All three of the band's albums were released on Johnson's influential Olympia record label, K Records.
Following a hiatus through the early 2000's, The Halo Benders reformed in March 2007 for a pair of shows at the Visual Arts Collective in Boise, ID. The band featured Doug Martsch, Ralf Youtz, Calvin Johnson, and Brett Netson.
The Halo Benders' music is characterised by untraditional sounds, movements, and song structures. Additionally, the vocals of the baritone Johnson and the pitchy Martsch overlap often, even though often entirely unrelated. Johnson has said that the two write lyrics for songs largely independently.
Bury Me
The Halo Benders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What we're after isn't (knows our sound)
In the way
What we live
(In the ') of years (you can do better)
From what I thought
Would take a million more (all the dude was found ')
Must've added wrong
Who wrote the law 'cause we're one reality (I'm already underground)
Had.........invisible......prove they're home (bury me)
The...building box that.we live in with no air (bury me)
The midnight markers every phone (turning locusts to atlantis)
They live... The hits that he should've been (flood the streets/lick your canvas)
The clocks that were quirks' stand so sure (show the world this ain't no one horse town)
When the...takes the bill the rebels not in
It's a holiday, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah (bury me, I'm already underground)
Please, please, someone anyone who knows what going on here tell me!
The lyrics of The Halo Benders's song Bury Me are difficult to interpret and understand completely. The song appears to be discussing the idea that society and the world are not as they seem, and that our perceptions of reality are distorted by various structures and institutions. The opening line, "They say today, what we're after isn't in the way," suggests that the things we desire are hindered or obstructed by something, presumably the systems that govern our lives. The following lines, "What we live in the of years from what I thought would take a million more," implies that the passage of time has blurred our understanding of reality and what we thought would take a long time has already happened, represented by the phrase "all the dude was found" which is referring to one of the band member's phrases from the previous release.
The line "Who wrote the law 'cause we're one reality" seems to reflect on the idea of who controls the laws and power structures that we live under and how they impact our collective reality. The next lines "had invisible prove they're home, the building box that.we live in with no air, the midnight markers every phone" could be interpreted as the structures and devices that exist around us to monitor our actions and control us. The phrase "turning locusts into Atlantis" may represent the transformation of something considered to be insignificant (locusts) into something of great significance (Atlantis), implying the fickle nature of our perceptions of reality.
The chorus, "Bury me, I'm already underground" gives the impression of someone who has already given up on trying to understand reality or has been oppressed to the point that they feel buried underground. The song then goes on to discuss various other themes such as rebellion against the structures and institutions that govern us, the necessity to express the self creatively, and to document the reality that we see.
Overall, the song appears to be an exploration of the idea that our reality is constructed, controlled, and malleable, and how we must push against these forces to find our true selves and meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
They say today (your admiration)
People might praise us today, but it's temporary and not what we're truly striving for.
What we're after isn't (knows our sound)
Our true goal is to create music that is authentically ours, and not something that conforms to others' expectations or trends.
In the way
There are obstacles preventing us from reaching our musical goals.
What we live
Our music is our life, and we're dedicated to it.
(In the ') of years (you can do better)
Even after years of making music, we still believe we have the potential to improve.
From what I thought
Our expectations of making music have shifted or evolved over time.
Would take a million more (all the dude was found ')
We thought creating music would take much more effort, but sometimes inspiration strikes unexpectedly.
Must've added wrong
We made a mistake in our calculations or expectations.
Was the wife of the (can't have') there to see (bury me)
Even if someone important to us can't witness our musical success, we'll still create and leave our mark on the world.
Who wrote the law 'cause we're one reality (I'm already underground)
We don't conform to society's expectations or norms, and we've already embraced our outsider status.
Had.........invisible......prove they're home (bury me)
We don't need physical proof or recognition to validate our creative output; the music is enough for us.
The...building box that.we live in with no air (bury me)
We feel trapped by societal expectations and norms that stifle our creativity.
The midnight markers every phone (turning locusts to atlantis)
Our music tells a story that transcends time and space, transforming mundane things like phone calls into something mythic or magical.
They live... The hits that he should've been (flood the streets/lick your canvas)
We reject the idea that success is measured solely by commercial appeal or chart success.
The clocks that were quirks' stand so sure (show the world this ain't no one horse town)
Our music challenges people's expectations of what music from a particular region or scene should sound like, and we want to showcase the diversity and range of our creative output.
When the...takes the bill the rebels not in
When the establishment is in charge, rebellious voices like ours are silenced or marginalized.
It's a holiday, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah (bury me, I'm already underground)
We're taking the opportunity to celebrate our outsider status, and even if people try to bury us, we're already thriving and making our mark.
Contributed by Lily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.