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
Right Road
The Frames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No picture book stories to put inside my song
And the heroes you made me, they had no faces
No chisel jaw features to carve my own on
And there's a right road
And there's a wrong wrong road
For to question is believe
And I know you said you needed time
But I never thought you had the balls to leave
And there's a right road
And there's a wrong wrong road
I see your card come tumble down
And I know your future now
I see your card come tumble down
I watch the wheel go spinning round
I see your card come tumble down
And I know your future now
I watch the wheel go spinning round
And I watch your future going down
And there's a right road
And there's a wrong wrong road
I was a featureless face till you came along
Now I'm carved by your diamond, won by your song
And I feel that it's right
But I know that it's wrong
And all the love and care and respect
I had for you is long gone
Right road
Wrong road
Wrong road
In this song, The Frames are reflecting on their journey towards discovering their own identity, free from the expectations and pressures of the people who have influenced them. The lyrics suggest that the singer was given books and heroes by someone (likely a mentor or parental figure) that they thought would help them find their way, but ultimately these resources were useless because they didn't allow the singer to create their own story and carve their own identity. The chorus emphasizes the importance of choosing the right road versus the wrong road, which is likely a metaphor for making choices that are true to oneself versus compromising one's identity for the sake of others.
In the second verse, the singer seems to be speaking directly to the person who gave them the books and heroes, expressing disappointment that they didn't have the courage to stay and face the singer's questions and challenges. The repeated line "And there's a right road, and there's a wrong wrong road" takes on a new meaning here, as the singer realizes that they have the power to choose their own path and reject the influence of others. The bridge of the song is particularly haunting, with the repeated image of a card tumbling down and a wheel spinning, suggesting a loss of control and a foreboding sense of fate.
Line by Line Meaning
The books that you gave me, they had no pages
The advice you gave me was empty and had no substance.
No picture book stories to put inside my song
No inspirational stories that would help me make my own song.
And the heroes you made me, they had no faces
The heroes you presented me had no real character or backbone.
No chisel jaw features to carve my own on
They were not inspiring enough to help me make my own choices.
And there's a right road
There are good choices that will lead to the right path.
And there's a wrong wrong road
And there are bad choices that will lead to a terrible path.
So I dropped your book you held so high
I rejected the advice that was held in high regard.
For to question is believe
I realized that questioning things and thinking for myself is a form of faith.
And I know you said you needed time
You told me you needed time to think.
But I never thought you had the balls to leave
But I never expected you to leave me.
I see your card come tumble down
I see that your plans are failing.
And I know your future now
I have realized what your future holds.
I watch the wheel go spinning round
I observe the unpredictable nature of fate.
And I watch your future going down
I am witnessing your downfall.
I was a featureless face till you came along
I lacked direction and identity before I met you.
Now I'm carved by your diamond, won by your song
Now I am shaped by your influence and your art.
And I feel that it's right
I feel that what I am doing is correct.
But I know that it's wrong
I know that what I am doing is not necessarily the right choice.
And all the love and care and respect
All the positive feelings I had for you,
I had for you is long gone
Have now vanished.
Wrong road
Choosing the bad option will lead to disappointment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Julie Bizzarri
How lovely this song is. Seriously.
Wout Vl
What became of Noreen after she left the band?