances at the Coachella Music Festival, the Sasquatch Music Festival, the Lowlands Festival and Lollapalooza. Funeral made many top ten album lists for 2004. With the release of Funeral in 2005 in the UK, Japan and Australia, Arcade Fire made many top lists for 2005. The MTV2 2005 Review hosted by Zane Lowe named Funeral Album of the Year, and NME named Funeral Number 2 in their list of 2005's best albums and "Rebellion (Lies)" the best track. By November 2005, Funeral had gone gold in both Canada and the UK and sold in excess of half a million copies worldwide, a phenomenal number for an independent release with minimal television or radio exposure. It has also surpassed Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea as the biggest selling Merge Records album to date.
The Arcade Fire were featured on the April 4, 2005 cover of Time Magazine's Canadian edition, and hailed as a band who "helped put Canadian music on the world map". On May 1, 2005, the band performed to approximately 15,000 fans at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival; their performance is often viewed as the highlight of Coachella 2005. In May 2005, the band signed a short-term publishing contract with EMI for Funeral and in June, the band released a new single, "Cold Wind", on Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends, the second soundtrack album to the popular HBO series Six Feet Under. The BBC used the track "Wake Up" on an advertisement for their autumn 2005 season and they are now using the tracks "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" on adverts in January 2006. On September 9, 2005, the band appeared on the UK/US TV special Fashion Rocks, where David Bowie joined them for "Wake Up". This recording, as well as recordings by the collaboration of Bowie's "Life on Mars" and "Five Years", were made available on the iTunes Music Store in a virtual live EP. The same trip to New York City took them to the Late Show with David Letterman and a concert in Central Park. The Central Park Show had a surprise appearance by Bowie, and capped a great touring season for the band. On September 11, 2005, Arcade Fire appeared on the long running BBC music series Top of the Pops, performing "Rebellion (Lies)" - on what was one of the band's first mainstream UK television appearances. The band also performed to a TV audience in Paris for Canal +, and the show was later screened on UK television channel, Channel 4. The band has scored two Number One songs on MTV2(UK)NME CHART SHOW, with "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" and a three week run with "Wake Up". However this followed Rough Trade Records (the label who distributes Arcade Fire's music in the UK) deciding at the last minute not to release "Wake Up" on CD, and only on 7" vinyl.
The Arcade Fire's song "Wake Up" was played immediately before the Irish rock group U2 opened their concerts on their 2005 Vertigo Tour; the band would subsequently open three shows for that tour, and at the third show, they appeared onstage during U2's encore to join them in a cover of Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Their album Funeral and their single "Cold Wind" were respectively nominated for Grammys in the best Alternative Rock Album and Best Song Written for Television, Film, or Other Media categories (Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends). On April 2, 2006, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, they received the Juno Award for Songwriters Of The Year for three songs from Funeral: "Wake Up", "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)". The band was nominated for, but not awarded, three Brit Awards: Best International Group, Best International Album and Best International Breakthrough Act.
The Arcade Fire have also recently made two appearances on Later with Jools Holland, a live show on the BBC.
On December 27, 2005, Funeral was ranked #1 on MTV2's "50 Greatest Albums of the Year" in the United Kingdom.
The Arcade Fire then planned to begin recording a follow up to Funeral in the winter of 2005-2006, having bought an old church forty minutes from central Montreal which they converted into a studio.
Neon Bible
In mid-December 2006 www.neonbible.com went live containing nothing more than a phone number, 1-866-NEONBIBLE where people can listen to a new track called Intervention. Built in the style of customer support lines, the number has other features including a contest and a chance to talk to a live person at a specific time each week.
Then in January 2007, they finally announced that the new album Neon Bible would be released March 5th in UK, March 6th in US. The announcement was made with a video in the album's website, with guitarist Richard Reed Parry using a gramophone and a paper mask of Parry's own face, and sitting on Win Butler´s chair. After the announcement of the album´s release, the website was updated with a streaming version of "Black Mirror", new art and a few phone messages sounding like the band´s members.
So far, 3 singles have been released: Intervention, Keep the Car Running and No Cars Go.
The band headlined the Latitude Festival in 2007, playing all of the hits and joined by Owen on violins
On December 15, 2008, The Arcade Fire released Miroir-Noir, a concert movie that includes live footage from the 2006-07 tours shot by Vincent Moon.
Haïti
The Arcade Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wounded mother I'll never see
Ma famille set me free
Throw my ashes into the sea
Mes cousins jamais nés
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
Rien n'arrête nos esprits
In the forest we are hiding
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
In the river we will go
Tous les morts-nés forment une armée
Soon we will reclaim the earth
All the tears and all the bodies
Bring about our second birth
Haiti, never free
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Tes enfants sont partis
In those days their blood was still warm
The lyrics of "Haiti" by The Arcade Fire portray the singer's deep connection to his homeland, Haiti, which he has been separated from by distance and circumstance. He can never see his "wounded mother" again and must throw his ashes into the sea as a symbol of returning to his roots. The haunting presence of his "cousins jamais nés" (never-born cousins) who were affected by the repressive regime of Jean-Claude Duvalier, lingers on in his dreams. But their spirits cannot be broken. The song also sheds light on the historical struggles of Haiti, the only country to gain independence through a successful slave revolt. The unmarked graves in the forest, where flowers now grow, are a testament to the violence and bloodshed that has characterized Haitian history.
The chorus, "Haiti, never free," highlights the ongoing oppression and exploitation of the country by foreign powers, as well as its internal political instability. The lyrics "guns can't kill what soldiers can't see" suggests resilience and the power to survive against all odds. The bridge, with the lines "All the tears and all the bodies, Bring about our second birth," reflect a message of hope and renewal, despite the overwhelming tragedy and suffering that Haiti has endured.
Line by Line Meaning
Haiti, mon pays
This is a reference to the singer's homeland, Haiti
Wounded mother I'll never see
The singer is lamenting that they will never be able to see their injured mother again
Ma famille set me free
The singer's family has helped them become liberated
Throw my ashes into the sea
The artist wants their cremated remains to be scattered in the ocean
Mes cousins jamais nés
The artist references their unborn cousins
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
The Duvalier regime has been haunting the singer's family
Rien n'arrête nos espirits
The singer's spirits cannot be defeat
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see
The soldiers can only kill what they can physically see with their eyes
In the forest we are hiding
The artist and their comrades are hiding in the forest
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
The graves of those who have died in this conflict are unmarked but there are flowers growing on them
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
The singer can hear the soldiers yelling out of anger
In the river we will go
The artist and their group will go to the river
Tous les morts-nés forment une armée
All the stillborn babies are now an army fighting against their oppression
Soon we will reclaim the earth
The singer and their group will soon reclaim the earth
All the tears and all the bodies
The conflict has resulted in both emotional and physical pain
Bring about our second birth
This struggle for freedom will result in rebirth and a new era
Haiti, never free
Haiti has never truly experienced what it means to be free
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Do not be afraid to sound the alarm
Tes enfants sont partis
The singer's children have left
In those days their blood was still warm
At one time the artist's children were still alive and passionate
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: William Butler, Win Butler, Regine Chassagne, Tim Kingsbury, Richard R Parry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Cuenh
Haïti, mon pays
Wounded mother I'll never see
Ma famille set me free
Throw my ashes into the sea
Mes cousins jamais nés
Hantent les nuits de Duvalier
Rien n'arrête nos esprits
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see
In the forest we are hiding
Unmarked graves where flowers grow
Hear the soldiers angry yelling
In the river we will go
Tous les morts-nés forment une armée
Soon we will reclaim the earth
All the tears and all the bodies
Bring about our second birth
Haiti, never free
N'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme
Tes enfants sont partis
In those days their blood was still warm
@petermcginnity5572
This is my favourite.
Went to Dublin in 2022
They didnt play it.
Disgusted.
The whole show disappointed
No live, a shadow of themselves
Then Wins exposure that week
Hes not a bad man, but a sick man,
Consider his childhood
As he says in Unconditional
No ones perfect i say it again no ones perfect
@beepboopbleep3695
im going to fry a steak
with montreal seasoning
and think about some friends
they don't know me anymore
i miss them and ill miss you too
i want to dance still
maybe we're dying to dance or we were just dying out loud all the time
@deskfanman2544
as a haitian-canadian who often feels disconnected from their culture this song has helped me so much. wounded mother i’ll never see
@Nd05830
😶...🤗😇
@patrickdizon8585
This, personally, is my favorite Arcade Fire song. I'm not from Haiti, in fact, I'm a Filipino, but hearing this makes me so nostalgic of my hometown it hurts. I'm now working as a nurse in Germany and wished to be back in my country soon. Thank you Arcade Fire for all your masterpieces.
@sleepysappylovecat
Bn
@remka2000
The song is somehow about Duvalier. About where are the deads of his dictatorship. The Pinoy equivalent would be mm Superman is dead ?
@intentionalhyperbole
I have not made it to the Philippines yet, but I plan to go soon. I have been to Germany, however. I understand people in the Philippines are friendly, whereas the people in Germany are mostly...not. If I am right, I can see why you would miss your home. Perhaps next, you would give the American South a try? Friendly is our specialty.
@maximvandaele4825
Are you back yet?
@kburns2925
@@sleepysappylovecat eksmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmssmsmsmsmsmsssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmssmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsn
@JeffMoore1984
One of the best songs in the world
@missmg100
I was 8 when funeral came out. My dad read a snippet of a review on the monthly NME magazine he bought. So we drove to HMV the day he read said review in hopes to take a chance and buy a random cd off that review. It changed his life. Which in turn changed mine. Im 27 now. They've been my constant since that day when I was 8 and heard them for the first time on cd in my dads shitty car on the way home from HMV. I seen them live last year in glasgow and it was the greatest day of my life. And my dads too. I feel like im never gonna get a greater day ever. But i dont care. Arcade fire. You will never know what you did for me. Love marnie x