The Reindeer Section arose - according to Lightbody - out of a chance get-together of musicians at a Lou Barlow gig in Glasgow in 2001, at which Lightbody drunkenly laid down the challenge to others to "make an album together", to which everyone said "yeah yeah". Lightbody "went home and next day wrote the album" and later convinced Johnny Davies of Bright Star Recordings to fund a recording session and release the proposed album. The group met over three days of rehearsal and ten days of recording to produce the first album. The album, Y'All Get Scared Now, Ya Hear! was released with a mini tour, the first venue of which was Belfast's The Limelight venue.
A second album, Son of evil reindeer was released ten months after the critical acclaim of the first, with a slightly different line-up. The single, You Are My Joy appeared on US show, Grey's Anatomy, and on fourth season of US TV series Queer as Folk. The song Cartwheels appeared on "The Second Chance", an episode of The O.C.. The band's most recent gig was on 14 December 2002 at the Queen Margaret Union in Glasgow. The project has never officially split up, but from that time it has been considered in a hiatus.
Artists who contributed to the project so far are:
From Alfie: Ben Dumville, Lee Gorton and Sam Morris
From Arab Strap: Colin Macpherson, Malcolm Middleton and Aidan Moffat
From Astrid: William Campbell, Charlie Clarke, Neil Payne and Gareth Russell
From Belle & Sebastian: Richard Colburn, Mick Cooke and Bob Kildea
From Cadet: Iain Archer
From Eva: Jenny Reeve and Sarah Roberts
From Idlewild: Roddy Woomble
From Mogwai: John Cummings
From Mull Historical Society: Colin MacIntyre
From Snow Patrol: Gary Lightbody, Mark McClelland and Jonny Quinn
From Teenage Fanclub: Norman Blake
From The Vaselines: Eugene Kelly
and Michael Bannister, Roy Kerr, Paul Fox, Marcus Mackay, Gill Mills and Stacie Sievewright.
Budapest
The Reindeer Section Lyrics
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At exactly what you took
I give it time to breathe
And wipe its tears on my sleeve
And it will break my heart
With every sound it makes,
on you
You squeeze my hand and I
I know it's true
His little hand round my thumb
Makes me warm and numb
I hold my breath and smile
and hope it stays for a while
And it will break my heart
With every sound it makes,
on you
And it's all over dear
You squeeze my hand and I
I know it's true
The Reindeer Section's song Budapest tells the tale of someone who is experiencing heartbreak but cannot bring themselves to face the full extent of the pain. The lyrics begin by describing the singer's reluctance to look at what their lover has taken from them. The idea that the singer needs to give it time to breathe suggests that they are trying to come to terms with what has happened and are giving themselves time to process their emotions. The line "and wipe its tears on my sleeve" conjures an image of the singer mourning the loss of whatever it is their lover has taken, and trying to comfort it as they would with a friend who is crying.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the loss will break the singer's heart with every sound it makes. This could be interpreted as the singer being reminded of their loss whenever they hear anything that reminds them of their lover. The lyrics suggest that the situation is all over, and the singer knows that their lover is gone for good. The second verse describes the singer holding a baby's hand, which makes them feel warm and numb. This could be interpreted as the singer finding comfort in the idea of new life, and the possibility of starting again.
Line by Line Meaning
I cannot dare to look
I am unable to confront the reality of what you have taken from me
At exactly what you took
I am uncertain of the exact thing that you have taken from me
I give it time to breathe
I allow myself and the situation some space to process and deal with it
And wipe its tears on my sleeve
I help to comfort myself and the situation through my emotional response
And it will break my heart
The situation is emotionally painful and overwhelming
With every sound it makes, on you
The emotional pain comes from your involvement or association with the situation
And it's all over dear
The situation has come to an end and there is closure
You squeeze my hand and I, I know it's true
Your physical touch confirms the reality of the situation and brings comfort
His little hand round my thumb
A child's hand is holding onto and trusting in me
Makes me warm and numb
I feel both comfort and loss of feeling through this connection
I hold my breath and smile
I try to savor and hold onto this moment of connection and joy
and hope it stays for a while
I fear losing this moment of joy and seek to prolong it as much as I can
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB KILDEA, GARY LIGHTBODY, CHARLIE CLARKE, GARETH RUSSELL, JENNY REEVE, JONNY QUINN, BEN DUMVILLE, STACIE SEIVERWRIGHT, COLIN MCPHERSON, WILLIAM CAMPBELL, NEIL DOUGLAS PAYNE, SAM MORRIS
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