Their self-titled debut album"The National" (Brassland 2001) was recorded and released before they had played even a single show. They cut the album with engineer Nick Lloyd and formed a label with writer Alec Bemis, so those recordings could be released. Kerrang! magazine gave it four Ks, calling it "the stuff underground legends are made of."
The National made a second album, "Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers" (Brassland/Talitres 2003). The staff was the same, though Peter Katis, who produced "Turn on The Bright Lights" and "Antics" by Interpol, helped produce and mix, and Australian composer Padma Newsome from Clogs collaborated on arrangements and strings.
Following the first session of several for Bernard Lenoir on France's Radio Inter, an in-between EP was released, Cherry Tree, containing what would become the blueprint for the sound on their next record and the session of Sad Song's standout Murder Me Rachael. After these accolades and being impressed by their live show, Roger Trust signed them to Beggars Banquet.
A show at their favorite bar became a van ride to neighboring cities, became a plane ride to Europe, became two summers overseas. Their ties to those good jobs slackened. And they continue on their own path, moving out even further out in Brooklyn to Ditmas Park, where there is space and familiar suburban streets and even Geese on Beverly Road. Their album, "Alligator", much of which was recorded at their homes in Ditmas Park, was engineered by Paul Mahajan, who has worked with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio. Padma Newsome camped out for a month with the band, and Peter Katis added more production and mixed the record at his house in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Berninger's potent baritone still intones about matters fraught and funny and sad; about record collections, missing persons and medium-sized American hearts. But the record's not simply gothic or miserablist -- more like the plays of Tennessee Williams, it's full of peculiar intimacies and awkward grace. Alligator's heroes are reckless and possessed seducers, but they are apologetic ones. In The National's imaginings, in songs alternately lush and spare, there is something twighlit and dreamy worked out in the basement of our brains.
"Abel," "Secret Meeting," and "Lit Up" were released as singles.
On May 22, 2007, The National released their follow-up to Alligator, Boxer, on Beggars Banquet. Taking advantage of the fact that nobody had heard their first album and earliest demos, Matt proceeded to steal lyrics and melodies from them and give them the attention they deserved while keeping the intimacy that made them special. They even managed to convince new friend Sufjan Stevens to lay down some piano tracks for them, and recorded the album in a scant 6 months after coming off the long post-Alligator road.
"Mistaken for Strangers", "Fake Empire" and "Apartment Story" have been released as singles. The band have just finished touring North America and are on a large European autumn/winter tour after playing high slots at several large festivals. In their Dec. 07/Jan. 08 issue, Paste magazine named Boxer best record of 2007.
The band's fifth album, High Violet, was released on May 10, 2010 by 4AD Records. "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Anyone's Ghost" and "Terrible Love" were released as singles.
In 2013 their sixth studio record Trouble Will Find Me was released and named "Best New Music" by Pitchfork. The album contained the single "I Need My Girl". In 2015, the album outtake "Sunshine On My Back" was released.
Four years after Trouble Will Find Me, marking the longest timespan between albums in their career so far, they released their seventh album Sleep Well Beast on September 8th, 2017 and were yet again met with great critical success.
The National homepage: http://www.americanmary.com/
The National blog http://tntl.tumblr.com
The National on Twitter http://twitter.com/TheNational
The National on Instagram http://instagram.com/TheNational
Brassland homepage: http://brassland.org/
Beggars Banquet homepage: http://www.beggars.com/
Abel
The National Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
Abel, come on, give me the keys, man
Everything has all gone down wrong
Abel, come on, give me the keys, man
Everything has all gone down wrong
I see water on the bridge
Well, you better hold my hand through this
Turn around, turn around, take me back
I can't calm down
Turn around, turn around, take me back
I can't calm down
Well, my mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
Abel, come on, give me a reason
I am not as bright as I could be
Abel, come on, take me with you
Everything has all gone down wrong
You turn me good and god-fearing
Well, tell me what am I supposed to do with that
I'm missing something
Yeah, I'm missing something
My mind's gone loose inside the shell
My mind's gone loose inside the shell
Well, I'm missing something
Yeah, I'm missing something
Abel, my mind's gone loose inside the shell
Well, my mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
The National's song "Abel" is a melancholic tune that conveys feelings of desperation and confusion. The repetition of the lyrics "My mind's not right" highlights the singer's mental state and reinforces the theme of mental instability. Throughout the song, the singer is reaching out to a friend named Abel, begging him for the keys as "Everything has all gone down wrong." This could suggest that the singer is in a dark place and needs an escape route.
The mention of seeing water on the bridge and needing someone to hold the singer's hand through it also highlights how lost and vulnerable the singer feels. The desperation is further emphasized with the lyrics "Turn around, turn around, take me back, I can't calm down." The repetition of these lines and the rising background music creates a sense of urgency and panic, leading up to the climax of the song.
When the singer pleads again for Abel to "come on, give me a reason," it shows that the singer is looking for something to hold onto, and feels as though they have lost their way. The mention of feeling "missing something" and their "mind's gone loose inside the shell" suggests the singer's feeling of being unlike themselves, which is a common feeling when struggling with mental health issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, my mind's not right
The singer is experiencing mental distress and his mind is not functioning normally.
Abel, come on, give me the keys, man
The singer is asking Abel for the car keys. He may want to get away or escape from his problems.
Everything has all gone down wrong
The situation the singer is in has become very bad and things are not going as planned.
I see water on the bridge
The singer can see potential danger or a difficult situation approaching.
Well, you better hold my hand through this
The singer is asking for support or guidance from the person he is addressing.
Turn around, turn around, take me back
The singer wants to go back to a previous, more comfortable point in his life.
I can't calm down
The singer is very anxious and can't relax.
Abel, come on, give me a reason
The singer is asking Abel for a justification for his actions or situation.
I am not as bright as I could be
The singer feels intellectually or mentally inferior in some way.
Abel, come on, take me with you
The singer wants to go with Abel, possibly to escape his problems or find a new direction in life.
You turn me good and god-fearing
Abel has had a positive influence on the singer and made him more religious or morally upright.
Well, tell me what am I supposed to do with that
The singer is unsure how to handle the positive change that Abel has brought about in him.
I'm missing something
The singer is lacking something important in his life, possibly direction or purpose.
Yeah, I'm missing something
The singer is emphasizing that he is still feeling a strong sense of loss or lack.
My mind's gone loose inside the shell
The singer's mental state is becoming more and more unstable and the situation is getting worse.
Abel, my mind's gone loose inside the shell
The singer is again addressing Abel and emphasizing how bad his mental state has become.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AARON B. DESSNER, MATTHEW D. BERNINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
miguel Rojas
Well, my mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
Abel, come on, give me the keys, man
Everything has all gone down wrong
Abel, come on, give me the keys, man
Everything has all gone down wrong
I see water on the bridge
Well, you better hold my hand through this
Turn around, turn around, take me back
I can't calm down
Turn around, turn around, take me back
I can't calm down
Well, my mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
Abel, come on, give me a reason
I am not as bright as I could be
Abel, come on, take me with you
Everything has all gone down wrong
You turn me good and god-fearing
Well, tell me what am I supposed to do with that
I'm missing something
Yeah, I'm missing something
My mind's gone loose inside the shell
My mind's gone loose inside the shell
Well, I'm missing something
Yeah, I'm missing something
Abel, my mind's gone loose inside the shell
Well, my mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
My mind's not right
TheEnigmaFacade
This song has the power to bring me to tears, all the time. This was the last song I tried showing my brother in 2009. He committed suicide , in his car - just a couple of months later. So this song became part of me, how I embodied my feelings toward my brother's suicide, and I can't see it any other way. Abel, come on, give me the keys, man.
Abel, come on, give me a reason
I am not as bright as I could be
Abel, come on, take me with you
Everything has all gone down wrong
You turn me good and god-fearing
Well, tell me what am I supposed to do with that?
I'm missing something
ProphetMoshpit Gaming
I awoke with this song in my head this morning. My wife passed away last week from a two year battle with breast cancer. She was 33, and my whole world. If this song isn’t the epitome of my life right now; I’m missing something. Cmon, take me with you. My minds not right.
CodA bOi
I'm so sorry. You'll find a way, man. I hope after some time has passed you're starting to heal. I know it never really goes away, but you'll make it. There's always something new waiting around the corner.
Cliff McRoberts
I hope you are doing well
Jeremiah Root
Being a divorced veteran with PTSD, this song really has a crushing impact on my soul.. I can't stop listening to it. Most of the time I feel nothing, at least this song makes me feel human.
Steven Gatewood
Keep the faith brother, and God Bless.
Atlanta Northcutt
💜💜💜
Morgan Markus
"You turn me good and god-fearing. Well, tell me what am I supposed to do with that?"
This is the heaviest band ever, lyrically. I can't believe more people aren't obsessed with them.
billiondollardan
Saw these guys live in Chicago in 2008. I didn't know who they were as they were one of REM's openers. After a few songs I was hooked. Amazing band
Señor Mercury
I had the luck to see them at a foo fighters show and,this live is fuckin energic
Kodanshi Helcarver
Absolutely incredible song! Beautiful and moving. Intense. I love it.