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.
Cold Water
The Reindeer Section Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel dead from the neck up
Could you pour some water on my face
It feels cold at least I feel something else
I am not ready
I am not ready
No goodbyes and no signs that you hurt
I could cry like you should've years ago
So I'll see you when I am ready to go
I am not ready
I am not ready
I am not ready
I am not ready
The Reindeer Section's song Cold Water speaks to the experience of grief and mourning, particularly in the aftermath of sudden loss. The lyrics capture the numbed feeling of shock and disbelief that comes with losing someone unexpectedly. The line "I feel dead from the neck up" encapsulates this sense of emotional paralysis and detachment from one's own feelings. The singer of the song is struggling to come to terms with the fact that someone they love has died, and they are feeling overwhelmed by the pain and the weight of their grief.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the fact that the singer is not ready to deal with their loss. They are not yet prepared to face the reality of life without the person who has died. The repetition of this line reinforces the sense of emotional stasis that the singer is experiencing. They cannot move forward or process their grief until they feel more capable of dealing with it.
The final verse of the song highlights the sense of unresolved heartbreak that comes with losing someone without a chance to say goodbye. The singer wishes they could cry like they should have years ago, but they are not yet able to fully access their emotions. The final line "So I'll see you when I am ready to go" suggests that the singer will face their grief eventually, but for now, they need time to heal and come to terms with what has happened.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel faint, what have I just heard?
I am feeling weak and overwhelmed by what I just heard.
I feel dead from the neck up
I am emotionally numb and unable to process my thoughts.
Could you pour some water on my face
Can you provide me with a physical sensation to take me out of my current mental state.
It feels cold at least I feel something else
The sensation of the cold water provides me with an alternative feeling other than numbness.
It's hard enough to believe you've left us
It is difficult to accept that you are no longer here with us.
No goodbyes and no signs that you hurt
You left without warning and we had no indication that you were struggling.
I could cry like you should've years ago
I am feeling the emotions that you should have expressed years ago when you were still here with us.
So I'll see you when I am ready to go
I will reunite with you when I am ready to let go and move on.
I am not ready
I am not emotionally prepared to let go.
I am not ready
I am not prepared for the emotional pain of separation.
I am not ready
I am not prepared to accept the reality of your absence.
I am not ready
I am not ready to say goodbye to you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BEN DUMVILLE, CHARLES CLARK, GARETH MARTIN RUSSELL, GARY LIGHTBODY, JENNIFER REEVE, JONATHAN GRAHAM QUINN, SAM MORRIS, STACEY JENIFER SIEVWRIGHT, WILLIAM ANGUS CAMPBELL
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