1. The Call were a San… Read Full Bio ↴There are three bands with the name The Call.
1. The Call were a San Francisco Bay Area-based rock band originally formed in Santa Cruz in 1980 by vocalist/guitarist Michael Been, Scott Musick, and Tom Ferrier. Despite support from such luminaries as Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, and Jim Kerr, the band never achieved the success they deserved.
The eponymous premiere album was recorded in England, and Michael Been later recalled that the band was in an exploratory phase at this point. Been noted in a 1988 interview, "The Call was a compassionate album, but it probably came out as anger." Peter Gabriel liked the band so much that he asked them to open for him during his 1982 "Shock the Monkey" tour.
The next album, Modern Romans, was notable for its political content. Been later stated, "There was a great deal happening politically - Grenada, Lebanon, or the government saying the Russians are evil and the Russian government probably saying the same about us. That kind of thinking inspired me to write the last lines of 'Walls Came Down'."
This was followed by Scene Beyond Dreams. Been has referred to it as The Call's "metaphysical" album. With a strong poetic sense to the lyrics and a change in instrumentation, the change in sound is notable. Garth Hudson of The Band played keyboards on these first three records.
Reconciled was recorded during the summer of 1985. At this point, the band had not had a recording contract for two years, due to what Been describes as "legal bickering" between The Call's former record label and their management company. However, once the deal was signed with Elektra Records, the band resumed playing and produced their most commercially successful album to date. Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds's Jim Kerr, and Hudson and former Band mate Robbie Robertson all guested the album which was released in 1986. Several tracks from the album became hits on the Mainstream Rock Chart, and one of these tracks, "I Still Believe" was re-recorded by Tim Capello and appears on the soundtracks of the 1986 Movie The Whoopee Boys and the 1987 movie The Lost Boys.
Next came the band's 1987 release Into The Woods, which Been has referred to as his favorite album.
In 1989 they released Let the Day Begin, whose title track reached #1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart. Red Moon, which included background vocals by U2's Bono, was released in 1990.
During the next few years, Been branched out creatively. He participated in composing and performing the music to Paul Schrader's 1992 film Light Sleeper. The film also features two of his songs, To Feel This Way and World On Fire. In 1994, he recorded a solo album, On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough
In 1996, Warner Bros. Records. released The Best of The Call, which featured a selection of old favorites and few new songs. Two of the songs, Us and To Feel This Way, were different versions of tracks later to be seen on Been’s solo album, and in the case of "To Feel This Way", the "Light Sleeper" soundtrack as well.
In 1997 To Heaven and Back, was released by Fingerprint Records. This was followed by a live album, Live Under the Red Moon, in 2000.
The band is not currently touring. The band had a fan club called "Notified" and the information contained in their newsletters is in the file section of the Yahoo! groups list.
Al Gore used "Let The Day Begin" as his campaign song in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election and Tom Vilsack used it as his song during his brief 2008 U.S. Presidential Election campaign.
Michael Been has appeared as a sideman in bands fronted by actor Harry Dean Stanton; Stanton having played harmonica on "Let The Day Begin" track "For Love". He played the apostle John in Martin Scorsese's 1988 feature film The Last Temptation of Christ and has some film credits.
Been's son, Robert Levon Been, is the frontman for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Michael Been is heavily involved in BRMC, as their sound engineer, and can be found on tour with them.
Michael Been died on August 19th 2010 on a Belgian festival (Pukkelpop) during his work for BRMC.
2. The Call are a black metal band from France.
3. The Call are band from Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK
4. The Call was a Lo-fi project from Czech Republic, visit http://bandzone.cz/thecall
When
The Call Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the wisdom of his days
It whispers soft but constantly
You cannot live this way
For deceitful words are costly
And actions even worse
The abuse that has been suffered here
From childhood laid its course
How will I know you
What will you look like
When will the dream end
When will the sun arise
Where does the line form
Where does the wheel turn
How will I know you
When will we ever learn
We witness not a fallen world
But falling everyday
And nature joins our great descent
With quakes and Hurricanes
But I'll meet you on the stormy sea
And I'll hold the winds at bay
We'll pull the oars inside the boat
And gently drift away
How will I know you
What will you look like
When will the dream end
When will thee sun arise
Where does the line form
Where does the wheel turn
How will I know you
When will we ever learn
The past lies in slumber
The future, no claims
The present is ours
Cleaned by the rain
My pockets have emptied
But my heart overflows
Consumed in the fire of love's fearless power
How I long for your face in that great final hour
Once I spoke in riddles
But now I speak it plain
The tears of God are pouring down
In remembrance of that day
So let the children fly
And question all they see
They'll grow up wise and penetrate
The life that lives unseen
How will I know you
What will you look like
When does the dream end
When will the sun arise
Where does the line form
Where does the wheel turn
How will I know you
When will we ever learn.
The song When by The Call is a reflection on questions of identity, the search for truth, and the human experience of suffering. It begins by acknowledging the impact of deceit and abuse in shaping a person's character, leading to a desire for change and the pursuit of truth. The lyrics then reflect on the chaos and uncertainty of the world, contrasting it with the possibility of finding peace and connection with another person.
The repetition of the question "How will I know you?" speaks to the desire for authentic connection and the search for meaning in relationships. The verses contain vivid imagery of storms, oceans, and nature, as well as references to the tears of God and the cleansing power of rain. The song ends on a note of hope, with a call to embrace questioning and growth as a means of discovering the unknown and unseen aspects of life.
Overall, the song is a contemplative and introspective exploration of the human condition, with themes that are both universal and deeply personal.
Line by Line Meaning
The truth can change a man
The revelation of truth has the power to transform a person
In the wisdom of his days
As one gains experience throughout life, they develop wisdom
It whispers soft but constantly
The truth is often gentle in delivery, but consistently present
You cannot live this way
A life built on lies and deceit is not sustainable
For deceitful words are costly
The consequences of dishonesty can be severe
And actions even worse
Actions motivated by lies can have even greater consequences
The abuse that has been suffered here
Previous trauma and abuse have left a lasting impact
From childhood laid its course
Negative experiences from early life have influenced the path taken
How will I know you
What are the means by which I will recognize you?
What will you look like
How will you present yourself?
When will the dream end
At what point will this vision come to a conclusion?
When will the sun arise
When will a new day begin?
Where does the line form
Where do I go to be a part of what's happening?
Where does the wheel turn
What causes the cycle to continue?
We witness not a fallen world
The world is not inherently broken or lost
But falling every day
However, the world is in a constant state of decay
And nature joins our great descent
The natural world also experiences this decline
With quakes and hurricanes
Natural disasters are a reflection of this decay
But I'll meet you on the stormy sea
Despite the turmoil and destruction around us, we will face it together
And I'll hold the winds at bay
I will take action to protect us from the worst of the storm
We'll pull the oars inside the boat
We will work together to navigate our way through the chaos of life
And gently drift away
Eventually, we will find peace and a sense of calm
The past lies in slumber
The events of the past are behind us and cannot be changed
The future, no claims
The future is unknown and cannot be predicted
The present is ours
The present moment is what we have and must make the most of
Cleaned by the rain
The present has been washed clean by the passage of time
My pockets have emptied
I have given all that I have
But my heart overflows
But my heart is still full of love and compassion
Consumed in the fire of love's fearless power
Love has the ability to transform and inspire, even in the face of fear
How I long for your face in that great final hour
I desire to be with you until the end of time
Once I spoke in riddles
I used to be difficult to understand
But now I speak it plain
But now I am more direct and clear in my communication
The tears of God are pouring down
It seems as though God is mourning the state of the world
In remembrance of that day
As a reminder of what we have lost
So let the children fly
Let the next generation explore and learn from the world around them
And question all they see
Encourage children to ask questions about what they observe
They'll grow up wise and penetrate
By doing so, children will mature and develop a deeper understanding of the world
The life that lives unseen
Finding meaning and beauty in the often-overlooked aspects of life
When will we ever learn
Despite the cycle of mistakes and growth, humans still have a long way to go
Contributed by Mia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.