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.
Stone
Unbelievable Truth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always out of breath, out on a limb
And life out of the mainstream
I declare it dead and gone out of the scene
None of this is harder than knowing about you
If you were someone else I could live without you
Come back later
Be the stone around my neck
And there's something you don't notice
What it is I never said
Come back later [come back now]
Be the stone around my neck
None of this is harder than knowing about you
If you were someone else I could live without you
Come back later
Be the stone around my neck
Come back later [come back now]
Be the stone around my neck
Up, sing, up
The lyrics of Unbelievable Truth's "Stone" appear to describe a struggle with a tumultuous relationship. The singer says that they are always out of breath and out on a limb, indicating that they feel a sense of unease or instability in their situation. They then declare that their life is "out of the mainstream" and that they are ready to move on from it. However, despite their desire to move on, they still find it difficult to let go of this person who seems to be a major source of the singer's internal turmoil. The singer declares that "None of this is harder than knowing about you / If you were someone else I could live without you," suggesting that the intensity of their feelings for this person is what is making things so difficult.
Interestingly, the refrain of the song is "Come back later / Be the stone around my neck." This phrase originally comes from a story in ancient Roman mythology, in which a person would be punished by being tied to a heavy stone and thrown into a body of water to drown. However, the singer subverts this phrase by asking the person to return to them and be a "stone around [their] neck." The phrase takes on a new meaning - instead of being a symbol of punishment, the stone becomes a symbol of security or stability. The singer seems to be implying that despite their struggles with this person, they feel more secure when they are together, even though their relationship is not necessarily healthy.
Overall, "Stone" is a deeply introspective song that explores the complexities of human relationships. It wrestles with the conflicting feelings of love and pain, and ultimately seems to suggest that sometimes, even when things are difficult, we choose to stay with the people who make us feel rooted and secure.
Line by Line Meaning
The words that I deliver
I am struggling to articulate my thoughts and feelings accurately
Always out of breath, out on a limb
I am constantly anxious and feel like I am taking a risk by expressing myself
And life out of the mainstream
My experiences and perspective are not typical or mainstream
I declare it dead and gone out of the scene
I reject mainstream culture and its values
None of this is harder than knowing about you
Dealing with my feelings towards you is the most difficult thing in my life
If you were someone else I could live without you
I'm so emotionally invested in you that I couldn't bear the thought of not having you in my life
Come back later
I need time to process my emotions and thoughts
Be the stone around my neck
I want to feel the weight of my emotions towards you, even if they are difficult to bear
And there's something you don't notice
There is something important that I haven't expressed to you
What it is I never said
I haven't told you what is on my mind
Up, sing, up
I need to lift myself up and let my emotions out
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Edward John O'brien, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Daxman
lovely song. Why does his brother get all the credit?
James Ennis
These should of been so successful, seen them in Liverpool they were fantastic live..... His brother is good though!😂😂
Wiltshire Byways
Filmed at 52 New High Street (and the junction of All Saints Road with New High Street) in Oxford.
It's different now.