Bed of Nails

Album: Smother (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • British indie rock band Wild Beasts' third album Two Dancers features a more synth-oriented sound than their previous two releases. However, the band got through several synthesizers whilst recording. Bassist Tom Fleming explained to Drowned In Sound: "The synth used on this track was then to die immediately after, and this is its only legacy." Fleming added that the synth they played for "Reach a Little Further" also "died after the event."
  • The song sees the narrator listing the sacrifices he'll make for his lover. Fleming told the story of the song to Drowned in Sound: "One of the first we wrote, in a demo session that predated the album by about eight months. Almost all of the sounds on this track are so-called "real" instruments, treated and filtered to sound unfamiliar. This is a playful song, and if I may, a bit of a disco banger, or at least as close to one as we dared."
  • Wild Beasts are well known for their liberal use of literary references, and this song sees them working two classic tragedies, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Shakespeare's Hamlet into the lyric.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")

Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")Songwriter Interviews

Inspired by his dear friend, "Seasons in the Sun" paid for Terry's boat, which led him away from music and into a battle with Canadian paper mills.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.