Means to an End

Album: True Defiance (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This instrumental was a late addition to True Defiance. It came about when guitarist Patrick Judge and lead vocalist Ryan Clark sat down in the studio with a couple of acoustic guitars and no real expectations. The result was this reflective piece that they decided had to find a place for on the record. Clark told Alternative Press: "I've always appreciated a good stripped-down instrumental track on a metal record. Some of my favorite records have tracks like this--At The Gates' Slaughter Of The Soul, Sepultura's Chaos AD, Metallica's ...And Justice For All and quite a few others.
    Listening back to it after we'd finished, I feel like it almost has a Kill Bill vibe to it... like a creepy old western. Somehow I think it fits the vibe and flow of the record really well."
  • The song is played in the key of E so that it segues naturally into the next track on the record, "We Don't Care." Clark explained to Alternative Press: "When we were writing the song, the guitars were in standard tuning. We wanted this song to bleed into whatever came next... almost as if it were the intro to the following song. We realized that the only song on the record that started with an E chord (the root note in this song) was 'We Don't Care.' So essentially, we kept the song in the key of E as a way to line it up with the next song. In short, the song itself is actually the means to an end."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Gary Louris of The JayhawksSongwriter Interviews

The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

TV Theme Songs

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."