The Frames have been together since 1990 and are a survivor of Dublin's prolific early 90's rock and roll scene. They have also been essential in the development of the current crop of emerging Irish rock bands, such as Turn. The Frames have toured with various other Irish artists, including Damien Rice and Bell X1. In December 2004, Hansard appeared on stage in a collaboration with singer songwriter Paddy Casey.
The name The Frames reportedly arose from Hansard's habit, at a young age, of fixing the bicycles of many of his friends. The large number of bicycle frames lying around his house led neighbours to dub it the "house with the frames".
Their new, 6th studio album, The Cost, is available in Ireland since 22 September 2006 and worldwide since 20 February 2007.
Lead singer Hansard recently collaborated with Czech musician Markéta Irglová, which led to the solo album "The Swell Season". Glen and Markéta also star and perform in the John Carney movie Once (www.oncethemovie.com). The movie received several awards including the World Cinema Audience Award - Dramatic at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival as well as an Oscar for best Song for the track "Falling Slowly".
On several occasions the members of The frames appear on stage during the Swell season gigs.
www.theframes.ie
Friends And Foe
The Frames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And staying close behind
And the arms that once held you
Have receded over time
And the little love I had
For all my friends and foe
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
In the early morning walking
And the pressure in the night
And the walls that held you with us
Have fallen out of sight
And the little love I had
For all my friends and foe
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
Taken hold
And the little love I had
For all the friends I know
And the little time we got to share was worth it
After all
Now we work it out in silence
And the subplot to the end
And it's falling out of favor
I've seen it where I am
And the little love I had
For all my friends and foe
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
Taken hold
And the little love I had
For all the friends I know
And the little time we got to share was worth it
After all
The Frames' "Friends and Foe" is about the way that relationships and connections can deteriorate over time. The first verse talks about feeling like you're barely hanging on to someone who used to be close to you. The arms that once held you are now far away, and there's a sense of listlessness and drifting. Despite this, there's still a feeling of love and connection with those who were once your friends and your enemies. Lines have been drawn between people, separating them, but those lines have taken hold and become permanent.
As the song goes on, it becomes more introspective, acknowledging the passage of time and the fact that relationships inevitably change. The singer walks in the early morning and feels pressure at night, suggesting a sense of anxiety and uncertainty. Walls that once kept people together have fallen apart, and there's a sense of loss and disconnection. But despite all of this, the little love that the singer had for their friends and foes is still there. The time that they shared, however brief, was worth it in the end.
In the final verse, the song acknowledges that sometimes relationships come to an end, and that this can happen silently, with a subplot that's falling out of favor. The singer has seen this happen where they are, suggesting that it's a universal experience. But even as relationships change and end, the little love that was once there remains, and the little time that was shared was still valuable.
Line by Line Meaning
Turning with the listless
Continuing on with the unenthusiastic crowd
And staying close behind
Following closely, not straying from the group
And the arms that once held you
The people who were once supportive have become distant
Have receded over time
They have gradually pulled away
And the little love I had
The small amount of affection I felt
For all my friends and foe
Toward all those I consider acquaintances, allies, and enemies
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
The divisions and boundaries we've created
Taken hold
Have become firmly established
In the early morning walking
Walking during the early hours of the day
And the pressure in the night
Feeling anxious during nighttime
And the walls that held you with us
The confinements that formerly united us
Have fallen out of sight
Have disappeared
And the little love I had
The small amount of affection I felt
For all my friends and foe
Toward all those I consider acquaintances, allies, and enemies
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
The divisions and boundaries we've created
Taken hold
Have become firmly established
And the little love I had
The small amount of affection I felt
For all the friends I know
Toward all the people I know
And the little time we got to share was worth it
The brief moments we spent together were valuable
After all
Despite everything
Now we work it out in silence
We resolve our issues without speaking
And the subplot to the end
The underlying story leading to the outcome
And it's falling out of favor
It's losing popularity
I've seen it where I am
I've witnessed it firsthand
And the little love I had
The small amount of affection I felt
For all my friends and foe
Toward all those I consider acquaintances, allies, and enemies
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
The divisions and boundaries we've created
Taken hold
Have become firmly established
And the little love I had
The small amount of affection I felt
For all the friends I know
Toward all the people I know
And the little time we got to share was worth it
The brief moments we spent together were valuable
After all
Despite everything
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLM MACCONIOMAIRE, DAVID ODLUM, DAVID JOHN HINGERTY, GLEN HANSARD, JOSEPH DOYLE,
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maria Diaz
Turning with the listless
And staying close behind
And the arms that once held you
Have receded
Over time
And the little love I had
For all my friends and foe
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
Taken hold
In the early morning walking
And the pressure in the night
And the walls that held you with us
Have fallen
Out of sight
And the little love I had
For all my friends and foe
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
Taken hold
And the little love I had
For all the friends I know
And the little time we got to share was worth it
After all
Now we work it out in silence
And the subplot to the end
And it's falling out of favour
I've seen it
Where I am
And the little love I had
For all my friends and foe
And the little lines we've drawn between us all have
Taken hold
And the little love I had
For all the friends I know
And the little time we got to share was worth it
After all
Nick Ellington
Subtle words dance like reeds in a field. We listen to this beauty at the edge of the tall straw like grass under an old oak. Lyrics find us on the warm wind and make home in us.
BrotherFried
Amazing Song!
Amy Lee
I love this song<3