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/
Step Into the Light
The Clientele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your white skin on my lips, it seems
That I must thread our fingers through
This night without an end
So let your eyes uncover mine
The fading heat, the broken lines
The summer in the shadows
And goodnight, my darling, goodnight
My heart's empty
The scenes that I'm playing go crazy before me
When I close my eyes
But won't you step into the light?
Won't you move out of the shadows?
Won't you step into the light?
I'm losing my mind
And I burned down right to my skin
To needled fingertips
The empty day, a breviary
That shivers into this, that shivers into this
A starry summer evening came
Our murmured love has closed the frame
On everybody walking outside
Underneath the stars
So let your eyes uncover mine
The fading heat, the broken lines
The summer in the shadows
Of your body next to mine
And goodnight, my darling, goodnight
My heart's empty
The scenes that I'm playing go crazy before me
When I close my eyes
But won't you step into the light?
Won't you move out of the shadows?
Won't you step into the light?
I'm losing my mind
The Clientele's song "Step into the Light" is a romantic and melancholic song that speaks of physical and emotional intimacy. The lyrics suggest a desire to make a tempest of our dreams and to thread fingers through the night without an end. The line "your white skin on my lips, it seems" connotes a lover's desire to taste and feel the skin of their partner. The phrase "let your eyes uncover mine" indicates a desire for emotional intimacy, where the fading heat and broken lines represent the emotional pain and struggles that the singer is going through. The summer in the shadows represents the happiness and light that the singer feels whenever he is with the person he loves.
The song's chorus "But won't you step into the light? Won't you move out of the shadows?" suggests that the singer is yearning for their partner to open up to them and be completely transparent about their emotions. The phrase "I'm losing my mind" further emphasizes this point. The last two stanzas reveal a scene where the couple is together, and everyone else is walking beneath the stars. The phrase "Our murmured love has closed the frame" implies that the couple is in their own world, enjoying each other's company while ignoring everything else.
Overall, "Step into the Light" is a beautiful and emotional song about the pain and beauty of love, and how the power of intimacy can overcome the struggles that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
To make a tempest of our dreams
To turn our hopes and aspirations into a fierce storm of emotions
Your white skin on my lips, it seems
I can feel the softness of your pale skin on my mouth
That I must thread our fingers through
That I need to hold your hand tightly
This night without an end
This endless, never-ending night
So let your eyes uncover mine
Let us connect and exchange glances
The fading heat, the broken lines
The disappearing passion and a relationship that is not what it used to be
The summer in the shadows
The warmth and affection that stays hidden in shadows
Of your body next to mine
When we are closely intertwined
And goodnight, my darling, goodnight
A sweet goodbye to my beloved
My heart's empty
I feel hollow inside without you
The scenes that I'm playing go crazy before me When I close my eyes
The memories keep haunting me even when I try to forget them
But won't you step into the light?
Please come out of hiding and reveal yourself to me
Won't you move out of the shadows?
Won't you come closer to me and share your feelings?
I'm losing my mind
I am going crazy without you
And I burned down right to my skin
I am consumed by the intensity of my emotions
To needled fingertips
To the tips of my fingers that ache to hold you
The empty day, a breviary
The void that I feel, like an empty prayer book
That shivers into this, that shivers into this
That reverberates and echoes within me
A starry summer evening came
The beautiful, starry night that we spent together
Our murmured love has closed the frame
Our whispered love has created a beautiful moment that we will cherish forever
On everybody walking outside
While the rest of the world passes by, oblivious to our love
Underneath the stars
Beneath the twinkling lights of the night sky
Contributed by Connor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Esther Sturdivant Gallieshaw
Why aren't they more well known? Because music of this caliber is too beautiful and deep to be categorized by mainstream music enthusiasts.
paulina rozas torres
I love clientele
Esther Sturdivant Gallieshaw
Beautiful. I'm hooked.
los3weyes
such an excelent song
Al Madrid
Where the eff have they been all my life...OMFG I'm so mesmerized by this band that I just recently discovered through my Cass McCombs station...love this and this band!
ROOF TOP CAT
I feel like I just bought the cd yesterday, and the comments are from a ways back, fav track from this set, crack a cold one and sail away for a while .
blau8lichtneu
30 Aug 2005
Lyrics
Step Into The Light
to make a tempest of our dreams
your white skin on my lips it seems
that i must thread our fingers through
this night without an end
so let your eyes uncover mine
the fading heat, the broken lines
the summer in the shadows of
your body next to mine
and goodnight, my darling, goodnight
my heart’s empty
the scenes that I’m playing
go crazy before me
when i close my eyes
but won’t you step into the light
won’t you move out of the shadows
won’t you step into the light
i’m losing my mind
and i burned down
right to my skin
to needled fingertips
the empty day
a breviary
that shivers into this
that shivers into this
a starry summer evening came
our murmured love has closed the frame
on everybody walking outside
underneath the stars
so let your eyes uncover mine
the fading heat, the broken lines
the summer in the shadows of
your body next to mine
and goodnight, my darling, goodnight
my heart’s empty
the scenes that I’m playing
go crazy before me
when i close my eyes
but won’t you step into the light
won’t you move out of the shadows
won’t you step into the light
i’m losing my mind
MrGood
My favorite from strange geometry:)
CAROLINA YORKE
me too.....