Tilly and the Wall sprang out of Omaha in 2001 - a Midwestern band of like-minded friends with pockets full of melodies, and a lot of pockets. The serendipitous result of five Omaha residents with a penchant for the same classic '60s pop, boy/girl harmonies and Americana folk records, Tilly and the Wall celebrates the petulant, determined, feisty nature of youth. They rejoice in tales of dreams followed, mistakes made, and hearts broken.
Tilly and the Wall released their debut album, Wild Like Children, in June 2004 on Conor Oberst's label, Team Love. Neely and Jamie were once in a band with Conor before he became known worldwide as Bright Eyes. Derek and Nick moved to Omaha from Atlanta, Georgia. Upon meeting, it was as if long-lost friends had found each other: without a doubt, the Tillys were born. Once the songs were written, Conor agreed to helm the production duties, and hence, Wild Like Children was unleashed on the world. As one of the first albums released on Team Love, Tilly and the Wall set a precedent for the label's identity: original, smart, exciting and, above all, easy to sing along to. The record consisted of 11 perfectly formed songs bursting with enthusiastic hyperactivity, while emanating a bitter sweet melancholy of long lost summers and misguided first loves. In front of a backdrop of sunshine, rain and snow, Tilly and the Wall sang songs about loving and kissing, dancing and drinking, staying and leaving, driving and talking, sleeping and dreaming, all set to the tap-tap-tapping of Jamie's toes. The press from sea to shining sea fell in love instantly.
And so, the Tillys went to meet their adoring fans, playing shows throughout America with the likes of Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, The Go! Team, Pedro the Lion, Of Montreal and more. When not on the road, the band began working on the follow-up to Wild Like Children, simply titled Bottoms of Barrels. Recorded over three weeks in October and November 2005, the album was recorded by AJ Mogis, brother and mixed by studio co-hort to Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis. Bottoms of Barrels sees the Tillys taking their signature sound to the next level. The choruses are more rousing, the tapping more intense, the instrumentation fuller, each sound painting broad brush strokes across your speakers. Longtime friend Nate Walcott contributes a bit of trumpet, while other friends have added drums, accordion and cello. A couple of tracks even feature the vocal styling of University of Nebraska's own choir Trip the Light Fantastic, bolstering Neely and Kianna's dulcet harmonies. Bottoms of Barrels fully demonstrated the importance of Tilly’s “we” perspective – with a gang full of voices, the band made strong declarations about love, freedom and their own place in the world. The album took the band on travels they had only dreamt about, resulting in extensive tours throughout Europe, Australia, Japan and even Iceland. They also played their first-ever sets at major music festivals, including the Reading/Leeds Festival, Coachella and Japan’s Summer Sonic. By the middle of 2007, they returned home to Omaha to begin work on their next long-playing record, having amassed legions of fans, as well as frequent flyer miles, across the entire globe.
Their 2008 record, which has no title but is represented by the shape o (the cut-out shape framing the handmade cover artwork for the record), was produced by acclaimed producer Mike Mogis through the harsh Nebraska winter of 2007. o sees Tilly and the Wall redefining their sound, taking bigger, bolder steps towards experimentation while maintaining the elements that have always made them who they are. o draws on everything from nature to magic, from sex to astrology, with a larger focus on percussion, rhythm, harmonies and kaleidoscopic melodies, yet ultimately still sounds like our five musical friends from Omaha.
Their album Heavy Mood was released in 2012. They broke up soon after that. Vocalist Kianna Alarid joined the Kansas City band Yes You Are. A retrospective album I Want to F*ck It Up (Tilly and the Wall 2002-2013) is planned for 2020 on the Team Love label.
Lost Girls
Tilly and the Wall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the storm seems kind of scary
Your face lit up on beads of lightening
And you start, you start running
And your eyes were light screaming
And since there is no end, and no beginning
You will run
You will run
Girl, I know the woods look dark
And the trees, they look so deadly
The girls around you are so frightened
And you start, you start to panic
Hear the breathing of a dragon
And the world, it really is on fire
And it burns
And it burns
And it burns
Vivan, your life is told over 1900 pages
Of a world too unreal to be cold,
Your innocence has faded all your blues to gray, your skin has bruised through moving days, blue is peeling back away
Curling, cracking, painting
Girl, you've been rolled up in colorful carpets
Your blonde hair's rushing all around you
And you froze, you're frozen quiet
And your eyes are widened
Room unfurnished, like the nightfall
and you know you can't get up
And you do, you swear you will run
You will run
You will run
You will run
No one will ever save you
If no one will ever find you
Lost girls
Lost girls
Lost girls
Lost girls
Lost girls
The lyrics to Tilly and the Wall's "Lost Girls" delve into the fear and anxiety that can come with feeling lost or overwhelmed. The first verse speaks to the feeling of being lost in a dark hallway during a storm. The imagery of lightning and screaming eyes add to the sense of fear and urgency. The repetition of "You will run / You will run / You will run" hammers home the idea of fleeing from danger, even if it feels never-ending.
The second verse continues the theme of danger in a different setting - the woods. The breathing of a dragon adds a fantastical element to the fear. The line "And the world, it really is on fire / And it burns / And it burns / And it burns" conjures up a feeling of chaos and destruction.
The final verse is addressed to a girl named Vivan, who seems to have gone through some difficult experiences. The line "Your innocence has faded all your blues to gray" suggests a loss of innocence and the negative impact of that loss. The following lines about "blue" peeling back and curling, cracking, painting add to the sense of something breaking down or deteriorating.
Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of the fear of being lost and overwhelmed by danger or difficult experiences. The repetition of "Lost girls" at the end emphasizes the idea that there are many people who feel this way and who may not be able to find their way without help.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, I know the hall looks dark
An empathetic way of acknowledging someone's fear of the unknown
And the storm seems kind of scary
Acknowledging the existence of a real threat or danger ahead
Your face lit up on beads of lightening
Your facial show of tension at the thought of a coming danger
And you start, you start running
Responding to the fear and taking immediate action to escape
And your eyes were light screaming
Your eyes now wide open, expressing the deep fear
And since there is no end, and no beginning
The realization that the situation is uncertain, with no apparent resolution in sight
You will run
You will run
You will run
Committing to continuous effort towards escaping the danger
Girl, I know the woods look dark
Acknowledging the existence of a deeper-seated fear
And the trees, they look so deadly
The realization that the situation is even more dangerous than initially thought
The girls around you are so frightened
Feeling surrounded by others who are also afraid and powerless
And you start, you start to panic
Feeling overwhelmed by the situation and losing control
Hear the breathing of a dragon
Imagining a terrifying and mythical creature in the midst of the danger
And the world, it really is on fire
Feeling that the world is collapsing around you
And it burns
And it burns
And it burns
Describing the intensity of the situation, implying a sense of hopelessness
Vivan, your life is told over 1900 pages
A third-person reference to a character in a book, projecting oneself into a different reality
Of a world too unreal to be cold,
Acknowledging the unreality of the situation, signifying the anxiety of the unknown
Your innocence has faded all your blues to gray,
Losing the sense of security in the world, everything is uncertain
Your skin has bruised through moving days,
Physical pain from having to continuously move through a difficult situation
Blue is peeling back away
Curling, cracking, painting
The slow but inevitable decay and destruction of oneself, internally and externally
Girl, you've been rolled up in colorful carpets
Reference to being trapped and suffocated by something outwardly beautiful
Your blonde hair's rushing all around you
Feeling overwhelmed and out of control
And you froze, you're frozen quiet
Unable to do anything, paralyzed by fear or uncertainty
And your eyes are widened
Eyes indicating shock and disbelief, possibly at the realization of the actual danger
Room unfurnished, like the nightfall
Feeling abandoned and isolated in a dark and lonely space
and you know you can't get up
And you do, you swear you will run
You will run
You will run
You will run
A sudden realization of the need for action, and making an immediate commitment to keep trying to escape
No one will ever save you
If no one will ever find you
Lost girls
Lost girls
Lost girls
Lost girls
Lost girls
Implying a sense of hopelessness and resignation that no one can truly understand what others are going through in their struggles, but still acknowledging the painful reality of being lost and trapped
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Derek Pressnall, Jamie L Williams, Kianna Alarid, Neely Jenkins, Nicholas White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind