Lyrics and Explanations to 2 New Songs

September 25, 2012

So, as you may have heard, we are releasing a new 7” soon. We’re not divulging any more information about it yet but, rest assured, you can expect more details and the actual release soon.

In the mean time, I wrote out all the lyrics to the two songs I wrote for the release and explained everything that went into writing them, from lyricism to the instrumentation itself.

I understand that this is a massive wall of text and that may turn some people off; however, for those of you interested in lyrics, songwriting, and what goes on in my head, I think this should say more than enough.

Feel free to send us any comments or questions you may have.

Everything is after the ‘Read More.’

Thanks,
Raphael

WINTER ‘11
Lyrics:
Raphael: Every day is the same charade: weary ghosts frequenting their favorite haunts. We’re all tired but no one ever moves.

Cameron: No effort is made until we forget and fade away.

Raphael: I always found it strange how you found comfort when I spoke in foreign tongue. (In Polish) What do you want from me that you cannot say? What do you want from me that I cannot do?

Charlie: And my words collapsed like the lungs you’ve overused, for I’ve wasted my best fleeting hopes, but they weren’t you. I keep my eyes firmly closed, hoping I won’t see your face. But you are everywhere a shadow, and I am so alone. I am so alone.

Raphael: But what are ghosts except memories we can’t let go?

Cameron and Raphael: Today I am what I never was: I am truly alone. Tomorrow I’ll be what I wish I were today: I won’t be afraid anymore.

Explanation:
I wrote this song, unsurprisingly, during the winter months between 2011 and 2012. At this time, I was struggling trying to find satisfaction in my surroundings, whether it be the people or the environment around me, and felt very isolated even though I had plenty of friends and a very supportive family. Every day seemed to just blend into the next and, despite the fact that many others around me expressed similar feelings, no one, including myself, seemed to bother to change anything to improve our respective situations.

The Polish lines are in reference to a girl (The only lines I wrote for this album that are about a girl) that I was dating at the time. I come from a heavy Polish background (I am a first-generation American) and my girlfriend always asked me to speak to her in Polish. Sometimes, when frustrated with her, I would ask her questions such as the ones in the song but then translate it differently when she asked what I said.

The final lines reflect back on the idea of being isolated even when surrounded by people who care for you and love you. They also reflect the idea of moving on and not being afraid to change what makes you unhappy.

Instrumentally, this song was part of my effort for the band to move away from the midwestern-emo style of music that played such a heavy influence on our older material and instead draw on a darker and more intense sound. Although this song was written after “My Life…”, I think the two songs really mesh well and lead into one another stylistically perfectly.

SIX YEARS
Lyrics:
Sound clip from the pilot episode of Freaks & Geeks]

Lindsay: Sam. Did Mom and Dad tell you I was the only one with Grandma when she died?
Sam: No.
Lindsay: Yeah. They went down to the cafeteria to get some coffee. And all the sudden Grandma looked so terrified. I didn’t know what to do. She grabbed my hand, told me she didn’t want to go. She looked so scared, Sam. I said, Well, you know, can you see God or Heaven or a light or anything?
Sam: What did she say?
Lindsay: No. There’s nothing.

[End of sound clip]

Raphael: If I close my eyes for a breath too long, can I ever wake up again, or will i sleep for good? Can you see me in your dreams? Can you see me in your sleep? At times I get so lonely, but I guess you wouldn’t know- the person I miss most is you six years ago. And at times I hear you’re smiling and I think I understand why I thought you threw away everything you had.

Raphael and Casey: This time next year, will I have the courage to say, “I’m sorry- are you still proud of me?”

Explanation:
I wrote this song mid-September of 2011, before the split with Girl Scouts was even written or released. Though the instrumental part of the song has changed drastically since it was first written, the lyrics remained the same. From the moment I wrote these lyrics until present day, I think this is the most important song I have ever written.

This entire song is about drug/alcohol abuse, with half of it directed at my old best friend and the rest directed at my parents. The way that sentence was worded makes it seem as if my parents are drug/alcohol abusers but that is not the case in the slightest. My friend and I were incredibly close ever since we were toddlers (despite the initial language barrier, as he only spoke English and I only spoke Polish) but, as the years went on, he became more involved with drugs and alcohol, allowing it to really consume his life. Even after rehabilitation, he still relapsed and it really put a strain on our friendship, just when it was starting to strengthen again. Looking at his wasted potential as an example, I told myself I would hold off on drinking and that I would never do drugs. However, it was a promise that I couldn’t keep and I got arrested near the end of 2011. I was put on a year’s probation and the line “This time next year…” is me speaking to my parents.

I’m really glad that my friend Casey was able to do some guest vocals on this track. Casey was the next best friend I made after I met the one who this song is about. However, unlike him, Casey and I are still incredibly close and I love him as a person and a musician. I suppose it’s fitting that Casey helped with vocals for this song since he is and always has been straight-edge.

The original title of this song was, “My Life On Bath Salts.” I chose that title shortly after being arrested because, while in jail, there was a man in solitary confinement who was on bath salts. He was screaming belligerently and continued to punch the walls of his room and himself until the police had to intervene. I figured that this was a pretty good representation for what someone’s life could become if they were consumed by drug abuse. However, in the time since then, a number of bath salts-related stories ended up in the news, with very bizarre results. Because of this, I felt listeners would not take this song seriously. As this is the most serious song I have ever personally written, I couldn’t stand for that. The revised title is simply how long it had been since I last felt that my friend had a reasonable grasp on his own life. Now it’s seven years.

Instrumentally, I was trying to achieve the same result as with “Winter ‘11.” I was growing very tired of the sound we had as a band and I was, and am, more drawn to bands such as Kidcrash, Daïtro and Alessa. The heavy part at the end of the song (after the vocals finish) actually wasn’t included originally but I felt like the song was missing something and wasn’t as intense as I wanted it so it was added after we began demo-ing the song out. It’s now my favorite part in the song so I’m glad it happened.