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
The Cost
The Frames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of all this suffering
And what has been our loss
Has been it's gaining
So lay your burdens down
And stop your crying
We'll let it burn
And low have been the odds
Of our reuniting
And where now can we turn
When we've got nothing
We'll let it burn
Burn us down, burn us
We'll let it burn
Burn us down, burn us
And maybe it'll turn
Us around
The lyrics to The Frames' song The Cost are full of raw emotion and introspection, as the singer reflects on the role that love has played in his life. He acknowledges that while love has been the cause of all his suffering, it has also been the source of his greatest joys and gains. The conflicting nature of love is further emphasized by the lines "what has been our loss has been its gaining". This can be interpreted as a reminder that while we may lose something when we love, the overall gains and growth from that love are worth the cost.
The singer implores the listener to "lay your burdens down" and "stop your crying", suggesting that it's time to let go of the pain and struggles associated with love. He acknowledges that the odds of reuniting with a lost love may be low and that they may currently be in a place of having nothing. However, instead of wallowing in despair, he encourages the listener (and himself) to "let it burn", possibly meaning to let go of past wounds and allow the healing process to begin. The repetition of the line "burn us down, burn us" highlights the intensity of this sentiment.
The final lines, "and maybe it'll turn us around", leave the listener with a sense of hope and possibility. Despite the pain that love can cause, the possibility of turning things around through a renewed perspective and approach is not lost. The singer is acknowledging that the cost of love is high, but ultimately worth it for the growth and self-awareness it can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
Love has been the cause
Love has brought upon us the reason for our suffering
Of all this suffering
Our suffering has arisen due to love
And what has been our loss
Whatever we've lost in this process
Has been it's gaining
Has given love something in return
So lay your burdens down
Drop all that's holding you back
And stop your crying
And don't shed any tears
We'll let it burn
We'll let everything fall apart
Burn us down, burn us
And let it destroy us completely
And low have been the odds
The chances have been slim
Of our reuniting
Of us coming back together again
And where now can we turn
And we have nowhere else to go
When we've got nothing
Since we have nothing left
We'll let it burn
We'll let it all fade away
Burn us down, burn us
And let it consume us completely
We'll let it burn
We'll let go of everything
Burn us down, burn us
And let it free us from this sadness
And maybe it'll turn
And perhaps it will bring a change
Us around
In our lives and in our hearts
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLM MACCONIOMAIRE, GLEN HANSARD, GLEN JAMES HANSARD, JOSEPH DOYLE,, JOSEPH PHILLIP DOYLE, ROBERT BOCHNIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MagicMatt
Hopefully soon The Frames will do an album again. Glen went solo and is great. But The Frames are awesome
Bastián D.
me encanto este grupo, muy bueno :D
Senaatintori
Great song, awesome voice , love it !!!
Maria Diaz
Love has been the cause
Of all this suffering
And what has been our loss
Has been it's gaining
So lay your burdens down
And stop your crying
We'll let it burn
Burn us down, burn us
And low have been the odds
Of our reuniting
And where now can we turn
When we've got nothing
We'll let it burn
Burn us down, burn us
We'll let it burn
Burn us down, burn us
And maybe it'll turn
Us around
Gebbriel Futo Ahmad
See, these are actual lyrics. Not like the pop we're getting today. 'Ohh yeah ooh baby baby I want you back blah blah desperate blah blah...'
Yuki West
+Gebbriel Futo Ahmad Yeah, you're right
Madison Marie
Are they touring yet ugh ugh 🌛😓
shay dickerson
They did a few gigs in Ireland but its kinda just Glen now I miss the band
Thirdman
I think that always the same people thumb these songs up again and again.
Thirdman
I think that always the same people thumb these songs up.