So Long, See You Tomorrow

Album: So Long, See You Tomorrow (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • According to its press release, Bombay Bicycle Club's So Long, See You Tomorrow album was written by frontman Jack Steadman, "while traveling through India, Turkey, Europe and Tokyo, leaving it audibly awash with references from each of these cultures." Steadman started writing the title track during a stay in Turkey. He recalled to NME: "I was in Sapanca, about a two-hour drive east of Istanbul. Each morning I would get up and have breakfast in the cafe that was built into the mountain with a view over the valley with mosques dotted along the hill. It was beautiful, so the song starts like that – very peaceful."
  • The album illustration was designed by the La Boca graphic design studio. It depicts a man journeying under the guidance of the sun and the moon in their cycles and in an opposing direction to a silhouetted woman. The artwork was inspired by the work of groundbreaking 19th century photographer Eadweard Muybridge. A pioneer in the field of stop-motion photography, Muybridge was famed for his zoopraxiscope, a device for projecting motion pictures that pre-dated the film strips used in cinematography as well as work with phenakistoscopes (a form of early animation).

    Guitarist Jamie MacColl told NME: "The work of 1800s photographer Muybridge has heavily influenced the artwork and videos for the album. He's best known for being a pioneer of stop-motion photography. This new album in some ways is one giant loop, the first song relates to the last and lyrically the overriding theme is of life changing, and at the same time staying the same - a feeling I think that everyone can relate to."
  • The title track was one of three songs on So Long, See You Tomorrow to feature vocals by Rae Morris. The Blackpool-born singer-songwriter hooked up with the Bombay guys through their frequent collaborator Liz Rose. (Morris' elder brother, a tour manager, is married to Rose).

    Morris recalled to Digital Spy. "I met Lucy at Kendal Calling festival back in... I think it was 2011? Maybe it was 2012. We both played on the same stage and we kept in touch and she asked me to support her, so I supported her at the Barfly in Camden. Which was a massive opportunity for me at the time - I couldn't believe it. And then yeah, I went to see Bombay at Manchester Apollo. I had tickets and I went with my family, and I text Lucy, 'Have a great show' and she said, 'Oh, come backstage afterwards, Jack [Steadman] and the guys want to meet you.' So me and my cousin went backstage and met the guys and it was the most starstruck I've even been, probably!"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."

Jon Anderson of Yes

Jon Anderson of YesSongwriter Interviews

From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."