Tired Pony was formed by Gary Lightbody (of Snow Patrol), who had a "long-term ambition" of making a country album. He revealed the project's existence in May 2009. In the interview, he expressed his love for country music, which he said he had loved for a long time: "I always thought I had a country album in me and it turns out I did." The rest of Snow Patrol expressed excitement for their band-mate, "delighted that [Lightbody was] getting to exorcise all his crazy ideas." In October 2009, Lightbody in his blog on Snow Patrol's website revealed the members of the group to be Richard Colburn (of Belle & Sebastian), Iain Archer, singer Miriam Kaufmann (Archer's wife), and Jacknife Lee. He talked about two more members whom he was very excited about, but didn't name them. He also stated that the album won't be country as was being reported, but would be "country-tinged". In January 2010, Hot Press reported Peter Buck (of R.E.M.) to be a member of the group. Lightbody described Buck as one of his "all-time heroes" and admired his talent for playing a variety of instruments. Lightbody looks at the project as something he has "wanted to get out of [his] system", and said that "[he doesn't] know whether people will dig it or not." He has expressed doubts about the commercial viability of the group's work, mainly in the United States.
Lightbody had a potential album fully written by May 2009, and had said he only needed to record it. On 13 October 2009, Lightbody debuted a Tired Pony song during Snow Patrol's tour stop in Portland. While playing an acoustic session for radio station KINK, he introduced the song which he said he had written the previous night. He said that the song was "written in Portland, inspired by Portland".
The album The Place We Ran From was released on July 12, 2010, in the United Kingdom and on September 28, 2010, in the United States. Its first single was "Dead American Writers, released one week before the album on vinyl only." It was recorded in only one week on January 2010, in Portland, Oregon, USA. It includes contributions from actress and singer Zooey Deschanel, guitarist M. Ward, and Tom Smith of the indie rock group Editors. Apart from playing on the album, Jacknife Lee is handling album production. The video for "Dead American Writers" stars British actor Joseph Gilgun and was directed by Paul Fraser (a longtime collaborator of Shane Meadows).
Tired Pony played their first live show at London's Forum venue in Kentish Town on July 14, 2010 and were joined on stage by 2009 Mercury Music Prize nominee Lisa Hannigan who stepped in for Zooey Deschanel on the song "Get On The Road". Editors singer Tom Smith also joined the group on stage.
On September 30, 2010, Tired Pony appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, performing "Dead American Writers" from the album. "Get on the road" was also featured on Showtime drama "Shameless" at the end of "Just Like the Pilgrims Intended" episode .
pieces
Tired Pony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And her hair is soaking wet
The bedroom light is flickering
To the pounding of your heart
You close your eyes and count to ten
When they open you're still
Slow your breathing down to meet
All the shadows and the ghosts
To the sound of beating drums
You can't contain it anymore so just let the madness come
There's something in the way she moves that just terrorises you
You try to piece confusing clues together in your head
I see you there, shining like a beacon
(Fabric tears) Fabric tears
My love burns for you
(The end of me) The end of me is in there with you right now
(Car engine) Car engine, still too hot to touch.
You're married to her in your mind
And she loves you like a son
Yearning for a place in time
And a hope to call your own
Smashed into you hard enough
That you will not soon forget
He wants her like a sword and sheild
And he wants her here and now
I see you there
You are my only empire
(Call your name) I call your name but it becomes the wind
(A subtle urge) A subtle urge, a quickening of footfalls
(Bible held) A Bible held above me like an axe.
The song "Pieces" by Tired Pony features vivid and evocative lyrics that tell a haunting and melancholic story of unrequited love, desire, and loss. The opening verse describes a vivid image of the persona watching the object of their affection from afar, with her hair soaking wet and the bedroom light flickering to the pounding of his heart. As the verse unfolds, the persona struggles to contain the intense emotions they feel, with pieces of their heart collapsing to the sound of beating drums. The pre-chorus suggests that the woman's mysterious and enigmatic persona is what terrifies the persona so much - something in the way she moves that just terrorizes him.
Moving on to the second verse, the persona's internal struggle and unfulfilled desire become even more apparent, with the lyrics stating that he's 'married to her in his mind,' while she loves him 'like a son.' The third verse is equally evocative, painting a picture of a burning love that's ultimately destroyed by deep-seated disappointment and heartbreak. The lyrics 'You are my only empire,' suggest that the persona's love was all-consuming, all-encompassing, but also fragile and doomed to fall apart.
Overall, "Pieces" is a song that captures the complex and intense emotions of unrequited love, with powerful yet poetic lyrics that evoke feelings of longing, despair, and regret. The song's lingering melancholic melody and hauntingly beautiful arrangement also serve to amplify the emotional weight of the lyrics, creating a powerful listening experience that's sure to leave its mark.
Line by Line Meaning
I see her from the deep garden
I observe her from a faraway garden
And her hair is soaking wet
Her hair is drenched
The bedroom light is flickering
The room's light is unsteady
To the pounding of your heart
It beats in unison with your heart
You close your eyes and count to ten
You shut your eyes and count till ten
When they open you're still
Upon opening, nothing's changed
Slow your breathing down to meet
Control your breathing to match
All the shadows and the ghosts
The silhouettes and phantoms
Pieces of your heart collapse
Fragments of your heart crumble
To the sound of beating drums
The beating of drums compels it
You can't contain it anymore so just let the madness come
You can't restrain it, let insanity ensue
There's something in the way she moves that just terrorises you
She moves in a way that petrifies you
You try to piece confusing clues together in your head
You attempt to connect perplexing hints mentally
You're married to her in your mind
You're wed to her in your thoughts
And she loves you like a son
She cherishes you like her offspring
Yearning for a place in time
Aching to belong in a specific era
And a hope to call your own
And a desire to claim as your own
Smashed into you hard enough
Collided with so strongly
That you will not soon forget
Memorable to stay for a while
He wants her like a sword and shield
He desires her as both a weapon and aid
And he wants her here and now
And he wants her at this moment
I see you there
I notice you
You are my only empire
You're the only monarch of my heart
Call your name
Shout out your name
I call your name but it becomes the wind
I shout your name but it's carried away by the wind
A subtle urge
A slight prompting
A quickening of footfalls
A hastened pace of footsteps
A Bible held above me like an axe
A Bible grasped overhead akin to an axe
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Scott Mccaughey, Iain Denis Archer, Troy Baker Stewart, Peter Lawrence Buck, Gary Lightbody, Richard William Colburn, Garret Noel Lee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind