Tag Archive for "lyrics"

Places To End lyrics

This song was written in the time just before we hit the studio to record “QED” in July 2008.

Nicky and Nate hammered this out, and when it was done we knew it was a keeper. We made it about the contrast between viewpoints regarding the violence in the middle east.

Places to End

Locking pop cans on the fencepost
just like the oil, you’re boring
Obviously lacking modesty, you’ve got a policy too foreign

Like Stormin’ Norman you’re combing the sand
Screwing, ruining the lives you hold in your hand
People begging, dying, crying
saying, “Open up your eyes!”
But you’re not seeing.

Oh Hell!
I am home still
if we don’t kill each and every last one
Brother, grab you a gun

I’m in line with the sky’s design
I’m disguised behind the ancient cloth.
The hatred makes it hot.
There’s children crying at rounds in the air.
It’s everywhere.
We scatter, scared.
Erect our necks,
“Oh, who is next?”
We’re so perplexed,
the Holy Text couldn’t ever have prepared us for this.

Oh Hell!
I am home still
if we don’t kill each and every last one
Brother, grab you a gun
And go fill
the window sill
We’ll get those devil people running.
No, they’ll never see it coming.
Desert hummers humming, coming to kill.

Children, walk around it.
Let’s not talk about it.
We won’t have to see their faces again.

Lying bleeding, beaten
In the trees of Eden.
O, of all the places to end.

O, of all the places to end.
We won’t see their faces again.
O, of all the places to end.
This is the place it will end.

Numerical Poetics

I was exploring some old hard drives that I had been saving, thinking they had fallen victim to the dreaded “grinding death”. Upon plugging them in after over 3 years of being stored in an electrostatic bag in my closet, the damned thing booted up no problems. I had enough time to recover some lost lyrics/poetry. Here is a random file from the collection I restored.

SYN /ACK

5/22/2006: 10:50 PM

We will often dive off to see,
knowing quite well, knowing you quite well the peril.
A signature of Constantine instantly erased,
An arms race for bombs made of silver and gold,
It’s almost a shame your wore it… so long.

You forgot to recharge.
Is a bullet worth the sense or the cents.
Is it negative intent to prevent,
Who is to blame?
Who is to repent?

Still we’re creating massive kingdoms afire,
with selfish amazment regarding the food chain.
We love to image we’ve made of ourselves,
We hate to know our graves are 14 days old.
You are on your way for a better existence.

Encryption crumbles revealing fatal source code unethical to public eyes.
Displayed for a short while: the downfall of a comprimised consciousness.
I hear it pays well! But, it’s not the first time we’ve heard this tune.
The anger to the ends.
But what actually ends?

Danallan

A tribute to Danallan Atkins.

thatwasthen hit the Galaxy Theater in Santa-Ana to play a show with Lukas Rossi and Juke Kartel on Friday, October 30th. As their costumed guests rocked out, our resident bad-ass videographer Adam Young made this video!

The song is called “Danallan” and is brand new for twt!

This track has special meaning to the boys in the twt. It is about a very good friend (Danallan) of a very good friend of ours named Omarr Escoffie. A few years ago, Omarr’s band Slow Car Crash suffered a tragic loss when they discovered their keyboardist, Danallan Atkins had passed. This song is for and about him.

ZD YouTube FLV Player

Danallan

it rose that day
in perfect gray
the way it ended
but in the sea
tranquility
this is just…
this is just the start of it all
overdue to answer the call
the heaving sound
sinking down
welcome to the end of it all
ready, waiting, willing to fall
to something warm
like being born
how long has it been?
a rolling rest
and what comes next?
you will have answers
now safe from harm
like mother’s arms
it’s never felt so right
this is just the start of it all
overdue to answer the call
the heaving sound
sinking down
welcome to the end of it all
ready, waiting, willing to fall
to something warm
like being born
how long has it been?
I cannot forget
the silence that you kept
beside you every step
the harder that it gets
fly into the dark
sink into the deep
holding on to what you cannot name
or keep
this is just the start of it all
overdue to answer her call
like being born

East of East

This is the first song I ever wrote for thatwasthen… still carries weight.

EAST OF EAST
Well she went back east
Boarded a train
Said she wanted to see the country
Stood on the rocky coast
Stood on the tallest tower
But it wasn’t enough,
So she cried, “Mom!”

She said
IF I CAN’T BE ME
WHERE WILL I BE?
IF I CAN’T BE ME
HOW WILL I SEE?

Moved further east
Settled down in a flat in Brixton
And started work on her first novel
She took a look left and right
Took walks at night
Kept to herself and never asked for help
She’d stay inside with all her papers and lines

They’d say
IF I CAN’T BE ME
WHERE WILL I BE?
IF I CAN’T BE ME
HOW WILL I SEE?

Then she,
Moved further east to find inner peace
Checked her possessions and weapons
Then set her lessons down at the door
And she sat in silence
Cleared her head
Had the epiphany of a lifetime
What she wanted wasn’t what she’d got
She wanted everything, but had learned to live with nothing
“Well I guess I’ll go back West”
But west was so far west
That it’d be best reached
If she just kept on going east

I DIDN’T SEE
I RAN AWAY FROM ME
HOW WILL IT BE
TO FINALLY BE FREE?

“Sunlight” by thatwasthen

I wrote this poem many years ago, and it has always remained true and pertinent to me. maybe that’s why it survived long enough to be fully fleshed out.

I will keep the dream alive

and crawl through your web.

Stuck on the thought that I might not

have something Starry Night to say.

I find that with such speed

I think we’ll need a few more stars to guide us

to unblind us from this ever-brightening bulb we power.

it’s now or never, forever.

I come like sunlight,

and if done right, I might

find the kind of signs I’m looking for.

I guess my best bet is, in my sexist metrics of ethics,

“I am gonna drag that bitch to the floor”

pump a few more quarters in and watch them stack at the ledge

and pledge that this investment, it brings fortune.

more than just another tired, uninspired tire yard of burning stink.

don’t think this shit can fit in any mind.

expand beyond what is said.

I come like sunlight,

and if done right, I might

find the kind of signs I’m looking for.

I guess my best bet is, in my sexist metrics of ethics,

“I am gonna drag that bitch to the floor”

Tarry down to landmine fields.

Swim in the blue liquid for your windshield

and drink it down.

Drink it down.

Whatever you find that is under your sink

that’s pink, ignore the stink and drink it down.

Drink it down.

© Brenton Sinay, 2005

Here is our band performing “Sunlight” live at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano.

The Long Count Lyrics

today, this song has particular significance…

(UNTIL) THE LONG COUNT (ENDS)

All along,
You
Waited for the right time
Orbiting the moon,
Without you… without you

She waves at me
She waved at me
Its wave by pounding wave you see
I can’t lie
To those blue skies (eyes)

Ashamed of me
The blame’s with me
I’ve tamed the lame
Inside of me
I could cry
Or gouge my eyes

The night you put your hand inside my chest
Was the first time I’ve been touched without the mess
I confess, it was the best,
The hardest test
I had to guess
So hold me in your loving arms
And let me rest

UNTIL THE LONG COUNT ENDS

She plays with me, for days you see
It’s day by playful day with me
Turned around and upside down

Engaged to me
Enabled me
The space she layed
It stables me
I know how
To stay here now

the night you grabbed onto my soul and squeezed
it turns out that’s exactly what I need
so pleased and teased
I’ve pleaded bleeding
Cheating seeing
What was simply a part of me
So pardon me again

UNTIL THE LONG COUNT ENDS

I can’t change, except maybe for her
I won’t change, except when I’m with her

[audio:long.mp3]

The Rocks and the Sand

ROCKS & SAND

It’s high time
I find my mind
Lies above the clouds
Abound with proud ability
You’re endorsing me
Quite forcibly
To walk among my generations past
At last, I’ve passed
The test that’s thrust upon me

Well that’s what keeps me moving on
It’s there, until it’s gone
So if it’s not too late
I can’t wait, to take the rake
And smooth the rocks and sand
I’m gonna smooth the rocks and sand
Inside my garden

Amanda planned to stand before the scales of God
And with a forced, accepting nod
A metal rod came slashing through her veins
So, instead of taking reins
Or beating ass and taking names
She jumped the track and cut some slack
Pulled the pin and blew an exit out the back

Whoa no
I can feel it go
Lowest of my lows
I can take it slow

Lyrics for Absolute Zero

I know, I know! I just really feel like putting some lyrics down somewhere. That way we don’t have to see the wrong version somewhere on LYRICS.COM or whatever. This is one a favorite because of the concept of absolute zero, and how time is frozen. [watch the video!]

ABSOLUTE ZERO

I’m looking for the guidance

A rock to stand upon

I’m out here in the cold and lightning

Waiting for the dawn

How could I ignore the

Signs she’s showing me?

I’m choking back a spoiled spoon of

My own philosophy

—I fear this city gets me

Another passing head

But I wont have this make me angry

You’d rather see me dead—

Don’t forget, love
You cannot forget
This lovely box of
Petrified regrets
I won’t forget, love
The time we made into our own
It stopped the earth
And even though it was
ABSOLUTE ZERO
I could see the hurt

The future had a future

Until I saw the day

The sun it faded bluer

And froze up everything

I’m memorizing alleys

So we can save the time

The water floods the valleys

I just can’t call her mine

—Nikki, listen to me

You have got a spot

To never let you in again, truly

I would rather rot—

She circles me with questions

Its time and time again

Her cosmic destination

But I wont let her in

see the trees (original lyrics)

i figured since we’re playing this at our show on thursday, i’d give you a chance to settle any argument…

see the trees

an honest open answer from me seems a bit unlikely
until you take the time to understand a couple things about me
i believe that life deals everyone their own hand in the game
so don’t expect my path to look like yours, you know we’re not the same
My determination to be right has always been in prominence,
my experiences have taught me I should take it with my dominance.
we are here because we fear that nothing else could suit us,
so as you read or listen, know its all a little brutal…

pay attention to the messages you find
its a lesson, for expressionless minds
a force much stronger than the one behind this line,
I will cross my heart, and hope you die
if you can’t see the trees

i heard somewhere, that life is made of misery and pain,
we give a nod to good ‘ol God, when things just aren’t the same.
it’s only when we’re stirpped of all the things that we’re absorbed in,
the drama drops, the bubble pops and we put things in proportion.

i will…
pay attention to the messages you find
its a lesson, for expressionless minds
a force much stronger than the one behind this line,
I will cross my heart, and hope you die
if you can’t see the trees

i read somewhere that all the matter ever to exist,
is connected in some cosmic way together in true bliss.
and all the energy we are is strewn just like a shooting star
and knowing that is how we find peace.

you should…
pay attention to the messages you find
its a lesson, for expressionless minds
a force much stronger than the one behind this line,
I will cross my heart, and hope you die
if you can’t see the trees

it’s somewhere in the middle, like the middle of this song
we can separate the bad from good, my rights from all your wrongs.
i know you’re looking up to me, i told you i was high
its 2 vs 1, verse 2 and 3, life’s dark with a highlight

expect it all to build up
and eventually crash
the wood is smooth, it’s gorgeous
but it all will burn to ash
i expect that when this happens i will pop into your head
so while i’ve got the floor, be sure you listened to what i said