Album: Dead Throne (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the last song written for Dead Throne and was transformed by producer Adam Dutkiewicz from separate bits into a verse-chorus song. Guitarist Chris Rubey explained to Alternative Press: "Adam went through and he actually removed the main riff from the song that was in the demo version. He basically cut it up and was like, 'The song is going to start here.' And where the song starts is a minute into the demo version. I love how it has a punky thrash feel to it the whole time."
  • The lyrics deal with the struggles of falling out of love. In cryptic and suggestive lines, lyricist Mike Hranica sketches the various worries and feelings of a man at the end of a disintegrating relationship, as well as how he tries to cope with them. It shifts from self-pity ("I am the wretched one...") to cold detachment ("It comes back full circle, I can not help but care no more"), creating a song that offers a complex, nuanced take on the situation.
  • In our interview with Jeremy DePoyster, the singer and rhythm guitarist said that this was one of his favorite songs to perform live.
  • The song released on the band's 2011 album, Dead Throne. Most critics hailed the album as more mature and musically sophisticated than the band's previous elements. Like their previous release, the Zombie EP, the record is something of a concept album, focusing around the themes of anti-idolatry and lost love.
  • The band was the last song written for the album. In its original demo form, there was an extended intro. Dutkiewicz suggested the band cut this out entirely, and the band agreed. As such, the song's final, crunchy intro at first didn't appear until one minute into the song.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"They're Playing My Song

Armed with a childhood spent devouring books, Mike Scott's heart was stolen by the punk rock scene of 1977. Not surprisingly, he would go on to become the most literate of rockers.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Sam Phillips

Sam PhillipsSongwriter Interviews

Collaborating with T Bone Burnett, Leslie Phillips changed her name and left her Christian label behind - Robert Plant, who recorded one of her songs on Raising Sand, is a fan.

Vanessa Carlton

Vanessa CarltonSongwriter Interviews

The "A Thousand Miles" singer on what she thinks of her song being used in White Chicks and how she captured a song from a dream.

Strange Magnetics

Strange MagneticsSong Writing

How Bing Crosby, Les Paul, a US Army Signal Corps Officer, and the Nazis helped shape rock and Roll.

Christopher Cross

Christopher CrossSongwriter Interviews

The man who created Yacht Rock with "Sailing" wrote one of his biggest hits while on acid.