The National is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band formed in 1999, by friends… Read Full Bio ↴The National is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band formed in 1999, by friends from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger in a distinctive, deep baritone. The rest of the band is composed of two pairs of brothers: Aaron Dessner (guitar, bass, keyboards), Bryce Dessner (guitar), Scott Devendorf (bass, guitar) and Bryan Devendorf (drums).

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/

Tall Saint
The National Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Keep your legs from shaking, fill your eyes with new tears
Don't ask questions, you don't know your name
Something for everyone, try to win prizes
Stay young and quiet

Tall saint I'm devoted with a glass of champagne to you
Bubbles to the chandelier
I'm in your hands tonight

Tall saint stay behind me

Don't tell everybody at the table about your dreams
They're too amazing, it'll melt their minds
Take 'em to Hollywood, cut out the good parts
Become millionaires

Tall saint I'm devoted with a glass of champagne to you
Bubbles to the chandelier
I've been looking for you all night
Tall saint stay behind me now, tall saint

In my city I didn't make a sound
When I fell over and cracked my crown
Heard a woman say stay down
Champion stay down

Tall saint I'm devoted with a glass of champagne to you
Bubbles to the chandelier
I'm in your hands tonight
Tall saint stay behind me now
Tall saint stay behind me now, tall saint

In my city I didn't make a sound
When I fell over and cracked my crown
Heard a woman say stay down
Champion stay down

But I got up, got in a car
Said I don't think I'm gonna go very far

Just take me one time around the ballroom slow
And take me home

Overall Meaning

The National's song "Tall Saint" speaks of devotion to a figure that remains mysterious throughout the song. The singer asks for guidance and protection not only from the supposed saint but also from the fear and uncertainty that come with life. The song's opening lines ask the listener to keep one's "legs from shaking," suggesting a state of anxiety or fear, and to fill their eyes with new tears, perhaps in the hope of cleansing past traumas. The singer urges the listener to "Stay young and quiet," a possible indication that an individual's youth and silent contemplation might be helpful in making it through life's difficulties.

The refrain, "Tall saint I'm devoted with a glass of champagne to you," repeats twice in the song and is both an expression of devotion and a plea for help from a higher power. The lines "Take 'em to Hollywood, cut out the good parts, become millionaires" suggest that the singer is advising someone not to share everything with others, to guard their ideas carefully and to distill their best qualities to succeed in life. The mention of a "cracked crown" and a woman telling the singer to "stay down" references a moment of defeat, but the singer gets up again, gets in a car, and asks to be taken around the ballroom once, signaling a wish to move on and experience life despite fear and defeat.

Interesting facts about the song "Tall Saint" include that the national's lead vocalist, Matt Berninger, says that the song was inspired by his fascination with the Catholic Church and particularly sainthood, with Berninger having grown up a Catholic. Additionally, the song's music video was directed by Mike Mills, who has worked with Berninger on various projects for over a decade, including the band's documentary "Mistaken for Strangers." Before "Tall Saint," Berninger had written "Saint Simon" and "Saint Valentin," which touched on the theme of religious devotion. Many fans speculate that the "tall saint" refers to the statue of Saint Peter, the last one Berninger saw at the Vatican. Lastly, the song features an unreleased pre-chorus section that the band removed to simplify the song.

Chords:
The chords for "Tall Saint" are as follows:

Verse: G, C, G, D
Chorus: Em, C, G, D

Line by Line Meaning

Keep your legs from shaking, fill your eyes with new tears
Try to keep calm and composed, but still emotional and teary-eyed.

Don't ask questions, you don't know your name
Trust the situation and don't question things, even if you're feeling confused or disoriented.

Something for everyone, try to win prizes
There's opportunity for everyone, so try to make something of it and reap the rewards.

Stay young and quiet
Maintain a youthful spirit, but don't make too much noise or disturb the peace.

Tall saint I'm devoted with a glass of champagne to you
Addressing someone or something they admire, using the term 'tall saint' and offering a toast with champagne as a sign of devotion.

Bubbles to the chandelier
The bubbles from the champagne are overflowing and hitting the chandelier, perhaps symbolizing a feeling of excess.

I've been looking for you all night
The singer has been searching for this person all night, suggesting dedication and commitment.

Tall saint stay behind me now, tall saint
The artist is inviting the 'tall saint' to stay with them, evoking feelings of protection and guidance.

Don't tell everybody at the table about your dreams
Keep your aspirations to yourself, as they may be too grand or overwhelming for others to handle.

They're too amazing, it'll melt their minds
The artist believes their dreams are so incredible that it might have a negative effect on those who hear them.

Take 'em to Hollywood, cut out the good parts
The singer suggests taking their dreams to Hollywood and editing out the parts that might not be immediately successful or appealing.

Become millionaires
The end goal is to become rich and successful.

In my city I didn't make a sound
The singer was quiet and reserved in their city, perhaps hiding their true feelings or intentions.

When I fell over and cracked my crown
The singer experienced pain or hardship, which may be metaphorical or literal.

Heard a woman say stay down
Someone may have told the singer to give up or accept defeat.

Champion stay down
The phrase 'champion stay down' may be ironic or sarcastic, suggesting that true champions never give up or stay down.

But I got up, got in a car
Despite any setbacks or obstacles, the artist keeps pushing forward and starts to move on.

Said I don't think I'm gonna go very far
The singer may be feeling doubtful or pessimistic about their future.

Just take me one time around the ballroom slow
The singer is asking for a slow, gentle approach to their journey, perhaps suggesting a desire for patience or care.

And take me home
The artist is ready to return to a place of comfort and security.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AARON B. DESSNER, BRYCE D. DESSNER, MATTHEW D. BERNINGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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