In Autumn 2002 the band recorded their debut album (Find Yourself Along the Way) at The Ship with Aaron Espinoza, the famed musician (Earlimart) and producer (The New Folk Implosion, Eliot Smith, The Breeders). Each member contributed to the songwriting process (Dean and Arthur picking up the guitar again for passages in “Take to the Sun” and “On Our Own” respectively). Find Yourself Along the Way is a stream of peerless compositions that inconspicuously tours the best of the early 1990s dream pop scene. But, due in large part to Harris’ deliciously nonchalant voice, the songwriting progresses from that scene with momentum towards a sparkling style of noise-pop that is equally memorable and provocative. The album appeared on the Top Albums of 2003 lists of several publications around the world, with critics noting the record's crafty juxtaposition of ambience and tunefulness.
From late 2005 to early 2006 the quartet recorded their sophomore album with Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy, Earlimart) at The Ship. "Numbered Days" contains ten luminous new songs that combine infectious, melodic indie-pop with the tremulous soundscapes the band first explored on their 2003 debut. The album will be released worldwide on Words On Music in early Autumn 2006.
The Meeting Places has performed live extensively in California, including the 2003 San Francisco Noise-Pop Festival. They also played at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas in both 2003 and 2005.
In the late summer of 2008 The Meeting Places returned from a two-year hiatus. New songs are currently being worked on, as well as live shows throughout Los Angeles
Scott McDonald left the band in late 2010 and was replaced by Matt Gleason in early 2011. Currently in the early stages of writing new songs for a L.P.
Mumble
The Meeting Places Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
together in time to break our fall
the way that i will never be
able to tie the thread back to me
turn away from the midday glare
your image is lost, there’s shadows to share
one little lie can never see
it’s way past your lips to penetrate me
knock down the walls and build up the waste
out of time we managed to lose
forgetting the things that’ll never be true
The Meeting Places's song Mumble has lyrics that evoke a sense of disconnect, isolation and inability to truly connect with others. The first lines, "so many lines can never cross, together in time to break our fall" suggest a failed attempt at being in sync or finding common ground with someone. The second line, "the way that I will never be able to tie the thread back to me" implies a feeling of being lost or struggling to find one's identity.
The third line, "turn away from the midday glare, your image is lost, there's shadows to share" speaks to a sense of disorientation and loss. It feels as if the person referenced has faded away or become unrecognizable in the glare of the daylight. The fourth line, "one little lie can never see, its way past your lips to penetrate me" suggests that there is a level of mistrust that prevents a real connection from forming.
The chorus's line, "here we come to an empty place, knock down the walls and build up the waste" paints a vivid picture of a forsaken and hopeless space. The reference to walls and waste speak to the idea that this is a place of abandonment, and there is not much left to do there. Finally, the last line of the chorus, "forgetting the things that'll never be true" suggests an acceptance of the situation, and a need to move on from the illusions that were never going to materialize.
Line by Line Meaning
so many lines can never cross
There are too many obstacles preventing our paths from merging.
together in time to break our fall
We need to be united to protect ourselves from failure.
the way that i will never be
I don't have the ability to do something.
able to tie the thread back to me
I can't connect the problem to myself.
turn away from the midday glare
We should avoid the harsh reality of the situation.
your image is lost, there’s shadows to share
We're both confused and uncertain about what's happening.
one little lie can never see
A small falsehood won't have any effect on me.
it’s way past your lips to penetrate me
Your words won't affect me emotionally.
here we come to an empty place
We've arrived at a destination without any purpose.
knock down the walls and build up the waste
We need to tear down the meaningless things and start anew.
out of time we managed to lose
We wasted time and now it's too late.
forgetting the things that’ll never be true
We need to let go of false hopes and illusions.
Contributed by Elijah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.