1) Formed in … Read Full Bio ↴There are two bands that go by the name of 'The Pale'
1) Formed in Dublin in 1990,The Pale began with a unique and unusual style recording a mini album called “Why Go Bald?” which grabbed the attention of both the public and record companies alike. They soon signed on the dotted line with A&M Records and in 1992 The Pale released an award winning debut album (Hot Press awards 1992; Best Single award for Butterfly and Best Album Production) called “Here’s one we made earlier”.
Three singles from this debut soon followed (“Dogs With No Tails”, “Butterfly” and “Shut Up Venus”) launching the band on an international trek which took them the length and breadth of the UK, mainland Europe, Scandinavia and as far afield as Japan and the USA taking in many festivals including Glastonbury and Transmusicales.
1994 saw the band depart from the world of major record companies to pursue a more independent path by creating their own label. The vehicle of Gudenfast Records was to carry the hopes of the band for the next three albums, Cheapside (1996), Cripplegate (1997) and Spudgun (1998), which was enough for the band to see out the remainder of the twentieth century.
Lead Singer Matthew Devereux released a solo record called “Tap Tap Tap”(2003) on the highly respected dance label Psychonavigation Records. In typical Pale fashion this album was in the improbable genre of experimental electronica. Normal service resumed for The Pale when they released “Lonely Space Age”(2004) followed by a comprehensive tour schedule. So it was with a newfound determination that The Pale launched into a new stage of their career releasing The Final Garden EP on Devereux Records in 2005, which gave a hint of the musical and lyrical torrent to come.
The Pale found a new home with the excellent Irish independent label “1969 Records”.
They have so far released two well-respected albums on this label “The Contents Of A Shipwreck”(2007) and “Proper Order”(2009).
The Pale’s music has always remained accessible with natural pop tendencies,
but some hilarious terms have been coined along the way in a vain effort to describe an elusive sound that is more esoteric than most of their contemporaries. “Polk” (a fusion of punk and folk), “zoukibilly” (rockabilly with bouzoukis) and “punkranian” are just a few of the phrases conjured up by some of the more inventive journalists. “Tom Waits at a Bar Mitzvah”, quipped one enthusiastic scribe, while another equally inventive journalist likened the experience of a Pale gig to that of seeing “a Ukrainian wedding band on acid”.
Over the last twenty years, The Pale have also had the pleasure of supporting some very eclectic acts most notably The Frames, Antony and the Johnson’s and The Beautiful South. The band have also worked with many different musicians who have added some interesting ingredients to the Pale sound, while the mainstay of the group has remained Matthew Devereux (Vocals), Shane Wearen (Mandolin) and Darren Flynn (Bass).
Indeed, if necessity is the mother of invention, then The Pale have always found it necessary to think outside the box. In an effort to satiate their broad musical leanings The Pale has used many different traditional instruments. Mandolin, bouzouki, Turkish oud, banjo, viola and sitar have all made an appearance on Pale recordings, but not always played in the “traditional” way.
A brand new album from The Pale called “I Woke Up And I Was Gone” was recently recorded in the Czech republic and will be released in 2010.
2) Bellingham, WA based indie-rockers The Pale Pacific released albums under the name of 'The Pale' until legal complications with The Pale (above) required a name change, lest lawyer letters and territorial knife-fights ensue. For more information on The Pale Pacific follow one of the links in this paragraph.
Butterfly
The Pale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wardrobe’s bulging with bones and bills I haven’t paid
Ever feel like the sailor Who just swallowed the seaI better leave before I be a happy zombie
I am a butterfly I shed my father’s clothes
I am successfully a failure But happy all in all
They say my instability Is the reason I won’t fall
But that vacancy of shouldersIs the reason I have flown
I am the butterflyI’ve shed my father’s clothes
The Pale's song Butterfly is a hauntingly beautiful song that speaks to the disillusionment and loss of innocence that comes with growing up. The song is an ode to the butterflies that we cling to as we navigate the complexities of the world. In the first verse, the singer reflects on the hope and optimism that he felt when he was younger, before the world wore him down. He describes the feeling of the rope burning, as though life is pulling him in different directions, and the cosmos seems too vast for him to comprehend. He speaks to the feeling of becoming numb and sleepless nights that are etched into his bones.
In the chorus, the singer turns to the butterflies for comfort. He describes them as melting all hearts, a powerful image that speaks to the emotional power that these small creatures can have. In the second verse, the singer speaks to the beauty of nature and how it can help us to reconnect with the world. He talks about the worship of the sun and the warmth that it brings, and how this can be a balm for the soul. Again, he turns to the butterflies for comfort, describing them as small but powerful creatures that can help to break through the disillusionment that we feel.
Overall, Butterfly is a deeply moving song that speaks to the beauty and power of nature, and the way that it can help us to find our way when we feel lost. It's a song that reminds us to hold onto the things that bring us joy and comfort, even when life feels overwhelming and the world seems too big to comprehend.
Line by Line Meaning
When we were young and regarded the world with hope
As hopeful youths, we once looked upon the world with optimism.
We came to feel pretty soon the burning of the rope
However, we quickly realized the harsh reality of life's struggles and hardships.
The cosmos grew far too vast, our faces turned to stone
The immense scale of the universe made us feel small and insignificant, leading to a sense of emotional detachment.
Engraved by sleepless nights and the chilling of the bone
Our experiences and emotions have been etched into our very being, causing us to feel cold and detached from the world.
We turned to the wings on the soft summer breeze
To cope with our struggles, we found solace in the beauty of nature, particularly in the wings of delicate butterflies.
Small butterflies
These delicate insects represent the fragility and fleeting nature of beauty and happiness.
Melting all hearts disillusion tried to freeze
The mere sight of these butterflies can break through the walls of cynicism and despair that we have built up over time.
Like the old Stonehenge rocks
Similar to the ancient Stonehenge monument, we too have formed a community that finds spiritual connection to the natural world.
Our circle praised the sun
As a group, our spiritual beliefs involve the worship and appreciation of the life-giving sun.
A huge canvas to warm us by the golden goddess spun
The sun represents a vast and powerful force that warms and sustains us, created by a divine being metaphorically referred to as a 'golden goddess'.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ASSBRASS, IN CHANG HUH, KANG LEE, SE HWAN KIM, YOUNG HEON WON, CANDLE, SEI HWAN KIM, SI JIN PARK, YO HAN LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ThePhantomJerk
Three of the most talented musicians ever to grace the Irish Music Scene.
@77pob
Absolutely. They played in Waterford last year and the whole town turned out just to hear this!
@decaunteton9658
ah this takes me back, they played the Atlantic Hotel in Ballybunion in Co.Kerry August bank holiday weekend 1994, this song stuck with me ever since.
@bredaahern
Great song! I remember my sister walking all the way home from Ballybunion one night they played in the Atlantic!!!!!!!!!!
@ogorman86
I can't believe this song is nearly 20 years old
@fireweasel
Superb song - just popped back into my head this evening after all these years.
@seanomarcaigh
Thank God to see a name in Irish other than my own!!
@TheYoungArmachians
This song is a classic, someone should use it in a feature film... to give it the recognition it deserves. Frm the Great Greebo days!!
@gaelswed
brings back great memories of seeing them in my home town of waterford city ireland in 92,living in sweden for the last 14 yrs now and my swedish wife thinks their amazing,believe their still touring,SWEET!
@elless27
classic!! saw them in d Metroland Waterford City in 1993...great gig....