The band formed in 1993 in Oxford, and was named after Hal Hartley's film, The Unbelievable Truth.
Unbelievable Truth's first single, Building, was published in February 1997 by Shifty Disco, a label based in Oxford. They released their first album, Almost Here, in 1998 on Virgin records, and the second, Sorrythankyou in 2000. The first was released on Virgin, but they were dropped and the latter appeared on Shifty Disco. Sorrythankyou was the first release from Shifty Disco that was pressed in vinyl. They split up in 2000, due to Andy Yorke's decision to leave the band.
However, in 2001 they released a double album, self-published, called Misc. Music, whose disc 1 contained b-sides and unreleased tracks, while disc 2 was the live recording of their farewell show held at the Zodiac in Oxford on September 16th, 2000.
Nigel Powell now has a new band: The Sad Song Co., and has been playing with Oxford band Dive Dive (formerly Dustball). They have released 3 singles and one full length album and are currently at work on their second LP. Jason and Jim are part of Nine Stone Cowboy, with members of other defunct Oxford bands The Candyskins and Ride.
The band reunited for a one-off gig in Oxford to support tsunami victims on February 19, 2005, but this was a one time event and did not signal that the group would be reforming.
Andy Yorke recently played a solo slot supporting Mark Mulcahy, at a gig at The Zodiac in Oxford on 21st October, 2005. Of the 8 song set, he played seven new songs and one old Unbelievable Truth song, Stone.
In The Beginning
Unbelievable Truth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You want me without the ambition, just like before
But oh no that's not the idea
That's not the way I see it at all
Now you ask me, "Can't you relax for a minute?"
But I have far better things to do
Listening to the silence for all the answers
And it's so appealing, this mind over matter
Somebody save me from myself
The truth won't hurt a bit
Time's running out and I've no time for anyone
Don't give me that look, I know what's best for me
The truth won't hurt a bit
The truth won't hurt a bit
It's so appealing, this mind over matter
Somebody save me, from myself.
The truth won't hurt a bit
Truth won't hurt a bit
Truth won't hurt a bit
Truth won't hurt a bit
Truth won't hurt a bit
The lyrics to Unbelievable Truth's song In the Beginning convey a sense of restless ambition and the desire to explore new things. The singer is being urged by someone to return to the way things were "in the beginning," when they were less driven and motivated. But the singer rejects this idea, insisting that they have far better things to do than to relax and take it easy.
The words of the chorus suggest that the singer is determined to pursue their dreams, even if it means risking failure or disappointment. They are willing to embrace the unknown and challenge themselves, listening to the silence for answers and travelling the world without touching the ground. Despite this, the singer also recognizes the dangers of such an approach, and calls out for someone to "save me from myself."
Overall, In the Beginning is a song about the tension between ambition and self-discovery, and the need to strike a balance between them. The singer is torn between the desire to achieve great things and the fear of losing oneself in the process. But in the end, they seem to be resilient and confident in their pursuit of the truth, whatever that may be.
Line by Line Meaning
You seem to want it just like it was in the beginning
You want me to be the same person I was before, with no drive or ambition
You want me without the ambition, just like before
You want me to be the person I was before, with no goals or aspirations
But oh no that's not the idea
But that's not what I have in mind at all
That's not the way I see it at all
That's not how I envision our future relationship
Now you ask me, "Can't you relax for a minute?"
Now you're asking me to take a break and stop working towards my goals
But I have far better things to do
But I have more important things to work on
Listening to the silence for all the answers
I am taking time to be in silence and reflect on life's questions
Travelling the world, trying hard not to touch the ground
I am traveling and trying to experience everything without being held back
And it's so appealing, this mind over matter
I find it fascinating that I can use my mind to control my body
Somebody save me from myself
I need someone to help me not lose myself in my own thoughts and ideas
The truth won't hurt a bit
Being honest about my needs and beliefs won't cause any harm
Time's running out and I've no time for anyone
I feel pressure to achieve my goals and don't have time for other people
Don't give me that look, I know what's best for me
I don't need anyone else's opinion on what I should do with my life
It's so appealing, this mind over matter
I am impressed by the power of the human mind to control physical matter
Somebody save me, from myself.
I am aware that I can become lost in my own thoughts and ideas and need someone to ground me
Truth won't hurt a bit
Being honest about my needs and beliefs won't cause any harm
Truth won't hurt a bit
Being honest about my needs and beliefs won't cause any harm
Truth won't hurt a bit
Being honest about my needs and beliefs won't cause any harm
Truth won't hurt a bit
Being honest about my needs and beliefs won't cause any harm
Truth won't hurt a bit
Being honest about my needs and beliefs won't cause any harm
Contributed by Dominic G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.