The Disco Biscuits are also well-known for their ability to run long sets together, sometimes even playing their songs backwards, in styles referred to as "inverted" and "dyslexic." An inverted version of a song occurs when the band starts a song by playing its ending segment, followed immediately by its beginning segment and a jam that segues out of that song and into another. A dyslexic song is played the same way as an inverted one, with its main difference being that the pieces of the song are not played consecutively (e.g. ending of 1 -> 2, 3, 4, beginning of 1 -> 5). Another technique employed by the band is a fakeout, which occurs when the band plays a jam that usually leads into one song, but segues into another unexpectedly.
Due to the separation of their segments, dyslexic songs can begin on one night's show and end the next night. The nature of their setlists is both a blessing and a curse; while the myriad variations on their songs are interesting to hardcore fans of the band, it can confuse people who are not already familiar with their catalog. This forces the listener to be immediately willing to immerse themselves in the Disco Biscuits' large catalog, which can prove to be a rather overwhelming task for novices to undertake. On the other hand, many are fascinated by the game of "what song are they going to play next", and are disappointed when their ears are attuned enough to know the answers in advance.
The band has 2 rock operas as part of their catalog: the Hot Air Balloon (written by guitarist Jon Gutwillig) and the Chemical Warfare Brigade (written by bassist Marc Brownstein).
On 11/5/04 The Disco Biscuits announced that drummer Sam Altman was leaving the band to attend medical school. The band had toured only sporadically from the end of the summer of 2003 until Sammy's official departure was confirmed. The band announced that Allen Aucoin would replace Altman as the full-time drummer on 12/12/05, ending months of speculation.
In 2007, the band co-headlined the D.U.M.B. (Disco-Umphrey's McGee-Biscuits) tour with Umphrey's McGee. Bandmembers from both Umphrey's and Bisco have further more found each other in the Brain Damaged Eggmen, a Pink Floyd and Beatles coverband
Discography
* Encephalous Crime (self-released, 1996)
* Uncivilized Area (1998)
* Bisco Lives (2000)
* They Missed the Perfume (2001)
* Señor Boombox (2002)
* TranceFusion Radio Broadcast Vol. 1-4 (2003)
* Wind at Four to Fly (2006)
* Rocket 3 (2007)
* Planet Anthem (2010)
Magellan
The Disco Biscuits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Miscellaneous
Magellan
The waves make mountains, I've sailed with ease,
As wind gathers firmly in my canopy.
We dive through the mist to the autumn sun,
My vessel and its crew of twenty one, and we fly.
Alas, my final mission to the great unknown.
As my thoughts betray me in flashes so bold,
I'm reminded of home where the coast shines like gold.
darkness, thunderstorm, a ship going down,
the crashing of rain and its deafening sound.
as the crew ties the sails blown aside by the wind,
crashing from the waves come tumbling in and we fly.
Rolling like a cobra, one life to spend,
drifting through the heavens where the oceans they end.
and there's no longer the sea no longer the sun,
my ship and the waves have all swirled into one.
And i'm off past the vision, the line of the light,
Where oceans turn waterfalls, daytime turns night.
And no people return, no stories to tell,
And i watched thru the door for the toll of the bell.
One with the raging wind,
Alive on the highest tides,
My ship at sail can climb a mountain,
Ride it to the sky.
Whoa... oh, he'll navigate!
Earlier up this morning, as I sit upon the bow,
In the distance, my homeland, but I just don't know how.
Years along the sea, and I thought I'd find the sun.
Once around the world, and now I think I'm done.
The Disco Biscuits's song "Magellan" tells the story of an experienced sailor who has sailed through difficult weather conditions and has conquered high waves with ease. The opening lines of the song suggest that the sailor has gained a lot of experience of sailing and is confident in his ability to navigate through the difficult waters. As the wind gathers in the canopy, the crew sets sail and sails towards the autumn sun. The sailor has a crew of twenty-one with him and he feels confident of their ability to tackle any challenge that comes their way.
As the song progresses, the sailor heads towards the great unknown with his last mission, and his thoughts betray him. He is reminded of his home where the coast shines like gold. Suddenly, the song takes a dark turn and the sailor finds himself in the midst of a thunderstorm with his ship going down. The crashing sound of the waves is deafening and the crew ties the sails blown aside by the wind. But despite the danger, the sailor and his crew continue to fly through the storm.
In the final section of the song, the sailor reflects on his experiences sailing and his journey around the world. He feels that he has found the answers he was looking for, and he has no desire to go back to his homeland. The song ends on a melancholic note as the sailor reflects on his life at sea and the journey he has undertaken.
Line by Line Meaning
The waves make mountains, I've sailed with ease,
Despite the challenging waves, I have managed to sail smoothly.
As wind gathers firmly in my canopy.
The wind is blowing strongly and filling up the sails of my ship.
We dive through the mist to the autumn sun,
We are heading towards the sun through a misty climate on this autumn day.
My vessel and its crew of twenty one, and we fly.
My ship and its 21 crewmembers seem to take flight as we sail through the waters.
Through burgundy smoke and a fear of home,
Amidst the smoke and uncertainty, I am afraid of returning home.
Alas, my final mission to the great unknown.
This will be my last voyage to uncharted territory.
As my thoughts betray me in flashes so bold,
My mind is flashing with bold and scary thoughts.
I'm reminded of home where the coast shines like gold.
I yearn for home, where the coast is beautiful and shines like gold.
Darkness, thunderstorm, a ship going down,
The ship is caught in a thunderstorm and sinking into the darkness of the sea.
The crashing of rain and its deafening sound.
The sound of the rain crashing down is so loud, it's almost deafening.
As the crew ties the sails blown aside by the wind,
The crew is working hard to tie down the sails that were blown aside by the wind.
Crashing from the waves come tumbling in and we fly.
The waves are tumbling towards us, but we continue to sail forward at a high speed.
Rolling like a cobra, one life to spend,
Like a cobra, I am living dangerously and am prepared to risk my life.
Drifting through the heavens where the oceans they end.
I am sailing through the skies where the oceans finally come to an end.
And there's no longer the sea no longer the sun,
I have gone so far that I can no longer see the ocean or the sun.
My ship and the waves have all swirled into one.
The ship and the waves have merged together into one entity.
And I'm off past the vision, the line of the light,
I have gone beyond my imagination and have passed the light at the end of the line.
Where oceans turn waterfalls, daytime turns night.
Where the oceans end, they turn into waterfalls, and the daytime turns into night.
And no people return, no stories to tell,
There is no one to return from where I am, and thus there are no stories to share.
And I watched thru the door for the toll of the bell.
I am waiting by the door for the sound of the bell to toll, signaling the end of my journey.
One with the raging wind,
I am one with the powerful wind that is guiding my ship.
Alive on the highest tides,
I am fully alive while riding the highest and strongest tides.
My ship at sail can climb a mountain, ride it to the sky.
My ship is capable of climbing a mountain and taking me to the sky.
Whoa... Oh, he'll navigate!
My navigational skills are being put to the test, but I am up for the challenge!
Earlier up this morning, as I sit upon the bow,
This morning, I sat at the front of the ship, reflecting on my journey.
In the distance, my homeland, but I just don't know how.
Even though my homeland is visible in the distance, I am unsure of how I will be able to reach it.
Years along the sea, and I thought I'd find the sun.
I have spent many years at sea, hoping to find what I was searching for.
Contributed by Mason J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ur4n1um
HUZZAH!!!! CAN'T STOP THE BISCUIT! Keep it up guys.
Jay Langdon
Epic night !!!
phreakerby thespeaker
Damn I miss live shows
Nick Scatchell
Great night