Their HQ is on the corner of Mott and Broome, on the edge of New York's Chinatown. Push through the graffiti-ed door, clamber up the rotten stairs, past the sweatshops, and you'll find the place. It's where the Bravery have spent the past two years planning operations, obsessively working up their wire-y garage-electronics, and occasionally venturing out into the city to play the results.
Their first gig was in the Stinger Club in Brooklyn in 2003. Twelve months later, their name was plastered all over the Lower East Side to celebrate a sold-out residency at Arlene's Grocery on Stanton. In that time, the Bravery -- singer/guitarist Sam Endicott, guitarist Michael Zakarin, bassist Mike H, keyboardist John Conway, and drummer Anthony Burulcich -- had honed their sound to a dark garage-electro and made sure everyone knew what they were all about.
"We're called the Bravery because that's the mindset I was in when I was writing the songs," explains Sam now. "Everyone in my age group wants to know what they're going to do with their lives. They all think that they're worth nothing and they're heading nowhere. People are drowning in these thoughts and I just got sick of it. I didn't want to be like that."
"The name is also connected with living in New York in this really weird time. People are constantly waiting for something bad to happen. I wrote these songs and formed this band to make sure I didn't get overcome by that sense of fear. That's what this band is about--standing tall and not being afraid."
Sam has no time for excuses. He grew up in Maryland, in the D.C. suburbs, and was heavily influenced by the area's intense post-punk scene. He'd go and see bands like Fugazi and Jawbox and be impressed by their DiY ethic. He quickly adopted it as his own philosophy and it's something that feeds directly into the Bravery. They do everything --they make the records, the artwork, the videos. Everything. They know what they want and how they want to do it.
"I don't really like mainstream music at all," admits Sam. "When I listen to the radio or watch MTV, 99% of it is like listening to an air-conditioner or a hair dryer. Sometimes, though, something comes along that jolts you. When I was growing up, it was bands like Nirvana and Jane's Addiction. Those bands elevate culture. I don't think there's any point in aiming for anything less."
One thing that sometimes puzzles people about the Bravery is why they sound electronic when all the bands they like are punk guitar bands. Sam doesn't know why they sound like they do. He just wanted to do something different. Of course, the circumstances in which they recorded their album (most of which was constructed in a Sam's bedroom with Radio Shack mikes and an old iMac) and the fact that Sam's best friend John Conway is totally obsessed with analog keyboards obviously helped shape their sound.
The Bravery are now signed to Loog in the U.K. and Island Def Jam in America. Their first release arrived in November, 2004 in the form of a brilliant three-track EP. The Bravery have since had success with their self titled debut album, released in 2005, and a top ten hit in the UK with their single 'Honest Mistake'.
In late 2006, the band played a limited number of small shows on the US East Coast and in South America to showcase new material from their upcoming 2nd album. Endicott describes the new album as a departure from the synth-heavy sound of their debut. The Sun and the Moon is currently scheduled for release May. In February, the band uploaded a medley of three new songs onto their official page, with minute long clips of three new tracks due to be included on the forthcoming album. Since then, their newest album 'The Sun and The Moon' has been climbing the charts, with the first single 'Time Won't Let Me Go' receiving praise from critics. its test
After the release of The Sun and The Moon, The Bravery has taken a leave of absence for the members to pursue their own individual projects. An excerpt from The Bravery's official website:
"To answer your many queries, the band has not “broken up,” nothing so dramatic as that. We just aren’t doing anything together and don’t have any plans to for the foreseeable future. There’s been no “falling out,” no bad blood, we all just have different interests now and are involved in our own projects." -Sam Endicott 4-25-14
Het Sunshiney Day
The Bravery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now take it from me
You think too hard, it makes you crazy
So come on sing songs with me, alright
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Lie in the sand
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Show me a smile
Girl, take my hand
And walk a while with me
Hey sunshiney day
Hey sunshiney day
Take a walk with me
Hey sunshiney day
Hey sunshiney day
Walk a while with me
On a sunshiney day
Some days were meant to be alone
And this day was meant to for a girl
There's no way you're staying home
Come on out and let me see those pretty curls
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Up on the roof now
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Take me by surprise
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Tell me the truth now
And fill my eyes with you
Hey sunshiney day
Hey sunshiney day
Fill my eyes with you
Hey sunshiney day
Hey sunshiney day
Fill my eyes with you
On a sunshiney day
The Bravery's song "Hey Sunshiney Day" is an upbeat and optimistic tune that encourages a person to enjoy life's simple pleasures. The song's lyrics focus on a person who is feeling a little down and stuck in their own thoughts. The lead singer suggests that the person is overthinking, which is making them feel crazy. He suggests that she abandons her worries and sings songs with him instead. The singer asks her to take his hand and join him for a walk on a sunshiney day. He notes that some days are meant for being alone, but not today. The day was created for joy and he doesn't want her to miss out.
The chorus is a repeated repetition of "Hey sunshiney day/ Take a walk with me/ Walk a while with me on a sunshiney day" The lead singer suggests that they go up to the roof and let him be surprised by her. He wants her to tell him the truth and fill his eyes with her beauty. The bridge of the song notes that "some days were meant to for a girl" and today is one of those days. The song ends on a harmonious note, with the chorus repeated again.
Line by Line Meaning
I know what your problem is, baby
I understand what's bothering you, my dear
Now take it from me
Trust me and listen to what I say
You think too hard, it makes you crazy
Overthinking is driving you insane
So come on sing songs with me, alright
Let's relax and sing together, okay?
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Instrumental
Lie in the sand
Let's lie down on the warm sand
Show me a smile
I want to see you happy and smiling
Girl, take my hand
Hold my hand, my dear
And walk a while with me
Let's take a leisurely stroll together
Hey sunshiney day
Hello beautiful sunny day
Take a walk with me
Let's enjoy this day by walking together
Some days were meant to be alone
Sometimes it's good to be by yourself
And this day was meant to for a girl
But today is meant for spending time with a lovely girl
There's no way you're staying home
You can't stay at home today
Come on out and let me see those pretty curls
Join me and show me your beautiful hair
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Instrumental
Up on the roof now
Let's go up on the roof
Take me by surprise
Surprise me with your energy and joy
Tell me the truth now
Be honest with me now
And fill my eyes with you
I want to see only you
Hey sunshiney day
Hello beautiful sunny day
Fill my eyes with you
Let me gaze upon your beauty
On a sunshiney day
On this lovely day in the sun
Contributed by Micah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Colin Stapleton
@Cosmic Traveler In Milton Waldman (so-called Letter 131), Tolkien makes mention of Sam being the "chief hero" of the story [1]:
"I think the simple 'rustic' love of Sam and his Rosie (nowhere elaborated) is absolutely essential to the study of his (the chief hero's) character, and to the theme of the relation of ordinary life (breathing, eating, working, begetting) and quests, sacrifice, causes, and the 'longing for Elves', and sheer beauty."
He also makes mention of Sam's heroic nature in a reply to a real-life Sam Gamgee (so-called Letter 184):
"It was very kind of you to write. You can imagine my astonishment, when I saw your signature! I can only say, for your comfort I hope, that the 'Sam Gamgee' of my story is a most heroic character, now widely beloved by many readers, even though his origins are rustic."
Elsewhere, in a letter to his son Christopher (so-called Letter 91), he begins:
"Here is a small consignment of 'The Ring': the last two chapters that have been written, and the end of the Fourth Book of that great Romance, in which you will see that, as is all too easy, I have got the hero into such a fix that not even an author will be able to extricate him without labour and difficulty. Lewis was moved almost to tears by the last chapter. All the same, I chiefly want to hear what you think, as for a long time now I have written with you most in mind."
The last two chapters of the "Fourth Book" refer to the end of The Two Towers [2]: in the last two chapters—"Shelob's Lair" and "The Choices of Master Samwise"—only two characters are present: Frodo and Sam. The latter chapter, aptly named, is told exclusively through the narrative of Sam.
Again i'd love to have a greater discussion on where you are getting your information but unless you are able to cite your "sources" from where i'm sitting you seem to be vastly misinformed and wrong.
Sean Moran
‘I don’t like anything here at all,’ said Frodo, ‘step or stone, breath or bone. Earth, air and water all seem accursed. But so our path is laid.’
‘Yes, that’s so,’ said Sam. ‘And we shouldn’t be here at all, if we’d known more about it before we started. But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually – their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on – and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same – like old Mr. Bilbo. But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into?’
‘I wonder,’ said Frodo. ‘But I don’t know. And that’s the way of a real tale. Take any one that you’re fond of. You may know, or guess, what kind of a tale it is, happy-ending or sad-ending, but the people in it don’t know. And you don’t want them to.’
‘No, sir, of course not. Beren now, he never thought he was going to get that Silmaril from the Iron Crown in Thangorodrim, and yet he did, and that was a worse place and a blacker danger than ours. But that’s a long tale, of course, and goes on past the happiness and into grief and beyond it – and the Silmaril went on and came to Eärendil. And why, sir, I never thought of that before! We’ve got – you’ve got some of the light of it in that star-glass that the Lady gave you! Why, to think of it, we’re in the same tale still! It’s going on. Don’t the great tales never end?’
‘No, they never end as tales,’ said Frodo. ‘But the people in them come, and go when their part’s ended. Our part will end later – or sooner.’
‘And then we can have some rest and some sleep,’ said Sam. He laughed grimly. ‘And I mean just that, Mr. Frodo. I mean plain ordinary rest, and sleep, and waking up to a morning’s work in the garden. I’m afraid that’s all I’m hoping for all the time. All the big important plans are not for my sort. Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We’re in one, of course; but I mean: put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. And people will say: “Let’s hear about Frodo and the Ring!” And they’ll say: “Yes, that’s one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn’t he, dad?” “Yes, my boy, the famousest of the hobbits, and that’s saying a lot.”’
‘It’s saying a lot too much,’ said Frodo, and he laughed, a long clear laugh from his heart. Such a sound had not been heard in those places since Sauron came to Middle-earth. To Sam suddenly it seemed as if all the stones were listening and the tall rocks leaning over them. But Frodo did not heed them; he laughed again. ‘Why, Sam,’ he said, ‘to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you’ve left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. “I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn’t they put in more of his talk, dad? That’s what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn’t have got far without Sam, would he, dad?”’
‘Now, Mr. Frodo,’ said Sam, ‘you shouldn’t make fun. I was serious.’
‘So was I,’ said Frodo, ‘and so I am. We’re going on a bit too fast. You and I, Sam, are still stuck in the worst places of the story, and it is all too likely that some will say at this point: “Shut the book now, dad; we don’t want to read any more.”’
‘Maybe,’ said Sam, ‘but I wouldn’t be one to say that.
Pucci Puu
It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo.
The ones that really mattered.
Full of darkness and danger they were,
and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end.
Because how could the end be happy.
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened.
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow.
Even darkness must pass.
A new day will come.
And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.
Those were the stories that stayed with you.
That meant something.
Even if you were too small to understand why.
But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand.
I know now.
Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t.
Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?
Sam : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.
Ben Townsend
My favorite part about this scene is that this heartfelt, inspiring speech isn't being delivered by a powerful demi-god, a king of men, or an immortal elf. Just a humble gardener, and a true friend.
James Wentworth
The Shire is a remarkable place, where gardeners are held in high esteem
Bernhard Wall
Sam's poem in Lothlorien about Gandalf's fireworks was no less heartfelt than the Elves' lament for Mithrandir. (In the book, it's Frodo who delivers a poem for him.)
Akshay Natu
@Alpha_OmegaEJP He was lonely for a long time as a Ranger, and as King of Gondor (a position he was totally unfit for as he had NO DESIRE to rule, nor any governing experience), he had to deal with all the tedious, exhausting political and economic bullshit that comes with ruling a vast kingdom for the rest of his life. Aragon definitely lived a tumultuous and exciting life, but it was usually not happy at all. It was either lonely or exhausting. Sam on the other hand lived a simple, uncomplicated, very happy family life after he got back to the Shire from Mordor.
The Wind
Yeah!
Michael
That’s it! I think the underlying message in the story. Cheers Ben for summing it up beautifully.
Katrina Beckmann
The importance of this speech is so sorely missed. Frodo just tried to KILL Sam. His best friend. Someone who’s time and time again shown he will lay his life down for Frodo. And instead of being angry, Sam understands. And he gives him hope. Something to hang onto. Even though Frodo felt too small to understand why. And because of this speech Frodo gets back up and keeps going And goes on to destroy the ring.
SirUncleJim
@Colin Stapleton He may be more heroic by common hero standards but Frodo was the true hero, and this is coming from someone who loves Sam. Frodo was constantly tempted by the ring for their entire journey. By no means is he a failed hero at all, rather a hero that was put through months of torment and temptation and still managed to get it there. Even though he did fail at the end. Sam was never really meant to be the central hero I think, he was instead a character that drove Frodo to the end. People really don't give Frodo the credit he deserves.
Jacob Patea
And this is probably why Gandalf was over the moon when Aragon had told him that Sam went with Frodo to continue the journey.
Minh Văn
Do u realize that
In The lord of the rings 1, when Frodo talks about Smeagol:
Frodo: "it's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him."
Gandalf:"...Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill..."
In The lord of the rings 3, when Frodo finally loses his mind and is about to put on the ring, Gollum rushes in to wrestle with him so that the ring is destroyed along with Gollum.
What a wise wizard?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!