Over the past four years, however, the duo has transcended the comparison – creating rich, multi-instrumental soundscapes. They dabble in synths and effects and radiate melancholic beauty. And sometimes they silence a room by simply harmonizing over a lone ukulele. Always though, their songwriting is marked with a belief in the promises of the universe, a curiosity about humanity and a hopeless romanticism embodied by only the most passionate of artists and dreamers.
This romanticism shines on the band’s new album, The Universe Is Laughing. A lyrical journey through life’s beautiful mysteries, the record sees Kevin and Mick further develop themes of self-discovery and enlightenment they first visited on 2009’s Happy The Man.
The Guggenheim Grotto emerged in 2005 to critical acclaim in Ireland with its debut album …Waltzing Alone when the first single “Told You So” reached No. 12 on the Irish National Airplay Charts. Later the band found success abroad much in part to early champions like David Dye at WXPN in Philadelphia, XM Radio’s “The Loft” and Nic Harcourt at KCRW in Los Angeles. …Waltzing Alone eventually spent weeks at the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Folk Chart in April 2007 after the opening track “Philosophia” was chosen as iTunes Free Single of the Week. The song was also featured on the first generation iPhone as a sample song on test models in stores and “Told You So” made it onto a Starbucks Hear Music sampler alongside Damien Rice, James Blunt and Amy Winehouse
Two years later The Guggenheim Grotto released Happy The Man as an iTunes exclusive in October 2008, and the album quickly rose again to No. 1 on the iTunes Folk Chart. January 2009 saw the physical release, and the band spent much of the year traversing these United States to promote it – from playing listening rooms across the country to large festivals, performing on nationally syndicated programs like E-Town in Boulder, CO and Charleston, WV’s Mountain Stage and opening dates with Ani DiFranco and They Might Be Giants. The album received tremendous support from Triple A radio, several songs made their way into major network primetime TV shows like One Tree Hill and Brothers And Sisters, and a YouTube featured video for the first single, “Her Beautiful Ideas,” garnered over 160,000 views in just a few days.
In June 2010 The Guggenheim Grotto released its third album, The Universe Is Laughing, on United For Opportunity. The band moved to the U.S. and began a series of weekly residencies in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego that grew wildly, ending in some truly special nights with rooms packed of newly charmed fans. In Los Angeles, the story came full circle during the band’s last night at The Hotel Café when Nic Harcourt, one of its earliest champions, filmed the performance for his new cable TV show Live Buzz. The band continues to tour from its Los Angeles base, bringing the new album to an ever –expanding audience.
A record largely written and recorded in hotels and living rooms while crossing this wide country on tour, The Universe Is Laughing is an ode to lovers and madmen as much as a shout out to carnival hucksters and easy mystics. It celebrates the joy of falling in love and then forgetting what all the fuss was about. It preaches sticking to your guns, fighting the good fight and standing with your hands hung loosely by your side. It’s about marching, chopping wood, highways, girls wearing pretty dresses, sinking churches, ghost towns, chasing answers, getting drunk, rabbits and weasels, tiny white lies, the sun, the moon and the whole damn universe. It’s about dancing in the grey.
Standout tracks like the album’s upbeat first single “Wisdom” or the title track and ukulele tune “The Universe Is Laughing” juxtapose heady concepts, compelling melodies and accessible lyrics. The former challenges a list of guidelines society gives us to find happiness and righteousness with the chorus “I listen and I hear what’s said/ I follow it from A to zed/ But wisdom hasn’t found me yet,” complete with ironically sunshine-y la-la-la-la-las.
In “Ruby Heart,” excitable new love gives way to its senses and learns patience, while “Trust Me I’m A Thief,” cautions on the sometimes brutal honesty of our true nature. The Bowie-esque “Wings And Feathers” pays tribute to Jack Kerouac-inspired mad indulgences with lyrics drunk on love and life. “Tonight we take this city/ The marrow and the fringes/ We’ll set our dogs on beauty/ We’re growing wings and feathers,” May croons in the chorus over a bed of blissful and popping synths.
With equal amounts melancholy and jubilance, The Universe Is Laughing is a celebration of universal truths and the mysteries of humanity. The duo’s signature mix of timeless folk, soaring melodies and emotionally intelligent lyrics remains intact while Kevin and Mick delve deeper to search for meaning within themselves.
For more information please visit www.guggenheimgrotto.com or contact Kellyn Slone at 646-943-3669 or kellyns@ufomusic.net.
Told You So
The Guggenheim Grotto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and watching my every move
I gather thoughts of you and that's what lovers do.
You've said before when every act is a war
and every shade, just another shade of blue
you'd have me walk with you and that's what lovers do
told you so and I bet you love me too...
When you go walking away with the wind and the waves and
flirting with your feet,
you take a part of me and that's what lovers feel
And when you come upon a time and place sublime and it
shows you something real
you wish me there to see and that's what lovers feel
At a party I've thrown the morning has grown and
someone's going your way
you tell them you'd rather stay and that's what lovers say
So to the garden we go, quiet and slow and we
watch the world awake
you know I love you for loves sake, isn't that what lovers say?
The lyrics to The Guggenheim Grotto's song Told You So seem to depict a love that is strong and unwavering, even in the face of adversity. When the world is watching and everything seems difficult or overwhelming, the singer turns to thoughts of their beloved - this is what lovers do. The chorus reinforces the message with the declaration, "told you so, I'm in love with you... told you so and I bet you love me too..." This suggests that the singer has professed their feelings before, and the recipient has reciprocated or at least shown signs of the same.
The second verse describes a lover who takes a part of the singer with them wherever they go, even when walking away into the wind and the waves. It also emphasizes the importance of sharing meaningful experiences, wishing for the other person to be there to witness and appreciate them. This is what lovers feel. The final verse describes a scenario in which the singer's beloved chooses to stay with them instead of leaving with someone else. It ends with a peaceful moment in a garden, watching the world wake up and professing love for the sake of love itself.
Overall, Told You So is a tender, heartfelt song about the depth of love and the ways in which it manifests. The lyrics suggest a connection that transcends external circumstances and is rooted in shared experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
When the world is wide, wicked and wild
When the world around me seems vast, cruel, and untamed
and watching my every move
And it feels like every action I take is being scrutinized
I gather thoughts of you and that's what lovers do.
I think of you, because that's what people in love do when they need comfort
You've said before when every act is a war
You've told me before that every experience feels like a battle
and every shade, just another shade of blue
And every variation just seems like a repetition of sadness.
you'd have me walk with you and that's what lovers do
You'd want me to be by your side, because that's how lovers support each other.
told you so, I'm in love with you....
I've confirmed it, I'm in love with you
told you so and I bet you love me too...
I'm pretty sure you feel the same way about me as well.
When you go walking away with the wind and the waves and
When you leave, carried by the breeze and the water,
flirting with your feet,
While you enjoy the feeling of freedom,
you take a part of me and that's what lovers feel
You take a part of me with you, because that's how lovers are connected
And when you come upon a time and place sublime and it
And when you encounter a moment and location that feels magnificent, and
shows you something real
Where you are struck by something sincere,
you wish me there to see and that's what lovers feel
You wish I could witness it with you, because that's what people in love feel
At a party I've thrown the morning has grown and
At a celebration I've organized, as the morning advances and
someone's going your way
Someone is leaving in the direction you're headed
you tell them you'd rather stay and that's what lovers say
You tell them you'd rather stay with me, because that's what people in love would do.
So to the garden we go, quiet and slow and we
So, we proceed to the garden, at a slow and peaceful pace, and
watch the world awake
We observe the world as it wakes up
you know I love you for love's sake, isn't that what lovers say?
You're aware that I love you simply because of the bond we share, isn't that what people in love say?
Contributed by Isabelle D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.