UMBRELLAS’ ILLUMINARE
(Latin; meaning to light the way or illustrate.)
When Scott Windsor and the timeless yet refreshing band Umbrellas released their debut self-titled record in 2005, they may not have guessed that one year later, they’d find themselves livening-up a drab, abandoned comedy club—recording songs on giant stages and in refrigerators for their follow-up, Illuminare. Umbrellas’ sophomore Militia Group release was recorded in two solid weeks of near fifteen-hour recording sessions, where Scott and his band’s musings were tested and brought to life.
When Umbrellas’ debut hit the shelves, it was recognized as a dynamic, eager offering. The band toured heavily and new ideas began swimming inside Windsor’s head. Those ideas formed icebergs—and the only option was to dismantle and re-conduct the near-avalanche of visions, abstractions, melodies and structures. The debut, birthed in decidedly artistic, collaborative ways, proved to be an even more cautious outing compared to Illuminare.
Hanging blankets across the empty, dusty and evocative shell of an old comedy club, Scott and his Umbrellas started tracking their new record Illuminare. They went forth in unsafe, less-than secure scenarios with nearby ‘06 tornados in Oklahoma. Scott recalls: “The old comedy club had an odd feel to it. Grossly low-lit, strange hallways, off-color backrooms good for nothing—right there in the middle of downtown Tulsa—dodging tornados in the midst of recording. We constantly heard sirens going off, went outside to piss-green skies, sideways rain and I thought to myself ‘maybe they’ll find these recordings someday after we were all carried off.’ One of the band members’ car was stolen during the recording process by homeless people who stole it just to impress their friends. The van got broken into- we had a stolen hard drive. But bad luck could not stop this record.”
James McAlister (Ester Drang, Sufjan Stevens) played the drums, percussion, programming, and added lively, innovative ideas like sampling Scott’s voice as the keyboard parts for the song “Again and Again.” On the song, Scott sings: “Where’s the piano? The big, big bass drum?” Well, in that song, the piano’s right there in his vocal chords—which were adamantly, angelically bared just as they are on Illuminare. “Most of these songs only had one take on vocals—80% of the record. Every record nowadays, it seems you can find some pretty blonde, put auto-tune on it and just go with it.” Scott modestly adds: “I’m not the best singer but at least when you see us live, what you see is what you get and I’m not lying to fans.” And it seems that’s what the general mood and stance of this record: reality, and a sense for the organic, raw, forgotten sentiments. In the song “Tests on My Heart, Windsor sings of ‘getting over the self,’ recording in the aforementioned refrigerator with cold vocal-shadows and a Vaudevillian piano interlude. Illuminare grapples with notions of solitude, life, death, and the plain old blues. Scott sings of realistic love, infatuation, satisfaction, disappointment, life-balance, the letting-go, appeasement, idealism, and grace—all with a backdrop of blustery fall-out tunes with strange swirls of sound, smatterings of echoes and pulsings, huge bass hammerings and bells to chime the gladness in being right there where one’s supposed to be. Weathering the storms, and taking on the shadows and memories of calmer times and warmer rooms.
The players: Chad Copelin (producer, keys, guitar, bass), Nathan Price (drums, percussion), Eric Arndt (bass), Scott Windsor (vocals, guitars, percussion) James McAlister (drums, percussion, programming), Ryan Lindsey (piano, background vocals)
Scott 09 Sep 2006
Taken from their Website:
www.umbrellasmusic.com
Sleep Well
Umbrellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm digging my heels in so far that I dug a grave
To the point where I wanted to lay in it
You made me lay down
Your eyes can be revealing
And I've read between the lines
You were neverunsure
And your pretentious mouth runs all day long
Calls on my phone to ward off thoughts
And things to do to keep me busy
You won't let me slow down
You need me balanced and in good spirits
Your eyes can be revealing
And I've read between the lines
You were never unsure
But you're always wrong
And your pretentious mouth runs all day long
I'll edure and I'll press on
But it's not for you
It's not your interests I'm concerned with
You're a corpse and a fake
I hope you sleep well
And your eyes can be revealing...
The Umbrellas song Sleep Well paints a picture of a strained relationship in which one person feels trapped and used by the other. The opening lines, "You want me, you got me, I'm digging my heels in so far that I dug a grave," suggest that the singer is in a situation that they can't escape from, and that they're aware of the danger they're in. The image of digging a grave also suggests that the singer feels responsible for their own predicament, that they've chosen to stay in a situation they know is harmful. The following lines, "To the point where I wanted to lay in it, you made me lay down," suggest that the other person in the relationship has exerted some kind of power or control over the singer, forcing them to submit to a situation they don't want to be in.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated lines, "Your eyes can be revealing, and I've read between the lines, you were never unsure, but you're always wrong, and your pretentious mouth runs all day long," suggests that the other person in the relationship is arrogant and self-centered. The singer implies that they can see through this person's facade, that they're aware of their true motivations and intentions. The use of the word "pretentious" also suggests that the other person isn't genuine, that they're putting on a persona to impress others.
The final verse of the song, "I'll endure and I'll press on, but it's not for you, it's not your interests I'm concerned with, you're a corpse and a fake, I hope you sleep well," suggests that the singer has found a way to survive within the relationship, but that their focus is on their own survival rather than the other person's. The cutting line "you're a corpse and a fake" implies that the other person is dead inside, that they're not truly alive or engaged with the world around them. The singer's hope that they "sleep well" suggests a kind of finality, that their time together is coming to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
You want me, you got me
I am committed to you, and you have me completely.
I'm digging my heels in so far that I dug a grave
I am so committed to this relationship that I have sacrificed everything else in my life for it.
To the point where I wanted to lay in it
I have become so immersed in this relationship that I am willing to die for it.
You made me lay down
You have taken control of me and made me your submissive partner.
Your eyes can be revealing
I can see through your facade and understand your true intentions.
And I've read between the lines
I have deciphered your hidden meanings and intentions.
You were never unsure
You always knew what you wanted, even if it hurt others.
But you're always wrong
Your actions have caused pain and harm to those around you.
And your pretentious mouth runs all day long
You talk too much and pretend to know more than you actually do.
Calls on my phone to ward off thoughts
You constantly distract me from my own thoughts and emotions.
And things to do to keep me busy
You keep me busy with mundane tasks to prevent me from focusing on deeper issues in our relationship.
You won't let me slow down
You push me to keep moving forward without allowing me to pause and reflect.
You need me balanced and in good spirits
You require my happiness and stability to maintain control over our relationship.
I'll endure and I'll press on
I will persevere through this difficult relationship.
But it's not for you
My persistence is not for your benefit.
It's not your interests I'm concerned with
I care more about my own wellbeing than satisfying your needs.
You're a corpse and a fake
You are emotionally dead and dishonest in our relationship.
I hope you sleep well
I wish you peace, even if it means letting go of our relationship.
And your eyes can be revealing...
I see through your lies and understand your true intentions.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind