1) Formed by guitarist Brick Williams, Hourglass is a Progressive Metal group from Utah, USA. The band's first effort was the hard-to-come-by "This Lonely Time and Place," followed up by the much more polished "The Journey Into" in 2002 and 2004's "Subconscious." The band released the double album "Oblivious to the Obvious" on February 19, 2009.
54 months is a long time to work on an album. But that is exactly how long it took Hourglass to finish their new double album "Oblivious to the Obvious." Four and a half years of writing, recording, mixing, mastering and the result is 139 minutes worth of music. Even though it is a lot of music, it is only 10 songs. Hourglass has never worried too much about the length of their songs, and epic songs have always been a part of what the band does. "Oblivious to the Obvious" is no exception. The album has a little of everything, from heavy metal riffs and screaming vocals, to laid back piano and acoustic passages, and some very tasteful groove sections. Vocal harmonies are scattered throughout the album as are many guitar, keyboard, and even bass solos. There is something for everyone on "Oblivious to the Obvious."
The band has gone through numerous personnel changes with Williams as the sole constant. Current drummer John Dunston replaced Zachary Taylor for "The Journey Into." Founding keyboardist Eric Robertson and current keyboardist Jerry Stenquist have traded seats twice, with Robertson playing on "This Lonely Time and Place" and "Subconscious," and Stenquist playing on "The Journey Into" and "Oblivious to the Obvious."
Bassist Jon Berrett played on the first two albums, then Clark Woolstenhulme played on "Subconscious," and the bass chair is currently held by one-time Hourglass vocalist Eric Blood for "Oblivious to the Obvious."
A different vocalist has performed on each album, with Jon Shumway on "This Lonely Time and Place," Chad Neth on "The Journey Into," Cody Walker on "Subconscious," and Michael Turner for "Oblivious to the Obvious."
Hourglass takes strong influences from Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Rush, and many other prog metal, prog rock, and classic rock outfits. The band enjoys a local following in the greater Salt Lake City area, and has significant fan bases in Europe and Scandinavia. All their albums have been independently released and financed by the band or individual band members.
2) 90's emo band. Their discography includes a seven inch on Immigrant Sun and a split with New Day Rising on Moo Cow .
3) Hip-Hop producer based out of Los Angeles, California.
38th Floor
Hourglass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the 38th floor
The view is good
But my mind is out the door
Staring at a screen all day
There's no further I can sink
Can't help but think
Every day the same
Every meeting a corporate game
I wouldn't be surprised
If my boss doesn't know my name
I don't know myself
I can't stand who I've become
Coerced by fear
Pressure and strain forced my career
Get me out of here
Take me to a place where I can see
Something different
Than what's in front of me
Silence my fear
That I'm not where I should be
That the door that was closed
It was closed by me
If only I had another chance
To go back to the point
Where I was scared to take the risk
So I abandoned what I love
If only I had another shot
To go back where my soul was bought
And sold by a poor decision
My now wouldn't need revision
And every day I get so bored
Nothing seems to change
The doubt about the choice I made
Rings like thunder in the rain
I'm just a grain of sand
On an endless beach
Another face in the crowd
I could have held the playing hand
That took me out of the mundane's reach
And walked the path my dreams allowed
Instead I've got another meeting
Gotta keep the company strong
The boss has asked for overtime
He'll make sure the day drags on
What have I done?
Where have I gone?
Everything and everywhere I knew was wrong
What have I seen?
Where are my dreams?
Nothing and nowhere but a computer screen
Here I am again
On the 38th floor
The view is good
As I'm walking out the door
One choice that cost so much
Made life unrecognizable
But I have another chance
To make my goal realizable
I can't undo what's been done
But I have to try to fix what's wrong
To let my dreams be my guide
They now refuse to be denied
I may not find the way back out
Of the mess I've made but I'm about
To swallow pride 'cause I'm walking out
The time is now to change my life
The song "38th Floor" by Hourglass is a reflection on the feeling of being stuck in a monotonous, unfulfilling corporate job. The singer is on the 38th floor of a building, looking out at a beautiful view, but feeling trapped and unfulfilled. They are staring at a screen and attending the same meetings every day, feeling like they have flushed their life away. The singer expresses that they don't know who they have become, and they are being coerced by fear, pressure, and strain.
The chorus expresses regret for not taking risks in the past that could have led the singer down a different path. They wish they could go back to the point where they abandoned what they loved and change their past decisions. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer realizing that they cannot undo what has been done, but they can try to fix what's wrong and let their dreams guide them towards a more fulfilling life.
The message of the song is relatable to many people who have experienced feeling stuck in a job they don't enjoy or feeling like they have settled for a path that's not true to their desires. The song is a call to action to take risks and pursue what makes us happy, even if it means taking a new path.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I am again
I am back in the same place as before
On the 38th floor
On the 38th story of a building
The view is good
The view from this height is pleasant
But my mind is out the door
I am not mentally present
Staring at a screen all day
I spend my entire day looking at a computer monitor
There's no further I can sink
Things cannot get any worse for me
Can't help but think
I cannot stop myself from contemplating
I've somehow flushed my life away
I feel as if I've wasted my life
Every day the same
Each day is identical
Every meeting a corporate game
Meetings are just games here at work
I wouldn't be surprised
I would feel unsurprised
If my boss doesn't know my name
It's possible that my boss doesn't know my name
I don't know myself
I am not sure about who I am
I can't stand who I've become
I dislike the person I have transformed into
Coerced by fear
I am forced by anxiety
Pressure and strain forced my career
My work is the result of pressure and stress
Get me out of here
I want to leave this place
Take me to a place where I can see
Bring me to a location where I can envision
Something different
Something that isn't the same
Than what's in front of me
Different from what I am currently experiencing
Silence my fear
Relieve me of my anxiety
That I'm not where I should be
That where I am isn't where I belong
That the door that was closed
The opportunity that was missed
It was closed by me
It's my fault that I didn't take action
If only I had another chance
I wish I could have another opportunity
To go back to the point
To return to a previous moment
Where I was scared to take the risk
When I was afraid to take a chance
So I abandoned what I love
I gave up the things I was passionate about
If only I had another shot
If only I could have another opportunity
To go back where my soul was bought
To return to where I was truly happy
And sold by a poor decision
And gave it up due to a bad choice
My now wouldn't need revision
I wouldn't need to change my present situation
And every day I get so bored
Every day I am extremely bored
Nothing seems to change
Things don't ever seem to differ
The doubt about the choice I made
I am uncertain of the decision I made
Rings like thunder in the rain
It echoes in my mind like a storm
I'm just a grain of sand
I feel insignificant and worthless
On an endless beach
On an infinite shoreline
Another face in the crowd
Just another forgettable individual
I could have held the playing hand
I could have taken control of my life
That took me out of the mundane's reach
That brought me out of the mundane aspects of life
And walked the path my dreams allowed
And pursued the path my aspirations directed
Instead I've got another meeting
However, I just have another meeting
Gotta keep the company strong
It is necessary to maintain the company's success
The boss has asked for overtime
The manager has requested that I work additional hours
He'll make sure the day drags on
He'll see to it that the day lasts even longer
What have I done?
What actions have I taken?
Where have I gone?
Where have my decisions led me?
Everything and everywhere I knew was wrong
Every place and thing I am familiar with feels incorrect
What have I seen?
What have I experienced?
Where are my dreams?
What happened to my aspirations?
Nothing and nowhere but a computer screen
I see nothing and am going nowhere, only staring at a monitor
One choice that cost so much
One decision that carried a heavy price
Made life unrecognizable
Caused my life to become unrecognizable
But I have another chance
However, I now have another opportunity
To make my goal realizable
To make my objective achievable
I can't undo what's been done
I cannot change the past
But I have to try to fix what's wrong
However, I must attempt to rectify what is currently incorrect
To let my dreams be my guide
To permit my aspirations to lead me
They now refuse to be denied
My goals will not be ignored any longer
I may not find the way back out
I may not be able to find my way out
Of the mess I've made but I'm about
Of the situation I've created, but I am ready
To swallow pride 'cause I'm walking out
To humble myself, since I am leaving
The time is now to change my life
Now is the moment to alter my existence
Contributed by Luke O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sarlanga Ravlic
This album lives on my hdd since 2010, a masterpiece.
Lowest Expectations
Killer bass
colin parry
awesome
Constar99
Banger