Em meados dos anos 90, existiu em El Paso, Texas, uma banda chamada de The Fall on Deaf Ears.
Nunca chegaram a gravar qualquer disco nem a serem famosos fora do circuito punk texano, mas da sua formação fazia parte Cedric Bixler-Zavala, o front-man que viria a fundar os At The Drive-In, e mais tarde os The Mars Volta.
A 23 de Março de 1997, Sarah Rieser e Laura Beard, duas miúdas de 17 anos que faziam parte dessa banda com Cedric - banda que estava num hiato devido ao sucesso que os At The Drive-In estavam a conseguir na época - morreram num acidente de carro a caminho de Austin.
Nesse mesmo dia, os At The Drive-In tinham um concerto marcado em New Orleans e Cedric soube da notícia por Jim Ward, integrante dos ATD-I (e mais tarde de Sparta), que nesta tour não estava com a banda, que lhe ligou antes de subirem ao palco.
Ainda tocaram algumas músicas, mas a cabeça da banda e principalmente de Cedric já estavam noutro sítio, e o concerto terminou antes do tempo, tendo a banda voltado imediatamente para El Paso. A tristeza e o luto de Cedric impeliram-no logo durante a viagem a escrever uma letra sobre a tragédia, que viria a desenvolver-se para se tornar numa das melhores canções que alguma vez ouvi, sem exagero aqui.
"Napoleon Solo", que viria a ser incluído no magnifico álbum "In/Casino/Out" (1998), é a homenagem derradeira a Laura e Sarah, objecto iluminado de melancolia e raiva, que aconchega e confirma a teoria de que a mais bela Arte é criada a partir do mais profundo sofrimento.
At The Drive-In - "Napoleon Solo" (1998)
cut and paste
were you sitting down
on the beaded impotence of new orleans
a hint of suspense when that telephone rings
this is forever
it paved a wave of distance
between the syntax error
from austin's yellow brick road
this is forever
from this texas breath exhaled
no sign of relief
cause this you know, this you know
this is forever
march 23rd hushed the wind, the music died
if you can't get the best of us now
it's cause this is forever
march 23rd hushed the wind, the music died
if you can't get the best of us now
it's cause this is forever
makes no difference
your alphabet is missing letters
seventeen, embalmed and caskets
lowered into the weather
a drizzle, brisk and profound
from this texas breath exhaled
their relief
this is forever
march 23rd hushed the wind, the music died
if you can't get the best of us now
it's cause this is forever
march 23rd hushed the wind, the music died
if you can't get the best of us now
it's cause this is forever
strum this broken harp
we were struck by the chords
set from their hearts
yes this is forever
this is forever
cut and paste
were you sitting down
on the beaded impotence of new orleans
a hint of suspense when that telephone rings
this is forever
this is forever
this is forever
makes no
makes no
makes no
seventeen, embalmed and caskets
lowered into the weather
a drizzle, brisk and profound
from this texas breath exhaled
strum this broken harp
we were struck by the chords
to your heart
this is forever
this is because
this is forever
this is forever
it is because
this is forever
but you can't get the best of us now
