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/
Secret Meeting
The National Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think they're onto me
Didn't anybody, didn't anybody tell you
Didn't anybody tell you how to gracefully disappear in a room?
I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses, I know
And so and now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
I think this place is full of spies
I think I'm ruined
Didn't anybody, didn't anybody tell you
Didn't anybody tell you, this river's full of lost sharks?
I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses, I know
And so and now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
The National's song "Secret Meeting" is a cryptic and introspective perception of a mental conflict. The opening lines suggest the singer's paranoid tendencies as they believe that the room they are in is full of spies who are onto them. The following lines then question whether anyone had given them advice on how to "gracefully disappear" from a room. This could be read as a cry for help in dealing with their pursuit of solitude and independence or an introspective thought on how they have failed to integrate with the people around them.
The chorus is an apology for being absent and missing someone who had put in the effort to keep them hidden, possibly from these "spies". This apology is repeated twice in the song, which hints at the singer's struggle with being hyper-aware of their surroundings, making them struggle with maintaining relationships. The rest of the song is a repetition of the first verse and chorus with a few slight nuances like the inclusion of the statement "this river's full of lost sharks." This could be read as a metaphor for the outside world and its inhabitants, and how the singer believes that they are surrounded by dangerous people who they must avoid.
Overall, the song is a haunting reflection on the singer's outsider status and their attempts to navigate their mental state while trying to form connections with the people around them. The lyrics are intentionally vague, allowing for a multitude of interpretations, and the repeated chorus of apologies to someone who tried to help them adds a layer of melancholy to the theme, suggesting that they are losing out on the chance for human connection because of their struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
I think this place is full of spies
The singer feels like they're being surveilled and followed
I think they're onto me
The singer suspects that whoever is spying on them has caught on to their actions
Didn't anybody, didn't anybody tell you
The singer is frustrated that they haven't received advice or guidance on how to handle their situation
Didn't anybody tell you how to gracefully disappear in a room?
The artist wishes someone had taught them how to make a subtle exit and avoid detection
I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses, I know
The artist acknowledges that someone close to them has been helping to keep their appearance hidden, likely from those who are spying on them
And so and now I'm sorry I missed you
The singer feels regret for not being able to connect with this person who has been helping them
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
The singer is referring to a private moment when they allowed themselves to think through their difficult situation
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
The artist is disappointed that their thoughts and meeting did not lead to any novel solutions or revelations
I think I'm ruined
The artist feels like their life has been ruined by the stress of being spied on and not being able to trust those around them
Didn't anybody tell you, this river's full of lost sharks?
The artist is imparting the advice they wish they had received earlier, which would have warned someone that there are dangerous threats lurking unseen just beneath the surface
And now I'm sorry I missed you
The singer feels regret for not being able to connect with the person who has possibly been their ally in their difficult situation
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
The artist is emphasizing how unhappy they are with the outcome of their private meeting, likely wishing they'd been able to come up with some kind of plan or solution
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
The singer is still disappointed in how unproductive their thoughts were
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
The singer repeats how unhelpful their meeting was as a way of impressing their continued frustration and feeling of being stuck
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
The last repetition of this line emphasizes the feeling of frustration and disappoint that has continued since the beginning of the song
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AARON B. DESSNER, MATTHEW D. BERNINGER, SCOTT D. DEVENDORF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Natalie20
I think place this is full of spies
I think they're onto me
Didn't anybody, didn't anybody tell you?
Didn't anybody tell you how to gracefully disappear in a room?
I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses, I know
And so and now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
I think this place is full of spies
I think I'm ruined
Didn't anybody, didn't anybody tell you?
Didn't anybody tell you this river's full of lost sharks?
I know you put in the hours to keep me in sunglasses, I know
And so and now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
And now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
Dana Conrad
As somebody who lives in their own head a majority of the time, I really feel the, "I'm sorry I missed you, I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain." Story of my life.
Luis Felipe Ventura Ramírez
Same here...besides, it went the dull, sad and wicked ordinary way.
_ goodwin10k
Dana Conrad same here, I don't think there are many people that would understand this song. I knew immediately this song was about me and all the other misunderstood introverts out there.
Subdued Blonde
@_ goodwin10k Big ditto (and I told myself I'd never say that. Never say never.)
Juan Salgado
no band in the world like the national truly one of a kind!!
Tyler Durden
This band has a way with my heart. What synchronicity can do sometimes is quite...shocking. Never before have I just happened to hear a song that latches onto me in such a fashion.
Nórida Rodríguez
I'm a new fan of The National... just three years in this road....and i'm still discovering songs... every song gets better than the other... i can't stop
Roal36
Keep it up. You will be amazed the amount of quality music out there even 40 years past the golden era.
Me
Nórida Rodríguez
Feel exactly the same!
Saw them live for the first time 5/05 in St. Augustine and have been listening to all their live stuff since. Can't get enough of these guys. Love them!
Kris Farrow
Every song I listen to by The National becomes my new favorite; how a band can consistently make such incredible music is beyond me