![]() The Suburbs (2010) [ larger cover art ] |
I used to write
I used to write letters, I used to sign my name
I used to sleep at night
Before the flashing lights settled deep in my brain
But by the time we met,
by the time we met, the times had already changed
So I never wrote a letter
I never took my true heart, I never wrote it down
So when the lights cut out
I was lost standing in the wilderness downtown
Now our lives are changing fast
Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last
Hope that something pure can last
It may seem strange
How we used to wait for letters to arrive
But what's stranger still
Is how something so small can keep you alive
(We used to wait)
we used to waste hours just walking around
(We used to wait)
all those wasted lives in the wilderness downtown
We used to wait, we used to wait
We used to wait, sometimes it never came
(We used to wait) sometimes it never came
(We used to wait) I'm still moving through the pain
I'm gonna write, a letter to my true love
I'm gonna sign my name
Like a patient on a table
I wanna walk again, gonna move to the pain
Now our lives are changing fast
Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last
Hope that something pure can last
We used to wait, we used to wait
We used to wait, sometimes it never came
(We used to wait) sometimes it never came
(We used to wait)
I'm still moving through the pain
We used to wait, we used to wait, we used to wait
We used to wait for it, we used to wait for it
Now we're screaming "Sing the chorus again"
We used to wait for it, we used to wait for it
Now we're screaming "Sing the chorus again"
I used to wait for it, I used to wait for it
Hear my voice screaming "Sing the chorus again"
Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it
| kingart (Brooklyn NY) | Posted: May 03, 2013 - 13:58 I used to wait to hear Arcade Fire. Now I send them away in the first two notes. |
| maxmox (Broome, Western Australia) | Posted: Apr 20, 2013 - 00:09 Nope. It's a Heinz 57 varieties of genres. Self conscious and referential. Sorry.........normally don't give negatives or for the sake of a troll to get a bite. Nope. ![]() |
| ick (...out of the primordial ooze) | Posted: Mar 27, 2013 - 10:45 Still waiting on some talent apparently. |
| kaybee (Lost in the Wilds of Toronto) | Posted: Mar 19, 2013 - 20:23 I realize they are talented, but Arcade Fire's sound usually irritates me, there's just something about it that bugs me. I like this piece though and the lyrics really resonate with me. |
| thatch (Shhh....at work....) | Posted: Mar 06, 2013 - 08:42 hkarr wrote: Wish the pianist had some imagination. Utterly boring. +1. Annoying for me. Must mute. |
| kingart (Brooklyn NY) | Posted: Feb 11, 2013 - 13:55 AAAAAARGHHHHHH! PSD! |
| mostling | Posted: Jan 02, 2013 - 16:41 so true. We used to be a culture that had to wait for the simplest of things. You couldn't leave home if you were expecting a phone call. Now we are an Instant culture, no waiting. FedEx it, email it, stream it from the cloud. We have forgotten how to wait. |
| metod | Posted: Sep 12, 2012 - 04:49 This song gives me goosebumps :) Love it! |
| SweTex (Swede living in Texas) | Posted: Sep 07, 2012 - 14:01 davedog wrote: If you like Arcade Fire and cool uses of technology check this out: http://thewildernessdowntown.com/ You'll need an HTML 5 browser like Chrome. That interactive video is way cool, I agree, and you also need Google Earth. |
| peter_james_bond (West Of The Burg) | Posted: Aug 25, 2012 - 14:22 ziakut wrote: Oh yeah baby! This album rocks! This tune is great too. Love the changes in this song. The eighth note chords on the piano don't even annoy me! This fantastic album won me over! Cheers PJB |
| calypsus_1 (East of Eden) | Posted: Aug 21, 2012 - 07:59 ![]() arcade fire by radiochicas http://www.flickr.com/photos/radiochicas/ Neon Bible es uno de los discos que más se destacó y elogió durante 2007. Los responsables de esta obra son los músicos de la banda canadiense Arcade Fire. Luego de un estupendo debut , la edición de algunos lados B y un EP grabado en vivo junto a David Bowie, se dedicaron a hacer un disco repleto de canciones sorprendentes y emotivas. Este numeroso grupo originario de Montreal está liderado por el cantante, guitarrista, bajista y pianista Win Butler acompañado por su mujer, la también multi-instrumentista y cantante, Régine Chassagne, el guitarrista Richard Reed Parry, el bajista Tim Kingsbury y Will Butler, hermano de Win. Junto a ellos colaboran otros músicos especialistas en instrumentos de cuerda. Además del combo instrumental tradicional de guitarra, batería y bajo, los miembros tocan el piano, violín, viola, cello, bajo doble, xilofón, teclados, cuerno francés, acordeón, el hurdy gurdy y el arpa. Esta inusual composición hace que sus presentaciones en vivo sean únicas y sumamente cautivadoras. En los últimos años han sido los creadores de dos discos imprescindibles y que deben ser escuchados. This photo was taken on March 7, 2005. |
| justin4kick (The Netherlands) | Posted: Jul 25, 2012 - 04:41 fredriley wrote: That's pretty damn good, I'd say. I know the Dutch have a deserved reputation for coolness and sophistication, but that's still impressive. Do you have a link to the top 100? I'd be curious to see what else is tickling Dutch eardrums. Arcade Fire are really growing on me. At first their sound irritated, then it was Ho-Hum, then it was intriguing, now it's edging into Likeable territory. It's the lyrics that are really doing it for me - intelligent, poignant often, and they make you think. I do like it when a band slowly but surely worms its way into my affections, like a slow-burning fuse. As one of those ´cool and sophisiticated´ Dutch, I have googled up the full list you asked for. The 2010 Top 100 according to the listeners and visitors of http://3voor12.vpro.nl/ 1 Mumford & Sons – The Cave 2 Arcade Fire – We Used To Wait 3 The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio 4 Moss – I Apologise (Dear Simon) 5 Go Back To The Zoo – Electric 6 De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig – Sterrenstof 7 Muse – Resistance 8 Pearl Jam – Just Breathe 9 The XX – Islands 10 The Black Keys – Tighten Up 11 Tim Knol – Sam 12 Yeasayer – O.N.E. 13 Kings Of Leon – Radioactive 14 Gorillaz ft. Mos Def & Bobby Womack – Stylo 15 Triggerfinger – All This Dancin’Around 16 Balthazar – Fifteen Floors 17 Absynthe Minded – Envoi 18 Graffiti 6 – Stare Into The Sun 19 Ducksauce – Barbra Streisand 20 Vampire Weekend – Holiday 21 Broken Bells – The High Road 22 DeWolff – Don’t You Go Up The Sky 23 Editors – Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool 24 Beach House – Zebra 25 Lucky Fonz III – Ik Heb Een Meisje 26 Kasabian – Fire 27 Them Crooked Vultures – Dead End Friends 28 Caribou – Odessa 29 The Tallest Man On Earth – King Of Spain 30 Aloe Blacc – I Need A Dollar 31 Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn 32 Band Of Skulls – I Know What I Am 33 Flinke Namen – Wolken 34 Cee-Lo Green – Fuck You 35 Wombats – Tokyo (Vampires & Werewolves) 36 Angus & Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane 37 Garcia Goodbye – You Know Exactly How I Feel 38 The Drums – Let’s Go Surfing 39 Florence & The Machine – Kiss With A Fist 40 Tame Impala – Solitude Is Bliss 41 Brandon Flowers – Crossfire 42 Local Natives – Airplanes 43 Band Of Horses – Factory 44 Selah Sue – Raggamuffin’ 45 Eels – Spectacular Girl 46 Blaudzun – Quiet German Girls 47 Jonsi – Boy Lilikoi 48 Opposites – Licht Uit 49 Villagers – Becoming A Jackal 50 Jack Parow – Cooler As Ekke 51 Torre & Roos – Iemand Dood 52 The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang 53 Fake Blood – I Think I Like It 54 I Am Oak – On Trees And Birds And Fire 55 Customs – Rex 56 LCD Soundsystem – Drunk Girls 57 Party Harders vs. The Subs – The Pope Of Dope 58 Pendulum – Watercolour 59 Midlake – Acts Of Man 60 Blood Red Shoes – Light It Up 61 Interpol – Barricade 62 Shaking Godspeed – Godspeed 63 Die Antwoord – Enter the Ninja 64 Green Day – Last Of The American Girls 65 Massive Attack – Paradise Circus 66 Biffy Clyro – Bubbles 67 My Chemical Romance – Na Na Na 68 John Legend ft. The Roots – Wake Up Everybody 69 The Mad Trist – Pay The Piper 70 Grinderman – Heathen Child 71 Manic Street Preachers – (It’s Not War) Just The End Of Love 72 Typhoon & New Cool Collective – Bumaye 73 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll (A-Trak remix) 74 Kanye West – Power 75 Sufjan Stevens – I Walked 76 Far East Movement – Like A G6 77 Foals – Miami 78 Ou Est Le Swimming Pool – Dance The Way I Feel 79 Wolfmother – White Feather 80 El Pino & The Volunteers – There’s No Cure For Stupidity 81 Paramore – Brick By Boring Brick 82 Baskerville – Devil’s Town 83 The Temper Trap – Fader 84 Ginger Ninja – Sunshine 85 Hurts – Better Than Love 86 Kensington – Youth 87 Deadmau5 feat. Rob Wire – Ghosts ‘N Stuff 88 Mark Ronson feat. Q-Tip – Bang Bang Bang 89 Warpaint – Undertow 90 Kelis – Acapella 91 Antony & The Johnsons – Thank You For Your Love 92 I Am Kloot – Northern Skies 93 C-Mon & Kypski – More Is Less 94 Isbells – As Long As It Takes 95 Krach – And So I Do A Little Dance 96 Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love 97 Avi Buffalo – What’s In It For? 98 Deerhunter – Helicopter 99 SIA – Clap Your Hands 100 Magnetic Man feat. Angela Hunte – I Need Air |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: May 04, 2012 - 03:19 Sjaaks wrote: I love the different atmospheres you find in this song. This one ranked number 2 in the song top 100* of 2010 here in the Netherlands. That's fair if you ask me. That's pretty damn good, I'd say. I know the Dutch have a deserved reputation for coolness and sophistication, but that's still impressive. Do you have a link to the top 100? I'd be curious to see what else is tickling Dutch eardrums. Arcade Fire are really growing on me. At first their sound irritated, then it was Ho-Hum, then it was intriguing, now it's edging into Likeable territory. It's the lyrics that are really doing it for me - intelligent, poignant often, and they make you think. I do like it when a band slowly but surely worms its way into my affections, like a slow-burning fuse. |
| MinMan (Bay Area, CA) | Posted: Apr 25, 2012 - 13:23 thatch wrote: That piano part is quite complex. Well.... you first have to conceive of playing percussion on the piano before loading the chord on the sequencer. Maybe minimalist composition just isn't for everyone. |
| sirdroseph (Yes) | Posted: Apr 21, 2012 - 04:35 tutakea wrote: In my absolute top list of "most overrated bands of the last decade" Arcade Fire is an undisputed gold medal candidate. This is simply horrible mainstream muzak which manages to combine almost everything which was embarrassing in the 80s and 90s, and is all the more embarrassing NOW. I really don´t get it they get away with this I think this is spot on point, I agree wholeheartedly! |
| maxmox (Broome, Western Australia) | Posted: Apr 21, 2012 - 04:33 tutakea wrote: In my absolute top list of "most overrated bands of the last decade" Arcade Fire is an undisputed gold medal candidate. This is simply horrible mainstream muzak which manages to combine almost everything which was embarrassing in the 80s and 90s, and is all the more embarrassing NOW. I really don´t get it they get away with this 11/10 and goodnight.............it's a bit late I mean 11/10 for the quality of the comment by tutakea, sorry if you thought I WAS TRYING TO RIG THE VOTING. Heaven forbid, we're past the burning bushes now, eh? |
| tulfan (One of the last ones in SE MI) | Posted: Mar 20, 2012 - 11:48 shellbella wrote: I could not agree with you more... Hear, hear (pun intended); as a resident of a town bordering Canada, we get more of this than most... |
| thatch (Shhh....at work....) | Posted: Mar 20, 2012 - 11:46 That piano part is quite complex. |
| shellbella (so california) | Posted: Mar 20, 2012 - 11:45 tutakea wrote: In my absolute top list of "most overrated bands of the last decade" Arcade Fire is an undisputed gold medal candidate. This is simply horrible mainstream muzak which manages to combine almost everything which was embarrassing in the 80s and 90s, and is all the more embarrassing NOW. I really don´t get it they get away with this I could not agree with you more... |
| tutakea | Posted: Feb 22, 2012 - 03:46 In my absolute top list of "most overrated bands of the last decade" Arcade Fire is an undisputed gold medal candidate. This is simply horrible mainstream muzak which manages to combine almost everything which was embarrassing in the 80s and 90s, and is all the more embarrassing NOW. I really don´t get it they get away with this |
| Byronape ("post-capitalist wreckageville") | Posted: Feb 17, 2012 - 17:55 Toke wrote: Considering 'Google'' is financed and partly run by the CIA me thinks I will give that a miss. Proof? |
| ziakut (Unmoon) | Posted: Feb 17, 2012 - 17:54 Oh yeah baby! This album rocks! This tune is great too. Love the changes in this song. The eighth note chords on the piano don't even annoy me! |
| Sjaaks (Horst, Netherlands) | Posted: Feb 08, 2012 - 02:27 I love the different atmospheres you find in this song. This one ranked number 2 in the song top 100* of 2010 here in the Netherlands. That's fair if you ask me. 9 *the top 100 of a respected music foundation, no mainstream audience... |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: Dec 29, 2011 - 07:32 Toke wrote: Considering 'Google'' is financed and partly run by the CIA me thinks I will give that a miss. Dude, your tinfoil hat slipped off, the rays are boiling your brain; quick, duck into the dishwasher - it's your only chance. . . |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Dec 22, 2011 - 12:59 lemmoth wrote: Beg to differ. The best maple syrup is from Vermont. ![]() And I'd like to see some growth, variety, change, flexibility of style from Arcade Fire before we go canonizing them. I don't think he was canonizing them, but I agree with the Vermont sentiment. |
| fingerpin (oHIo) | Posted: Dec 16, 2011 - 07:05 fingerpin wrote: I'm at work and have the speaker volume turned down. I thought each of the last 2 songs (Climax Blues Band) and this one were a 10 CC song. If Bill plays 10 CC next I may poop my pants. O_o For the record...Bill played Kathleen Edwards...no shatting occurred. Edit: Oddly enough, the song was Change the Sheets, and in reading that song's comments I see someone made a previous poop reference. o_O /I'll let it go now...no pun intended. |
| fingerpin (oHIo) | Posted: Dec 16, 2011 - 07:01 I'm at work and have the speaker volume turned down. I thought each of the last 2 songs (Climax Blues Band) and this one were a 10 CC song. If Bill plays 10 CC next I may poop my pants. O_o |
| gemtag (Texas) | Posted: Dec 06, 2011 - 12:16 neckbone wrote: You might need one of these: ![]() This is one of the reasons I love RP. HA!! Can't do this on XM!!!! |
| Toke (Bournemouth UK) | Posted: Dec 02, 2011 - 03:56 davedog wrote: If you like Arcade Fire and cool uses of technology check this out: http://thewildernessdowntown.com/ You'll need an HTML 5 browser like Chrome. Considering 'Google'' is financed and partly run by the CIA me thinks I will give that a miss. |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Oct 31, 2011 - 13:23 fredriley wrote: True enough. Letter writing is a vanishing art, more's the pity. A handwritten letter contains so much more information than an email, and is directly and intensely personal. I still have letters going back three decades, but I'm sure I'd not keep emails that long. Even if I did, the chances are they'd not be readable in 20 years hence. There's an awful lot to be said for 'analogue technology', and I write that as an IT tech of long standing. Can you imagine songs like "My baby wrote me a letter" in the days of email and text? "My baby sent me a text" just doesn't quite have the same romanticism, somehow... "Well she wrote me a letter, said she couldn't live without me no more. Listen mister can't you see I've got to get back with my baby once more." OR My GF txtd me said she'd off herself if I broke up w her. Yo 'dude dya know what I'm saying - need to chill with her ASAP - TTYL |
| Ears_of_Stone (Crushed under the hooves of the herd) | Posted: Oct 31, 2011 - 13:17 fredriley wrote: True enough. Letter writing is a vanishing art, more's the pity. A handwritten letter contains so much more information than an email, and is directly and intensely personal. I still have letters going back three decades, but I'm sure I'd not keep emails that long. Even if I did, the chances are they'd not be readable in 20 years hence. There's an awful lot to be said for 'analogue technology', and I write that as an IT tech of long standing. Can you imagine songs like "My baby wrote me a letter" in the days of email and text? "My baby sent me a text" just doesn't quite have the same romanticism, somehow... Well, speaking only for myself, I have emails going back at least 15 years. |
| davedog (Twin Cities, MN) | Posted: Oct 18, 2011 - 09:10 If you like Arcade Fire and cool uses of technology check this out: http://thewildernessdowntown.com/ You'll need an HTML 5 browser like Chrome. |
| hkarr | Posted: Oct 07, 2011 - 21:41 Wish the pianist had some imagination. Utterly boring. |
| Byronape (Snorkeling in the River Styx) | Posted: Aug 24, 2011 - 22:13 fredriley wrote: True enough. Letter writing is a vanishing art, more's the pity. A handwritten letter contains so much more information than an email, and is directly and intensely personal. I still have letters going back three decades, but I'm sure I'd not keep emails that long. Even if I did, the chances are they'd not be readable in 20 years hence. There's an awful lot to be said for 'analogue technology', and I write that as an IT tech of long standing. Can you imagine songs like "My baby wrote me a letter" in the days of email and text? "My baby sent me a text" just doesn't quite have the same romanticism, somehow... When I was in high school I used to write letters back and forth with a girl I went to school with. I don't remember how we started writing letters back and forth, but I always looked forward to getting a new one from her. It was odd, we didn't really speak much in school (she was a grade ahead of me) and only went out once, but there was always something about getting her letters that made me happy. I also don't remember why we never really dated. I remember she dated one of the school "rejects" for a while, maybe in my teenage ignorance I saw her as tainted somehow after that. She had a fantastically odd sense of humor that I didn't really understand then but would have enjoyed now, a way of linking every day things with obscure and odd concepts and ideas that was well beyond anything our classmates would have understood. It's funny how something like that stays with you and helps shape the person you are as an adult. Without her brushing past my life for the brief time she did, I don't think I would have had the sense of humor that I have now. Thanks Kerry, where ever you are now. |
| thatch (Shhh....at work....) | Posted: Aug 16, 2011 - 09:44 Despite all the awards and accolades, I find their music tedious. |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Aug 12, 2011 - 03:35 ziggytrix wrote: I remember waiting for love letters in the mail! We already had email then, but take my advice, a handwritten letter is an irreplaceable part of a long distance relationship. So much better than IMs and texts and emails. True enough. Letter writing is a vanishing art, more's the pity. A handwritten letter contains so much more information than an email, and is directly and intensely personal. I still have letters going back three decades, but I'm sure I'd not keep emails that long. Even if I did, the chances are they'd not be readable in 20 years hence. There's an awful lot to be said for 'analogue technology', and I write that as an IT tech of long standing. Can you imagine songs like "My baby wrote me a letter" in the days of email and text? "My baby sent me a text" just doesn't quite have the same romanticism, somehow... |
| elcerrofeliu (Zaragoza) | Posted: Aug 06, 2011 - 02:16 Great!!! ![]() |
| ziggytrix (Dallas, TX) | Posted: Jul 24, 2011 - 13:13 I remember waiting for love letters in the mail! We already had email then, but take my advice, a handwritten letter is an irreplaceable part of a long distance relationship. So much better than IMs and texts and emails. |
| revsully (Vermont) | Posted: May 17, 2011 - 08:31 lemmoth wrote: Beg to differ. The best maple syrup is from Vermont. ![]() And I'd like to see some growth, variety, change, flexibility of style from Arcade Fire before we go canonizing them. Yea, Vermont! Wooohooo! That's where I am. We're practically Candada, though. |
| fingerpin (oHIo) | Posted: May 17, 2011 - 08:29 Arrrrgggggg! I waffle with this band so much, it's infuriating. I'm gonna' go ahead and give points for that alone. 8 for now, yes? |
| g-rod (Church of the Acceptance of Mortality) | Posted: May 16, 2011 - 17:26 SmileOnADog wrote: I heard you play a distorted piano through the Walleye I heard you play a distorted piano through the Walleye Lulz. :) Were you over there for that? Hilarious. |
| jpdribbler (Berlin) | Posted: May 15, 2011 - 13:11 Really hypnotic - probably my favorite off The Suburbs. |
| haretic (toward Abad, just south of Maitri) | Posted: May 13, 2011 - 17:53 scraig wrote: I guess I'd better be careful where I go mumbling things like "What the hell is the big deal with Arcade Fire? They seem pretty dull to me..." (Duck and run) |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: May 03, 2011 - 12:12 SmileOnADog wrote: I'm going to go with two kids in Batman costumes all the same... I'm going to go with Carol and K.W. ![]() |
| SmileOnADog (Arizona) | Posted: Apr 17, 2011 - 20:43 Lonestar wrote: Saw them last summer at a 2 day concert. Widely regarded as the best act of the festival. Performance and sound-wise they blew the following bands (to name a few) out of the water that weekend: Weezer Sonic Youth Pavement Stars The National Devo (Yes, devo) Snoop Dog The Black Keys Keane Metric I heard you play a distorted piano through the Walleye I heard you play a distorted piano through the Walleye |
| SmileOnADog (Arizona) | Posted: Apr 17, 2011 - 20:39 Businessgypsy wrote: Appears to be a W113 body Mercedes. Mine is a '72 250CE, and has an identical profile - but I imagine the four doors look the same. fingerpin wrote: The cover...are those headrests, big cat heads, owls....anybody?? I'm going to go with two kids in Batman costumes all the same... |
| Businessgypsy (Deepest, Darkest Florida) | Posted: Apr 15, 2011 - 19:16 Appears to be a W113 body Mercedes. Mine is a '72 250CE, and has an identical profile - but I imagine the four doors look the same. fingerpin wrote: The cover...are those headrests, big cat heads, owls....anybody?? |
| jim1964 (british columbia, but use to ride the IRT to work) | Posted: Apr 01, 2011 - 20:44 rowdydaisy wrote: Incredibly powerful project. I was really moved. I agree, it really explores new territory for engaging the listener, I was really moved to have the house that I grew up in appear in the video, the crows are are a nice touch also - even my daughter the teenager was impressed.. |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Mar 15, 2011 - 08:12 That_SOB wrote: Wonderful band to see live! These folks appear to be having the time of thier lives when in concert. They really love what they do and it shows. So much talent in this group !!! Another fine product brought to you from Canada. I'll take Arcade Fire and a side of Maple Syrup any time! ![]() Beg to differ. The best maple syrup is from Vermont. ![]() And I'd like to see some growth, variety, change, flexibility of style from Arcade Fire before we go canonizing them. |
| Lonestar (Probably Above You) | Posted: Mar 15, 2011 - 08:02 adroc wrote: Agree 100%. There was a performance on the Juno Awards maybe 5 years ago that included an actual high school marching band and absolutely blew my mind. I've also heard from reliable sources that they're absolutely killer live, so I'm inclined to think the SNL performance was some kind of sloppy anomaly. Saw them last summer at a 2 day concert. Widely regarded as the best act of the festival. Performance and sound-wise they blew the following bands (to name a few) out of the water that weekend: Weezer Sonic Youth Pavement Stars The National Devo (Yes, devo) Snoop Dog The Black Keys Keane Metric |







