I thought of this song last night when I was talking to someone about a guy I really miss that lives in California. He has no idea how I feel about him and I’m not so sure I’ll ever get the chance to tell him. I told her that it felt like we were separated by a wall or a glass window & it was dark. He couldn’t see me or hear me, and I couldn’t break through. The original video for this song had the same idea although I’ve actually chosen the live version for today’s entry.
When lead singer Gary Lightbody is on a writing rampage, he can create some beautiful songs. Set the Fire to the Third Bar was released in May 2006 from the band’s fourth album, Eyes Open. It also features the vocals of indie artist Martha Wainwright.
The story behind the song is interesting. In an interview, Lightbody stated that the title describes an electric heater. He wrote it in freezing cold while wearing fingerless gloves. During this time, he recalled that as a child his Aunt Jean had an electric heater, and “if we were very good and it was very cold, she’d let us put all three bars on.” He went on to say how it represented “a beacon of warmth within a song about distance.” It’s very neat how he pulled two unrelated things together using one common outcome: warmth, whether in a room or in your heart.
Give it a listen & see what you think. Click HERE to watch the original video.