The group gained some notoriety when a single from its first album, Blood and Roses, was included on the soundtrack for and as the theme song of the 1986 Albert Pyun movie Dangerously Close and the video got some moderately heavy rotation on MTV. The group spent some time in its initial semi-celebrity phase defending itself in Rolling Stone against thinly-veiled accusations of sounding too much like The Byrds and The Beatles, pointing out that its Marshall Amplifier-heavy live sound was closer to heavy metal than it was to The Beatles.
Along with a basic Eastern-coast roots-rock sound that owed much to the inspirations of DiNizio, including Buddy Holly, The Who, The Clash, Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe, the Smithereens deployed a uniquely retro obsession with Mod, the late British Invasion pop of John's Children and The Move, and other artifacts of fifties and sixties culture that lent its music substance and style. The highest position a Smithereens album attained on the Billboard pop charts was in 1990, when 11 peaked at #41 on the strength of the single A Girl Like You (which hit #38). The group is still active and tours frequently, but went for seven years without releasing a new studio album, following God Save the Smithereens in 1999.
In January 2007, the band released a cover of the album Meet the Beatles titled Meet the Smithereens. Bassist Mike Mesaros does not appear on the album, replaced by Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion . An album of original material was promised for later in the year, but Christmas with The Smithereens, released in October 2007, included only three original songs along with nine covers of Christmas songs.
Till There Was You
The Smithereens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There were bells on the hill
But I never heard them ringing
No, I never heard them at all
Till there was you.
There were birds in the sky
No, I never saw them at all
Till there was you.
And there was music and wonderful roses, they tell me
In the sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew.
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you.
And there was music and wonderful roses, they tell me
In the sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew.
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you
Till there was you.
The Smithereens's song "Till There Was You" is a timeless love song that expresses the transformative power of love. The song describes a person who was unaware of the beauty of the world, but after finding love, has seen everything in a new light. The opening lines, "There were bells on the hill, but I never heard them ringing, no, I never heard them at all till there was you" symbolize the singer's ignorance of the simple pleasures in life before finding love.
Similarly, the singer had never seen the birds soaring in the sky, until they found their true love, "there were birds in the sky, but I never saw them winging, no, I never saw them at all till there was you." The verse highlights the transformative power of love, and how it can open our eyes to the beauty of the world.
The lyrical expression about the "sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew," shows the scenic beauty of the world that was unnoticed to the singer until they found love. The song concludes with the line, "there was love all around, but I never heard it singing, no, I never heard it at all till there was you, till there was you." The lyric reflects that love is an omnipresent force existing all around us, but until we find our true love, we remain ignorant to it.
Overall, "Till There Was You" is an emotional ballad that tells a story of how love has the potential to change our lives, attitudes and perspectives towards the world.
Line by Line Meaning
There were bells on the hill
There were bells on the hill.
But I never heard them ringing
But I was never able to hear them ringing, until I met you.
No, I never heard them at all
I had never heard them before.
Till there was you.
I started hearing them when you came into my life.
There were birds in the sky
Birds flew in the sky.
But I never saw them winging
But I wasn't observant enough to notice them flying, till now.
No, I never saw them at all
I never noticed them before.
Till there was you.
But after I met you, I noticed them more and more.
And there was music and wonderful roses, they tell me
There was music and beautiful roses, so I've been told.
In the sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew.
They were in the fresh and fragrant meadows at dawn and during dewy mornings.
There was love all around
Love was surrounding me.
But I never heard it singing
But I was not in tune with it, until you showed me love.
No, I never heard it at all
I was never able to hear it before.
Till there was you.
But after you came into my life, I was able to hear and feel it.
Till there was you.
Until there was you, I was not able to experience these things fully.
Contributed by Madelyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
desertfoxleo
I can't help smiling when I hear this tune. Thanks guys for this incredible cover!!!
AGCTOWN
THEE BEST REMAKE OF THIS SONG PERIOD. (BEATLES STYLE) THE GUITAR AND MUSIC STYLE IS DAMNED GOOD!
Steve Paul
Great cover. RIP Pat.
James Petrecca
excellent!!!
Kyle Hegedus
A cover of a cover!!!
Hannah Hägg
omg good cover of the Beatles
TheSnodly
As a Beatle purist, I am generally put off by most people's covers of their songs, considering them bordering on sacrilege...but I love the Smithereens, and was really antsy when I first heard them cover the Lad's songs...but they are all excellent ! Great job, guys !
STEWDIOG
Where Is I want to Tell You - with DAY TRIPPER Drums / Speed I LOVED IT HEARD IT ON Sirius Beatles Station
STEWDIOG
I Think they Said it was on George's 'LIVING IN A MATERIAL WORLD' Site ?
Mudpuppyjunior
They're covering the Beatle's version. But that was itself a cover of Peggy Lee's version which was a cover of the original from The Music Man.