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/
You Were a Kindness
The National Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was coming all apart inside of me
There wasn't any way for anyone to settle in
You made a slow disaster out of me
There's a radiant darkness upon us
But I don't want you to worry
I was careful, but nothing is harmless
You were a kindness when I was a stranger
But I wouldn't ask for what I didn't need
Everything's weird and we're always in danger
Why would you shatter somebody like me?
It doesn't work that way
Wanting not to want you won't make it so
It doesn't work that way
Don't leave me here alone
I'll do what I can to be a confident wreck
Can't feel this way forever, I mean
There wasn't any way for anyone to settle in
You made a slow disaster out of me
There's a radiant darkness upon us
But I don't want you to worry
I was careful, but nothing is harmless
Baby, you better hurry
You were a kindness when I was a stranger
But I wouldn't ask for what I didn't need
Everything's weird and we're always in danger
Why would you shatter somebody like me?
It doesn't work that way
Wanting not to want you won't make it so
It doesn't work that way
Don't leave me here alone
It doesn't work that way
Wanting not to want you won't make it so
It doesn't work that way
Don't leave me here alone
The National's song "You Were a Kindness" is a reflective and emotional piece about feeling lost, broken, and in need of comfort. The singer describes feeling like everything was falling apart and that they were becoming a disaster. Despite feeling overwhelmed, they find solace in the kindness and generosity of a stranger. The words "You were a kindness when I was a stranger" highlight the importance of empathy and human connection in moments of distress. The refrain "It doesn't work that way, wanting not to want you won't make it so" suggests that the singer is grappling with conflicting emotions, trying to resist falling too deeply for this stranger for fear of being hurt, but unable to control their feelings.
The song's haunting imagery is further amplified through the repeated line "There's a radiant darkness upon us," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the weight of depression and despair that surrounds the singer. They acknowledge that nothing is harmless, and that even the kindness of a stranger can be a double-edged sword. The final lines of the song - "Don't leave me here alone" - plead for the stranger not to abandon them in their moment of need, cementing the importance of human connection.
Overall, "You Were a Kindness" is a melancholy yet beautiful testament to the power of kindness, empathy, and connection. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability, honesty, and authenticity that is characteristic of The National's music.
Line by Line Meaning
I was in a fog, I didn't notice everything
I was unaware and lost, and I couldn't see everything clearly
Was coming all apart inside of me
I was falling apart emotionally and mentally
There wasn't any way for anyone to settle in
No one could get close or truly understand me
You made a slow disaster out of me
Your presence caused chaos and destruction in my life, little by little
There's a radiant darkness upon us
There's a powerful and ominous force hovering over us
But I don't want you to worry
Despite the darkness surrounding us, I don't want you to be anxious or concerned
I was careful, but nothing is harmless
I tried to be cautious, but everything carries some degree of risk
Baby, you better hurry
We need to act fast to protect ourselves and our relationship
You were a kindness when I was a stranger
You were gentle and compassionate towards me when we first met
But I wouldn't ask for what I didn't need
I wouldn't pretend to require something from you that I didn't actually need
Everything's weird and we're always in danger
Life is unpredictable and dangerous, and we never know what might happen next
Why would you shatter somebody like me?
Why would you want to hurt and break someone as fragile as me?
It doesn't work that way
It's not as simple as just wanting or not wanting something
Wanting not to want you won't make it so
Trying to convince myself that I don't want you won't actually change my feelings
Don't leave me here alone
Please don't abandon me and leave me to navigate the challenges of life by myself
I'll do what I can to be a confident wreck
I'll try to appear strong and put-together, even though I'm really a mess inside
Can't feel this way forever, I mean
I know that my current state of mind won't last forever
Contributed by Kaelyn K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.