MacLean and Hornsey began collaborating musically while still in school, after MacLean saw that Hornsey had written the name of the band Felt on his pencil case. The band formed in 1991, with the current lineup along with Innes Phillips, who shared singing and songwriting duties with MacLean. The band recorded an album's worth of material but failed to get any label interest. Innes left the band (and would go on to found The Relict); the rest of the group re-formed in 1997, and they released a number of singles that were eventually collected on Suburban Light (2000). The Violet Hour (2003) was their first album proper, which again saw great acclaim, but, as yet, little commercial success. August 2005 saw the release of their second full album, Strange Geometry. Draisey joined the band in 2006 just in time for band's second tour of the States.
The band is more successful in America, where they are signed to Merge Records, home of bands such as Lambchop and Spoon, than in their native Britain.
Their music is noted for its reverb-rich production and MacLean's distinctive breathy vocals and jangly guitar playing. Their lyrics take a strong inspiration from surrealist literature and art from the early 20th century. "We Could Walk Together" quotes a line ("like a silver ring thrown into the flood of my heart") from a 1928 poem by French surrealist Joe Bousquet; the song "What Goes Up" quotes the poem "Stupidity Street" by Ralph Hodgson in its entirety.
The song "I Can't Seem To Make You Mine" from their album "Strange Geometry" is used in the movie "The Lake House" (2006).
Their album 'God Save The Clientele' was released on May 8th 2007. 'Bonfires on the Heath' followed in 2009, and 'Minotaur' in 2010. Their last one, 'Music For The Age Of Miracles' was released on september 22th.
http://www.theclientele.co.uk/
Spirit
The Clientele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's like I'm blown in by something I don't understand
Hey, it's been really nice, we went for a drink, we went for a drive
Faced out one million hopeless nights
I've got the spirit
I've got the spirit
It won't last
Behind the esso balloon, I laughed so much I split in two
Now I've got so much fear inside me, nothing's true
Now I've got so much fear inside me, nothing's true
Now I've got so much fear inside me, nothing's true
I've got the spirit
I've got the spirit
It won't last
Interpretation:
The Clientele's song "Spirit" expresses the idea of feeling lost and confused in life. The opening line "I've been hanging around, feeling up, feeling down" suggests a sense of aimlessness and inconsistency in the singer's emotional state. This is compounded by the next line, where the singer states that they feel blown in by something they don't understand. This could refer to the arbitrary nature of events that have occurred in their life, leaving them feeling like they're just going through the motions.
The second verse provides further insight into the singer's state of mind, with the fragmented thought pattern "Now I've got so much fear inside me, nothing's true" repeated three times. This repetition could be interpreted as a kind of mantra, emphasizing the singer's all-consuming fear and anxiety. The final line, "I've got the spirit, it won't last" could be seen as a warning that the singer's current state of mind is not sustainable.
Overall, "Spirit" is a song that speaks to the human experience of feeling lost and confused. The song suggests that even though we may feel as though we've lost our way, it's important to remember that these feelings won't last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been hanging around, feeling up, feeling down
I've been spending my time aimlessly, going through highs and lows without any particular direction.
It's like I'm blown in by something I don't understand
I feel like I'm caught in a whirlwind of emotions and experiences that I cannot comprehend.
Hey, it's been really nice, we went for a drink, we went for a drive
We had a good time together, socializing and exploring the world around us.
Faced out one million hopeless nights
I've struggled through countless nights where I felt lost and hopeless.
I've got the spirit
I feel a sense of energy and motivation within me.
It won't last
But I know that this feeling won't stay with me forever.
Behind the esso balloon, I laughed so much I split in two
I had a moment of pure joy and happiness, feeling like I was bursting with laughter.
Now I've got so much fear inside me, nothing's true
But now I'm consumed by fear, and I feel like nothing is certain or real anymore.
Now I've got so much fear inside me, nothing's true
The fear is overwhelming, and I feel like everything I once believed in has been shattered.
Now I've got so much fear inside me, nothing's true
This fear is all-consuming, leaving me with no sense of truth or stability.
Contributed by Elizabeth H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.