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
Santa Maria
The Frames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sick of this ride
The world is heading ever southward
And I can't stay in here
And you're lying awake
Away on your side
The feeling comes in waves and burns us
From the slippery hands
To the line of your throat
The fever now consumes us both
In a fire now we will go
Santa Maria
Why did you have to go?
Santa Maria
One day we will know
In a bowing of heads and a passing of hands
And all we thought they'd understand
Is lost and they won't know
And what have we left
It's all that we've got
There is no 'X' to mark our spot
What's past is done and gone
Santa Maria
Why did you have to burn?
Santa Maria
One day you will learn
The Frames' song Santa Maria is a poignant and powerful ballad about a speaker's desire to escape the pain of the world and the fear of death. The opening lines express the singer's weariness with the state of the world, and their desire to "get off this boat" that seems to be heading towards darkness. The tone is resigned, but there is also a sense of desperation in the way the singer tries to explain why they feel this way. Their fear of death is also expressed in this stanza, as they say they "don't want to die."
The second stanza is directed towards someone, perhaps a lover, who is lying awake beside the singer. The imagery of "waves" and "burning" conveys the intensity of the emotions they are both feeling, and hints at the possibility of an impending disaster or tragedy. The line "from the slippery hands to the line of your throat" is a chilling image, suggesting violence or even a struggle for control. But despite the darkness, there is still a sense of hope or defiance in the lines "in a fire now we will go," suggesting a kind of blaze of glory or final stand.
Finally, the chorus is a haunting and mournful refrain, directed towards Santa Maria, perhaps a person or a place that has been lost or destroyed. The lines "why did you have to go," "why did you have to burn," and "one day we will know/learn" express a sense of loss and regret, but also hope for future understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me off of this boat
The singer is desperate to leave a situation that they feel trapped in and no longer want to be a part of.
I'm sick of this ride
The singer is tired and emotionally drained from the experience they're going through.
The world is heading ever southward
The larger world around the singer seems to be heading in a negative direction, and they may feel helpless to change it.
And I can't stay in here
The artist feels confined and limited by their current circumstances, and they need to break free to fully live.
And you're lying awake
The artist is addressing someone who is close to them and knows them well.
Away on your side
This person is physically present, but is disconnected and distant from the singer.
The feeling comes in waves and burns us
The singer and the person they're addressing are both dealing with intense emotions that are overwhelming and painful.
And I don't wanna die
The emotions the artist is dealing with are so intense that they feel like they're on the edge of a breaking point, but they don't want to lose themselves altogether.
From the slippery hands
The environment around the artist feels dangerous and precarious, and they feel like they can't fully trust the people around them.
To the line of your throat
The intensity of the emotions they're dealing with is manifesting physically in their bodies, with a sense of constriction and tightness.
The fever now consumes us both
The intense emotions that the singer and the person they're addressing are both feeling have taken over and are overpowering and all-encompassing.
In a fire now we will go
The intense emotions that the artist and the person they're addressing are feeling will ultimately lead to some sort of destructive outcome, with a sense of inevitability.
Santa Maria
The singer addresses the subject of the song, asking why things had to end up this way.
Why did you have to go?
The singer is expressing a sense of loss and asking what caused the events leading up to this point.
One day we will know
The singer expresses a sense of hope in finding an answer or understanding the situation in the future.
In a bowing of heads and a passing of hands
The artist seems to be describing some sort of funeral or somber ceremony where people are coming together to mourn and remember.
And all we thought they'd understand
Despite the efforts of the people gathered, there remains a sense of misunderstanding or an inability to fully comprehend what happened.
Is lost and they won't know
The singer implies that the gravity and significance of what happened will be lost on future generations.
And what have we left
The singer is reflecting on the aftermath of the event, and what has been left behind after everything has changed.
It's all that we've got
Despite the loss and change that has occurred, what remains is what the artist and the people they're addressing can cling onto for hope and solace.
There is no 'X' to mark our spot
The artist is describing a sense of disorientation or loss of direction, emphasizing the unknown and uncertain future ahead.
What's past is done and gone
The artist is accepting and acknowledging that they cannot change the past, and must move forward from it instead.
Santa Maria
The singer once again addresses the subject of the song, this time asking why things had to end so destructively.
Why did you have to burn?
The artist is expressing a sense of loss and confusion around the destructive events that occurred.
One day you will learn
Despite the destruction that has occurred, the singer hopes that there will be a lesson or understanding to be found in the future.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Odin
2019 anyone? This song hits right in the feels for some reason but I hope everyone here has a nice journey of life and gets through whatever they are going through
James Laugtug
Damn. So intense. Not nearly people know who this band is!
Akshit
Why is that..their stuff is really good
Addictivemeh
I just keep coming back to this. Such an amazing song, thanks for uploading this.
jarlathsometimes
This for me, is their best album.Love this song,cheers for uploading!
Chris Connelly
One of the most powerful songs ever. Crank it up!
teamtuttle
God I love how that builds
themoley91
So this is about Egon Schiele dying of the Spanish flu and I keep thinking of it now for obvious reasons. If these 30th anniversary gigs end up happening later this year they better give some epic performances of this song.
My name is August West
Now thats a crescendo! This song speaks volumes especially nowadays. Come Lord Yeshua!
Neon C4
it reminds me so much of teenage love memories