1. The Bees (… Read Full Bio ↴There have been several bands with the name The Bees.
1. The Bees (known as A Band of Bees in America, owing to a rights conflict over their name) are a UK band from the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England. Formed in 2000, the band members are Aaron 'Fletch' Fletcher (bass), Paul Butler (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Kris Birkin (guitar), Tim Parkin (trumpet), Michael Clevett (drums) and Warren Hampshire (keyboards). Known for harking back to the 60s and 70s, with cheery pop and trips into the psychedelic, The Bees record their albums in analog, notably recording their debut album in a garden shed.
To quote an Amazon review: "The best word to describe the music is bouncy -- the Bees call on snappy drums and cheery basslines and guitar riffs for their sound, as well as some deeply moving Hammond organ. To finish off the sound, they inject some harmonies that would make the Zombies wipe away a tear of pride."
Their influences cover soul, reggae, funk and Motown, with artists such as Curtis Mayfield, Burt Bacharach, Up the Junction era Manfred Mann, The Kinks and Small Faces.
In the USA The Bees are known as "A Band of Bees" to avoid confusion with two local bands of the same name (see below):
2. The Silver Seas, formerly the Bees, are a pop-rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed by producer-musician Jason Lehning and singer-songwriter Daniel Tashian. They played their first show as the Bees in 1999 and toured as an opening act for Guster in 2004 after the independent release of their debut album, Starry Gazey Pie. Their second indie release, High Society followed in May 2006.
On May 2, 2007, the Los Angeles-based label Cheap Lullaby announced that it had signed the Bees and intended to reissue High Society. Copyright issues involving the British band the Bees had already forced the Nashville group to add "U.S.," in parentheses, to the end of their name (even though the Bees of the UK are marketed as A Band of Bees stateside), so Cheap Lullaby encouraged Tashian and his bandmates to come up with a new moniker, hence the Silver Seas. The label reissued High Society under the band's new name on October 9, 2007.
Metromix gave the reissue of High Society a "Pick" rating and mentioned that the Silver Seas had a reputation as "one of the best unsigned bands in their hometown of Nashville," while Performing Songwriter magazine raved that the band had "made the catchiest album of the year." High Society was nominated at the seventh annual Independent Music Awards in 2008 for best pop-rock album of the year.
In July 2010, shortly after reissuing Starry Gazey Pie under their new name, the Silver Seas independently released their third album, Château Revenge! (in Europe it was released by the Lights Label via EMI, which also distributed the band's subsequent two releases. It was followed six months later by a "blue edition" featuring acoustic versions of Château's 12 songs. BBC Radio presenter Danny Baker called the Silver Seas "the best group in the world" in 2011.
3. The Bees was a San Gabriel Valley garage band that released one single in October of 1966, "Voices Green And Purple" backed with "Trip to New Orleans" as the B-side, on the Covina, California-based Liverpool Label. No other singles by this band were issued.
4. Quirky New Wave/Punk band from New York with three 7" releases on their own label Obey My Brain - 4 song EP (1978), "TV Mentality" (1979), "Already In Love" (1979).
5. The Bees were an R&B act that released a version of "My Ding-a-ling" in 1954 on the Imperial label, entitled "Toy Bell."
Got To Let Go
The Bees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cutting the grass before breakfast
Cleaning the park
I'm there til it's dark
But I'm saving up for a Lexus
I know it's fun
But I've got to leave
Just for a smile
To be there for a while
And the difference is true
I will miss you
That's the way it is
As if it was planned
I've got to let go
If I still want your hand
When I return
I'll buy you a grand
You can play the piano
In your own little band
Stuff what they say
Just thrust it away
It was all said too fast
We must build this to last
I have the blood
Of a family man
Answer to the question
Ask as long as you can
It's gonna take
A change for the world
Change color and shape
Meets every boy and girl
That's the way it is
As if it was planned
I've got to let go
If I still want your hand
The main theme of The Bees' song "Got To Let Go" is about leaving something behind for something better, and the choices we have to take. In the first verse, the singer seems to be working hard to save up money to buy a Lexus but realizes that he has to leave the job and his routine life to go over the sea with his family. While he'll miss what he's leaving behind, he has to go and makes a conscious decision to move forward.
The chorus addresses this decision head on, where the singer confirms that he's got to let go of the things he's leaving behind, even if he wants their hand. He acknowledges that regardless of the decisions he's making, there are repercussions to choices that are inevitable. In the second verse, the singer's talking to the individual he's leaving and shares his plans to buy her a grand piano when he returns from his voyage. He advises her to forget what others have said and reassure her that everything they've built will indeed last before transitioning to a series of questions about answering the call of a true family man and making the world "change color and shape."
"Got to Let Go" is a song about taking risks, seeking more but not forgetting what matters, and it resonates with those who have experienced life transformation. Its upbeat melody suggests that letting go is an exciting and positive experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a job back in Texas
I have found employment in Texas
Cutting the grass before breakfast
My job includes mowing lawns early in the morning
Cleaning the park
I'm also responsible for keeping the park clean
I'm there til it's dark
I work until late in the day
But I'm saving up for a Lexus
My ultimate goal is to save up for a luxurious Lexus car
I know it's fun
I realize that my current situation may seem enjoyable to some
But I've got to leave
However, I have to move on from this life
Over the sea with my family
I'm embarking on a journey across the ocean with my loved ones
Just for a smile
We're doing this to find happiness
To be there for a while
We want to spend time in a new place for some time
And the difference is true
It will be a significant change from our current life
I will miss you
I will miss those I'm leaving behind
That's the way it is
This is just the reality of the situation
As if it was planned
It feels like fate has brought me to this point
I've got to let go
I need to move forward and leave things behind
If I still want your hand
I realize that I must let go of certain things to still have your support
When I return
Once I come back
I'll buy you a grand
I plan to purchase something expensive for you
You can play the piano
It could be a piano
In your own little band
You can start your own band
Stuff what they say
I realize that I should ignore what others say
Just thrust it away
I should put aside negative opinions and stay positive
It was all said too fast
People sometimes speak without thinking things through
We must build this to last
It's important for us to build something that has longevity
I have the blood
I come from a family background that values family
Of a family man
I aspire to be a man who puts his family first
Answer to the question
I have the answer
Ask as long as you can
Keep asking questions until you fully understand
It's gonna take
It will require
A change for the world
A significant change in the world
Change color and shape
A change that's evident and visible to all
Meets every boy and girl
That can reach everyone, regardless of age or gender
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: AARON FLETCHER, MICHAEL JOHN CLEVITT, PAUL JAMES BUTLER, TIMOTHY DAVID PARKIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Borna Movafaghi
Leaving the lyrics here for myself
I've got a job back in Texas
Cutting the grass before breakfast
Cleaning the park
I'm there til it's dark
But I'm saving up for a Lexus
I know it's fun
But I've got to leave
Over the sea with my family
Just for a smile
To be there for a while
And the difference is true
I will miss you
That's the way it is
As if it was planned
I've got to let go
If I still want your hand
When I return
I'll buy you a grand
You can play the piano
In your own little band
Stuff what they say
Just thrust it away
It was all said too fast
We must build this to last
I have the blood
Of a family man
Answer to the question
Ask as long as you can
It's gonna take
A change for the world
Change color and shape
Meets every boy and girl
That's the way it is
As if it was planned
I've got to let go
If I still want your hand
Bernadette
Why wasnt this band huge. Most underrated band. I keep revisiting them over and over
Borna Movafaghi
Leaving the lyrics here for myself
I've got a job back in Texas
Cutting the grass before breakfast
Cleaning the park
I'm there til it's dark
But I'm saving up for a Lexus
I know it's fun
But I've got to leave
Over the sea with my family
Just for a smile
To be there for a while
And the difference is true
I will miss you
That's the way it is
As if it was planned
I've got to let go
If I still want your hand
When I return
I'll buy you a grand
You can play the piano
In your own little band
Stuff what they say
Just thrust it away
It was all said too fast
We must build this to last
I have the blood
Of a family man
Answer to the question
Ask as long as you can
It's gonna take
A change for the world
Change color and shape
Meets every boy and girl
That's the way it is
As if it was planned
I've got to let go
If I still want your hand
ApathyCollider
This is an amazing band. I can't believe how amazing. So amazing.
Tiago Seiler
Sat at a Nike store once for about 4 hours to wait for this song to play again on rotation so I could ID it with my phone...
Hindrance
That's commitment, bravo mate!
Psychedelic Casual
Why did you not ask one of the staff what it was?
Themonkeymartin
Psychedelic Casual
Maybe he's just a listening man
Victor Nickles
@Psychedelic Casual that's the attitude of a psychedelic casual as opposed to the attitude of a psychedelic veteran.
Sandy Wyper
The best opening lines of any song... Love it!
jasonald71
With the Beta Band the biggest shame they never got big enough to keep going. Massive talent with a unique sound.