Starting with a single, Grace, the Snow is Here (1998), the band progressed to an eponymous EP (also 1998), followed by A Lull In Traffic (2000, another EP) followed by their first full-length album, Start Here in 2002.
Mineral was definitely firmly ensconced in the Emo genre, but The Gloria Record is a bit more of a crossover, with much more in the way of mainstream rock/pop influence; the mood, though, is definitely downbeat.
The Gloria Record disbanded in the spring of 2004, with Gomez and Hubbard going on to perform with Austin's "Glass Family" and Chris Simpson pursuing solo projects under the name Zookeeper.
Omaha
The Gloria Record Lyrics
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In my mother's tired arms
After all our fight was gone
I bet it felt good just to lie there
Drinking in the warm lights
And breathing through the tubes
As our lovers filled the room with conversation
A float in a parade
My piano fingers tugging at the chord
And so much extra skin
That I still can't fill it in
Wonder whose it could have been
'Cause it don't fit me comfortably
And the nurses stopping in
To see that you are fine
To open up the blinds
And shower you with sunshine
I was born in Omaha
To steal her skeptic heart
My piano fingers tugging at the chord
'Cause life in a bubble can be
The sweetest thing sometimes
With the world just passing by
Outside your window
Dream over
The Gloria Record's song "I Was Born In Omaha" tells the story of the singer's birth and their early moments in the world. The opening line sets a nostalgic tone and creates a sense of place - Omaha - which is likely significant to the singer's personal history. The song emphasizes the fatigue of the singer's mother as she delivers the baby after a difficult childbirth, and the comfort she must have felt lying down with warm lights washing over her. The lyrics also depict the various medical interventions, such as tubes and nursing care, that often accompany childbirth, and the informal chatter of the people in the room. The singer feels like an outsider in this setting, an extra piece of skin that doesn't quite fit comfortably, and wonders whose body it belonged to before joining them.
The chorus of the song consists of the singer's "piano fingers tugging at the cord," a metaphor for the way babies instinctively grasp at things. The cord here could also be a reference to an umbilical cord, as it is mentioned earlier in the song. The singer reflects on the sheltered world of a newborn, where everything happens in a bubble and the "world just passing by outside your window" is only a distant dream. Despite the challenges and uncertainties inherent in life's beginning moments, the song manages to be tender and ultimately optimistic. The final line, "To steal her skeptic heart," suggests that the singer has already formed a loving bond with their mother, even in the earliest moments of their life.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in Omaha
The singer is expressing where they were born.
In my mother's tired arms
The singer describes being born and held by their mother.
After all our fight was gone
The singer and their mother went through a difficult childbirth, and now the struggle is over.
I bet it felt good just to lie there
The artist imagines that their mother must have been relieved to finally rest after giving birth.
Drinking in the warm lights
The artist describes the experience of being born and taking in their surroundings.
And breathing through the tubes
The singer may have needed assistance breathing after being born.
As our lovers filled the room with conversation
The scene is described as having loved ones present and talking in the room during the birth.
I was named to bear you like
A float in a parade
The artist's name was chosen to honor someone else, like a tribute on a parade float.
My piano fingers tugging at the chord
The artist is describing the sensation of their own fingers and the umbilical cord being tugged during birth.
And so much extra skin
That I still can't fill it in
The artist notes that they were born with excess skin or folds, which have not yet disappeared, even as they grow older.
Wonder whose it could have been
'Cause it don't fit me comfortably
The singer is uncertain about who the excess skin belonged to, as it causes discomfort or awkwardness.
And the nurses stopping in
To see that you are fine
Medical staff are checking on the health of the newborn and mother after birth.
To open up the blinds
And shower you with sunshine
The nurses are bringing light and warmth into the room after the birth.
I was born in Omaha
To steal her skeptic heart
The singer's birth may have brought joy or softened someone's skepticism.
My piano fingers tugging at the chord
The singer repeats this line, perhaps emphasizing the sensation or memory of the umbilical cord being tugged.
'Cause life in a bubble can be
The sweetest thing sometimes
The artist reflects on the innocence and safety of being a newborn, albeit in a limited and sheltered world.
With the world just passing by
Outside your window
The artist contrasts the insulated world of newborns with the busy and ever-changing world outside.
Dream over
This is the final line of the song and may be interpreted as either a peaceful resolution or a soft ending to the narrative.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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