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.
Strike Me Down
The Reindeer Section Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before I'd think of you
I always take the easy way
Before I struggled with it
Can't you see I had no choice
Other than to leave you?
All these years I lost my voice
Shouting over nothing
Never will be easy to hear babe
But you have got nothing to fear babe
Just think of all the things that I've done to you
Any time you're wanting me bad, girl
I haven't noticed much has changed
Drinking every day now
I used to hope the phone would ring
And now I'm glad it doesn't
Loving someone's hard enough
But leaving them is torture
Don't think I don't think of you now
I'm with you every day dear
Never will be easy to hear babe
But you have got nothing to fear babe
Just think of all the things that I've done to you
Any time you're wanting me bad, girl
The Reindeer Section's song "Strike Me Down" is a poignant reflection on someone's struggle to come to terms with a failed relationship. The opening lines of the song reveal the singer's mindset towards love and emotional attachment. He admits to always thinking of someone else before thinking of his partner, which eventually led him to take the easy way out instead of working through their problems. The heartbreaking realization that he had no choice but to leave his lover signifies the deep pain and angst he is experiencing.
As the chorus begins, the singer concedes that it is difficult to hear what he has to say, but reassures his former lover that she has nothing to fear. He urges her to focus on the good times they shared and everything he has done for her. The second verse conveys a sense of regret as the singer shares how he has used alcohol to cope with the pain of the breakup, and reveals that he no longer wishes for his former lover to call him. However, he acknowledges the difficulty of leaving someone you love and how this decision has haunted him every day.
Overall, "Strike Me Down" is a raw and honest portrayal of love and loss. The lyrics capture the complexities of human emotions and relationships, and reflect on the pain and regret of having to let go of someone you once loved deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd always thought of someone else
I never placed you as my top priority
Before I'd think of you
Your needs were secondary to whoever else was on my mind
I always take the easy way
I avoided hardships and challenges whenever possible
Before I struggled with it
I never put in the effort to overcome obstacles or difficulties
Can't you see I had no choice
I had to leave you without any other options
Other than to leave you?
There was no alternative but to end our relationship
All these years I lost my voice
I held back from expressing myself to you
Shouting over nothing
I argued about insignificant things instead of confessing my true feelings
Never will be easy to hear babe
What I have to say won't be painless for you to listen to
But you have got nothing to fear babe
You have no reason to be scared of what I'm going to say
Just think of all the things that I've done to you
Recall the actions I've taken that have hurt you
Any time you're wanting me bad, girl
When you miss me deeply and long for my companionship
I haven't noticed much has changed
I haven't observed significant differences or developments
Drinking every day now
I've resorted to consuming alcohol daily
I used to hope the phone would ring
In the past, I anticipated your calls
And now I'm glad it doesn't
But now, I'm relieved when it doesn't ring
Loving someone's hard enough
It's difficult to love a person unconditionally
But leaving them is torture
But ending a relationship with them is even more unbearable
Don't think I don't think of you now
Just because I left, doesn't mean I don't consider you anymore
I'm with you every day dear
You're constantly on my mind, even though we're not together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES CLARK, EUGENE KELLY, GARETH MARTIN RUSSELL, GARY LIGHTBODY, JENNIFER REEVE, NEIL PAYNE, NORMAN GEORGE BLAKE, WILLIAM ANGUS CAMPBELL
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