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)
The Tunnel
The Disco Biscuits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And stone to stone,
It's what I do
When I'm alone.
With all the time,
Such a place.
And now it seems,
Laugh and mock
They don't believe,
I smile only
As they leave
Know I feel
A bit confused.
Its like the dream
Where I can't move.
Alone at last,
The tide is low,
A greater pitch
In which to go.
The ocean swells,
I move away.
It follows me
As if to play.
Now I rest
In nature's own,
She holds me tight
And free from home.
In a different
World of mine,
There comes a voice
To tell the time.
Tell the time.
Tell the time.
Tell the time.
Does something else exist beyond the sky?
Will the angels walk or will they fly?
A familiar voice I haven't heard in years.
Tell me what to do in seven years.
And if its not my time can I come back?
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
A storm rolls in
But still I'm safe.
I find myself
Within a cave.
The lightning strikes
Like a spiderweb.
I catch my breath
On a concrete bed.
I can't remember
Certain things,
Like when and where
I got these wings.
The storm had passed
And the day was bright,
And each step
Seemed aflight.
Now I've met
My guardian,
My lease on life
Renewed again.
Peace has
Overwhelmed my soul,
And the toll collector
Takes its toll.
Can I have
A few more days,
To take in
Just a few more rays?
Live the life
That I'd always hoped.
And tend the plants
That I meant to grow.
Meant to grow.
Meant to grow.
Meant to grow.
Does something else exist beyond the sky?
Will the angels walk or will they fly?
A familiar voice I haven't heard in years.
Tell me what to do in seven years.
And if its not my time can I come back?
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
"The Tunnel" by The Disco Biscuits is a song loaded with imagery and metaphors that suggest a spiritual or transcendental journey of the singer. The lyrics seem to describe a solitary individual wandering from rock to rock, from stone to stone, while seeking enlightenment. The singer seems to be searching for something more profound, something he cannot seem to find himself, but he knows it's out there somewhere. He is navigating through life alone, but, as he attempts to find himself, he discovers a greater sense of himself.
As he progresses, he encounters various obstacles that try to discourage him. In one verse, his joy gets laughed at and ridiculed. Despite all the negativity, the singer manages to find solace in nature's embrace. He conceives a world in his mind where he finds comfort and embraces his spiritual nature deeply. There, he has a little conversation with a voice that appears to guide him through his seven-year journey.
The chorus describes the singer finding himself in the tunnel of light, a symbol for the thin line between life and death. The singer finds acceptance, peace, and renewal in that tunnel, and he is not moved to fight it. He has a newfound sense of purpose and meaning in his life, and he is willing to live his days to the fullest.
Overall, "The Tunnel" presents a transformational journey of a person seeking meaning in life. It is a song that explores self-discovery, human nature, and the quest for the ultimate truth in life.
Line by Line Meaning
From rock to rock
I move around aimlessly
And stone to stone,
Even to the extent of jumping from stone to stone
It's what I do
My way of passing the time
When I'm alone.
When I'm by myself
With all the time,
Having all the time that I need
Such a place.
Being in a place like this
And now it seems,
But now it seems like
Without a face.
Without having a clear identity or purpose
Laugh and mock
Others ridicule me
They don't believe,
They do not trust or have faith in me
I smile only
However, I still keep a smile on my face
As they leave
As they walk away
Know I feel
I feel
A bit confused.
A little unsure of myself
Its like the dream
It feels like a dream
Where I can't move.
The kind of dream where I am immobilized
Alone at last,
Finally in solitude
The tide is low,
The water level is low
A greater pitch
An increased sense of purpose
In which to go.
Which motivates me to move forward
The ocean swells,
The sea starts to rise
I move away.
I begin to move further from the shore
It follows me
The ocean keeps up with me
As if to play.
Almost as if it is teasing me
Now I rest
Finally, I can relax
In nature's own,
In the midst of natural surroundings
She holds me tight
I feel secure and protected
And free from home.
Away from the confinement of my own home
In a different
In a separate or alternate
World of mine,
In my own personal and unique world
There comes a voice
I suddenly hear a voice
To tell the time.
To inform me of the current time
Tell the time.
Continually reiterating to tell me the time
Tell the time.
Again, insisting to tell me the time
Does something else exist beyond the sky?
Is there something beyond what we know in the universe
Will the angels walk or will they fly?
How will angels traverse in the afterlife
A familiar voice I haven't heard in years.
A voice that I have not heard in a long time but is still recognizable
Tell me what to do in seven years.
Asking for guidance for the future
And if its not my time can I come back?
Asking if it is possible to return if it's not yet one's time
Found myself in the tunnel of light,
Experiencing a near-death moment and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel
And I didn't have the urge to fight.
Not wanting to resist or struggle against death
A storm rolls in
A storm arrives
But still I'm safe.
Despite the bad weather, I am still unharmed
I find myself
I realize that I am
Within a cave.
Inside a cave's walls
The lightning strikes
A bolt of lightning hits
Like a spiderweb.
The way the lightning moves resembles a spider's web
I catch my breath
I take a deep breath
On a concrete bed.
On a surface made of concrete
I can't remember
I cannot recall
Certain things,
Particular events or details
Like when and where
For example, specific times and places
I got these wings.
How I came to have wings
The storm had passed
The bad weather stopped
And the day was bright,
The sun was shining again
And each step
Every movement I make
Seemed aflight.
Appears to be full of grace or hovering in the air
Now I've met
Now I have encountered
My guardian,
The person or being who is looking out for me
My lease on life
My time to live
Renewed again.
Starts anew, like a fresh beginning
Peace has
I am now tranquil
Overwhelmed my soul,
My spirit is now filled with peace and calmness
And the toll collector
The keeper of the passage, like in the myth of crossing the River Styx
Takes its toll.
Asks for something in return, possibly as payment
Can I have
May I have
A few more days,
A little more time
To take in
To fully appreciate or enjoy
Just a few more rays?
Referring either to sunlight, or perhaps to something that brings inspiration or joy
Live the life
To live one's life
That I'd always hoped.
Living the kind of life I always dreamed of
And tend the plants
To care for and nurture plant life
That I meant to grow.
That I always intended to grow and cultivate
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERRALD K. GOLDSMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Snorkel Dawg
first comment from tunnel señor