1) Formed in 1994, The Gift was initially a side project of the Dead Souls,… Read Full Bio ↴1) Formed in 1994, The Gift was initially a side project of the Dead Souls, Nuno Gonçalves and Miguel Ribeiro’s band at the time. The evolution from one project to another was natural, as they felt the Dead Souls sound was limited by their instrumentation (guitar, drums and bass)and they wanted to experiment with new sounds and explore new musical paths.
In September 1994, Sónia Tavares, Nuno and John Gonçalves, Miguel Ribeiro and Ricardo Braga enrolled in the Bar Ben Music Competition in Alcobaça and took second place in the competition, to everyone's great surprise, given the band’s short time in existence.
The band performed its first show at the Alcobaça Monastery in July 1995. This was followed by the Belém Cultural Centre (Lisbon) in September 1996 and the Labirintho Bar (Porto) in November 1996.
The Gift masterminded their first record, with the intention of using it as a demo for the media and labels. From this effort, “Digital Atmosphere” was born, a six track enhanced CD featuring interviews and videos, recorded at home but not available in stores. In 1997 the band went on the road, playing at over 30 theatres (many of which sold out) and released video at the end of the tour at Belém Cultural Centre and the Alcobaça Cine-Teatro shows.
Soon after the Digital Atmosphere Tour finished, Ricardo Braga left the band and The Gift was now a four member group once again. In 1998, they established themselves as an independent band forming g their own label, La Folie with the visionary goal of releasing a next record as independents.

Sónia Tavares, The Gift - photo by João Loureiro
In November 1998, the band’s first true record “Vinyl” is released. "Vinyl" combined the potentials of new technologies (samples and synthesizer) with classical instruments (violins, cellos, trumpets, saxophones etc.). “Vinyl” , which was fully funded by The Gift themselves, was named Album of the Year by the Diário de Notícias newspaper a first for a Portuguese independent band and began courting the attention of the labels that previously ignored The Gift’s work. In spite of this, the band chose to stay independent, opting to to use distribution contracts.
From November 1998 through 1999, The band performs over 80 shows, including the biggest Summer Festivals, sells out the most important venues in Lisbon and Porto, wins several awards with the first hit single “Ok! Do You Want Something Simple?” and sells over 35,000 records.
At the end of that year The Gift performs for the first time abroad, in Paris (at La Cigalle) and a few months later participates in the prestigious music fair MIDEM 2000 (in Cannes), taking the first step towards the band’s career outside Portugal.
In early 2000, the band closes the “Vinyl” era, simultaneously releasing the photo book “A Single Diary” (by Ana Pereira) and the video “Single Hand Camera Documentary” (by Gonçalo Covacich), two artistic visions and documentary pieces on the Vinyl Tour. Once again, all the, costs incurred were covered by the band establishing The Gift once and for all as a solid DIY band.
The steps taken abroad continued to gain momentum in June 2000 with the band’s first mini-tour outside Portugal, including dates in Germany (Expo 2000 – Hanover), Macau and again, France (Paris).
At the end of the year The Gift take a break from touring and start writing songs for the next album, some of which are introduced later in 2001 at the Eurosonic Festival in the Netherlands, representing Portugal .
Howie B produces “Film”, The Gift’s second album released again through theirown label, La Folie Records. The band shows its “Film” throughout the country, playing at the Paredes de Coura Festival, the optimushype@meco Festival (sharing the stage with Howie B and Matthew Herbert), at the Interactive TV’s launch in Portugal, live for Sic Radical channel, and radio Antena 3.
“Film” goes Gold at 25,000 units and The Gift win several more awards for its videos (“Waterskin” and “Question of Love” – the album’s first two singles). At the end of 2001, the band was once more invited by Cap Magellan to promote “Film” in Paris.
In March 2002, The Gift flies to the United States to enter the South by Southwest Music & Media Conference in Austin, Texas; in June returned to Paris to perform at the Hôtel de Ville Square; in August Popkomm and Musikfest Am-Ring festivals in Germany; Spain followed in September with shows in Barcelona; in October the band was back in the USA for a short tour in a few north-American cities New York); and in November its first concert in Madrid, Spain, took place.
Of the few performances in Portugal, the Manchester Mad Remixers (which featured The Gift together with Rodrigo Leão and Pedro Oliveira) concerts are a highlight (first at the nightclub Lux, and later at the Frágil and the Clinic bars). This was a project specially created for the "24 Hour Party People" film's premiere.
The band performs in numerous places, Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Bilbao, Vigo, New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston, San Diego, London, Caracas, Dunkirk, amongst many other cities.
The Gift was invited to open for The Flaming Lips and Cousteau, and at the end of the year, in December 2003, get an invitation to perform for the recently launched Portuguese MTV, recording one of the first MTV Live shows in the history of MTV Portugal.
In 2004, The Gift celebrated its first 10 years in music and returned to album releases. By the end of the recording sessions, The Gift was faced with a double album, where two distinctive but complementary environments surfaced (one more intimate and introspective, the other more euphoric) and in which duality was the key word. The new relese, the first in three years, is entitled “AM-FM”.
“AM-FM” was released in November 2004 with great expectation from the group's fans, who rapidly sold out the presentation concerts in Alcobaça, Lisbon and Porto (a few days after the band's shows in London, New York and Los Angeles. A week after the retail release, “AM-FM” goes Silver and not long after Gold, selling more than 25, 000 copies.
In 2005 they won the MTV Europe Award for Best Portuguese Act.
The album Fácil de Entender, their first live album was released in 2006. Sells over 25,000 units.
The Gift acted with great success on the Expo 2008 Zaragoza, the day of Portugal at the exhibition.
In 2008 and 2009, The Gift's Sonia Tavares and Nuno Goncalves along with fellow musicians, Paulo Praça [Plaza]and Fernando Ribeiro record and tour with their side project Hoje’s: Amalia Hoje. Amalia Hoje garners triple platinum status selling over 85,000 units and is the Portuguese runaway Album of the Year.
2010 The Gift returns to record Their 5th Album explode and invite Ken Nelson [Coldplay, Gomez, Kings of Convenience, Badly Drawn Boy to produce the Album. The Gift spends three months in Madrid recording

2011 is the year of Explode. Explode is released in Portugal on 1 April and immediately goes to number one in the charts where it holds top ten for over 10 weeks.

Explode is scheduled to be released in North America on 27 September 2011

www.gift.pt

2) THE GIFT are a Symphonic Prog band from, London, formed after Mike Morton (vocals, 6/12 string acoustic guitar, piano and string arrangements) and Leroy James (lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals, samples, effects and programming, piano and string arrangements) came up with the idea of creating a band and making a concept album at the same time.

The concept was devised by Mike Morton and was initially meant to be just one piece.
They brought in other musicians to help with the recording, viz. Jim Thomas (bass), Rod Haverhill (keyboards) and David Storey (drums) and THE GIFT was born.

The band made some initial demos and pressed on with the idea. They sent the demos out to various places and general opinion was positive. So positive in fact, that the Cyclops label (responsible for bands such as Mostly Autumn, Pineapple Thief, Saens and Tr3nity) gave them a deal.

THE GIFT had the desire and conviction to record the album itself. The idea initially was to record one multi-themed piece (a suite called Awake and Dreaming), about “savagery and war and the final triumph of piece” (as their MySpace biography notes), but Cyclops felt it need to be longer and asked them to record a slightly extended finish. This ended up as another suite (of 30 minutes in length), called Fountains of Ash about “domestic violence, again seeking solace in the human spirit” (from their MySpace bio).

Their sound is quite varied, but takes on a definite symphonic rock air to it. They have hard rocking sections, pastoral songs, and “complex time signatures, wild key changes and ambitious concepts.”

Their progressive rock influences include Pink Floyd, Genesis (Gabriel era), Yes, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, Rush and Dream Theater. They also take influence from non-prog bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, The Who, Beatles, Massive Attack, U2, Sex Pistols and Prince.

Their debut album (a double CD) Awake and Dreaming, was released on October 9, 2006, by Cyclops.

3) The Gift is a funeral grunge band from Washington, DC featuring members of Turboslut, Exosus and Tradition Dies Here. Their debut LP "Mostly in Sickness" is out now on Amor y Lucha Records, www.amorylucha.org. Free tracks can be downloaded and streamed at their website, www.thegift.bandcamp.com.

Me Myself and I
The Gift Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I tried to kill those ghosts inside of me
That voice you spoke is yelling in my ears
And I don't believe in love fools...
I'd like to have those eyes you want to kiss

Wishing something
I wish I had that voice you want to hear
I believe in

And I don't believe in love fools
Do you feel something
This feeling is so hard that I can't breathe
Wishing something
I wish you'd touch my hair when I'm asleep

And I don't know
And I don't believe in love fools
I'm tired of this
The words you wrote are putting me away
I'm tired of that
I know that love was for somebody else
And I don't know... me, myself and I

You and I know
You and I try
You and I ran
Leaving old stories far behind

And it feels good
And it's so warm
Having those eyes
Playing with me, myself and I...

I tried to kill those ghosts inside of me
The voice you spoke is yelling in my ears
And I don't know
And I don't believe in love fools...
I'd like to have those eyes you want to kiss

Wishing something
I wish I had that voice you want to hear
I believe in...
And I don't believe in love fools
I believe in me... me myself and I... me, myself and I

You and I know
You and I try
You and I run
Leaving old stories far behind

And it feels good
And it's so warm
Having those eyes
Playing with me, myself and I...

I'm tired of this... I'm tired of that...

You and I know
You and I try
You and I ran
Leaving old stories far behind

And it feels good
And it's so warm

Having those eyes
Playing with me, myself and I...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Me Myself and I" by The Gift explore themes of self-reflection, inner struggles, and the rejection of societal expectations regarding love. The song delves into the singer's attempts to confront and overcome their personal demons, represented metaphorically as "ghosts inside" them. The voice the singer refers to is likely their own inner critic, constantly berating and tormenting them.

The line "And I don't believe in love fools" suggests a disillusionment with the idea of love and perhaps a weariness of being deceived or hurt by others. The singer expresses a desire to possess the same eyes that someone else desires to kiss, implying a longing for acceptance and validation from another person. This longing amplifies the feeling of emptiness and loneliness that the singer experiences.

The singer reveals a wish to have a voice that the other person wants to hear, highlighting their longing for a deeper connection and understanding with someone. However, despite this longing, the singer emphasizes that they do not believe in the concept of love fools, potentially indicating a guardedness and skepticism towards romantic relationships.

The repetition of "wishing something" serves to underscore the singer's yearning, while the admission of feeling overwhelmed and unable to breathe suggests the intensity of their emotions. The desire for the person to touch their hair while they sleep reflects a need for care, comfort, and intimacy.

The singer admits to being tired of the situation, expressing frustration with the words the other person has written, which push them away. They recognize that love was intended for someone else, further highlighting their feelings of exclusion and unrequited love. The phrase "me, myself and I" signifies a focus on self and a realization that they must rely on their own strength and sense of self-worth.

The chorus emphasizes the shared experiences of the singer and the other person, indicating that they have both strived, tried, and ran away from past experiences and their associated emotional baggage. The sense of warmth and comfort that the singer feels in the presence of the other person's eyes demonstrates the power of connection and their desire for acceptance, even if it is only with themselves.

Overall, "Me Myself and I" explores the internal struggles, desires for connection, and rejection of societal expectations surrounding love. The lyrics delve into personal growth, self-acceptance, and the journey towards finding validation and happiness within oneself.

Line by Line Meaning

I tried to kill those ghosts inside of me
I attempted to get rid of the haunting memories and emotions that are tormenting me

That voice you spoke is yelling in my ears
The words you said are constantly echoing in my mind

And I don't believe in love fools...
I don't trust those who claim to be in love foolishly or without reason

I'd like to have those eyes you want to kiss
I desire to possess the captivating gaze that you long to embrace

Wishing something
Yearning for a certain desire or outcome

I wish I had that voice you want to hear
I long to possess the compelling tone that you desire to listen to

I believe in
I have faith in something

And I don't believe in love fools
However, I categorically do not trust those who claim to be in love foolishly

Do you feel something
Are you experiencing any emotions or sensations

This feeling is so hard that I can't breathe
This emotion is so intense that it is suffocating me

I wish you'd touch my hair when I'm asleep
I desire for you to tenderly caress my hair while I am in the state of slumber

And I don't know
However, I am uncertain

I'm tired of this
I am exhausted from this situation or feeling

The words you wrote are putting me away
The messages you conveyed are distancing me emotionally

I'm tired of that
I am weary of that particular thing or circumstance

I know that love was for somebody else
I am aware that the love in question was meant for someone other than myself

You and I know
Both you and I are aware

You and I try
Both you and I put effort into something

You and I ran
Both you and I escaped or moved away quickly

Leaving old stories far behind
Leaving behind past narratives or experiences in the distant past

And it feels good
And it brings about a positive sensation

And it's so warm
And it creates a comforting and cozy atmosphere

Having those eyes
Possessing those captivating and enchanting eyes

Playing with me, myself and I...
Engaging in a playful interaction with myself, my own thoughts, and my own identity

I believe in me... me myself and I... me, myself and I
I have faith in myself and my own individuality

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NUNO MIGUEL CANDIDO GONCALVES, SONIA CRISTINA PASCOAL TAVARES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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