At the time Crispin was the front man of Everything After, where creative differences led to his departure. Crispin was gaining attention as a songwriter with credits on Motley Crue's drummer Tommy Lee's solo CD Tommyland: The Ride. Eric, who had recently relocated back to Vancouver after a stint in Los Angeles with 40 Foot Echo (Hollywood Records), was working on projects of his own.
After writing for months with such a positive attitude, it was time to find band-mates who shared their mindset. While recording the first batch of “TVU” songs Eric and Crispin were introduced to Roots and Fid through a mutual friend. The four musicians became close friends in these studio sessions before they had even picked up instruments to jam with one another. Roots and Fid had played in a band together prior to this, and after numerous North American tours had decided it was time to do their own “veering” away from an unpleasant situation and join Crispin and Eric.
Finally the last piece of the puzzle was put into place when the band met drummer, Neil. As the youngest member of the group, Neil, was forced to learn the ways of this industry very quickly but this was something he was more than ready to strive for.
After nearly two years of endless touring arcross the continent, the band signed a record deal with Universal/Motown Records out of New York City. The label had taken notice of the hard working group and it is now time to hit the studio to record the bands Major Label debut with producer Greg Archilla (Collective Soul, Matchbox 20, Buckcherry).
Nightmare
The Veer Union Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize
I′ve tasted blood and it is sweet
I've had the rug pulled beneath my feet
I′ve trusted lies and so in men
Broke down and put myself back together again
Stared in the mirror and punched it to shatters
Collected the pieces and picked out the dagger
I've pinched my skin in between my two fingers
And wished I could cut some parts off with some scissors
Come on, could you maybe give me a smile?
No, I ain't got nothing to smile about
I got no one to smile for, I′ve waited a while for
A moment to say "I don′t owe you a Goddamn thing"
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize
No sweet dream but I'm a hell of a night
That I′m no sweet dream, but I'm a hell of a night
No, I won′t smile, but I'll show you my teeth
And I′ma let you speak if you just let me breathe
I've been polite, but won't be caught dead
Letting a man tell me what I should do in my bed
Keep my exes in check in my basement
′Cause kindness is weakness, or worse, you′re complacent
I could play nice, or I could be a bully
I'm tired and angry, but somebody should be
Come on, could you maybe give me a smile?
No, I ain′t got nothing to smile about
I got no one to smile for, I've waited a while for
A moment to say "I don′t owe you a Goddamn thing"
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize
I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize
Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware
And I'd rather be a real nightmare than die unaware
Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware
But I′m glad to be a real nightmare, so save me your prayers
I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize
I'm hell of nightmare (I gotta weapon in my mind)
I'm hell of nightmare (I gotta weapon in my mind)
I′m hell of nightmare (The real nightmare)
I′m hell of nightmare (The real nightmare)
I'm hell of nightmare
The Veer Union's song "Nightmare" speaks about the personal struggles the singer has faced in their life. The lyrics suggest that the singer has faced a lot of trauma, and has been hurt by others. They have been taken advantage of, and often left alone to handle their pain. The chorus of the song focuses on how they have learned to deal with these issues by recognizing the weapon in their own mind. The singer acknowledges that they have tasted blood and that it is sweet, meaning they have faced hardship and have become accustomed to feeling pain.
The line "No sweet dream but I'm a hell of a night" shows that the singer is coming to terms with who they are, and that they have the power to be whoever they want to be, even if it means being a nightmare to those around them. The line "I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind" suggests that the singer has learned to control their thoughts and emotions, and use them for their own benefit.
The verse "Keep my exes in check in my basement / ′Cause kindness is weakness, or worse, you′re complacent" suggests that the singer has been hurt by past relationships, and now finds it difficult to trust anyone. They feel that being kind to others is a weakness, and that they need to control their relationships to prevent themselves from getting hurt again.
Overall, the lyrics of "Nightmare" suggest that the singer has been through a lot of trauma and has learned to deal with it in their own way. They have become a strong and independent person, despite the hardships they have faced.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life
I am aware of all the broken pieces and damage that my life has, and I keep track of them.
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
I am aware of the negative thoughts and emotions that can harm me.
They talk shit, but I love it every time
Even though others say negative things about me, I enjoy it as it fuels me.
And I realize
I understand the whole situation and its implications.
I’ve tasted blood and it is sweet
I have experienced violence and aggression, and it gave me pleasure.
I've had the rug pulled beneath my feet
I have experienced a sudden and unpleasant change in life.
I’ve trusted lies and so in men
I have trusted men who lied to me and broke my trust.
Broke down and put myself back together again
I suffered a breakdown but was strong enough to gather myself and become whole again.
Stared in the mirror and punched it to shatters
I looked at myself in the mirror and punched it until it shattered.
Collected the pieces and picked out the dagger
I gathered the broken shards of the mirror and selected one to use as a weapon.
I’ve pinched my skin in between my two fingers
I have deliberately hurt myself by pinching my skin between my fingers.
And wished I could cut some parts off with some scissors
I wish I could remove some parts of myself with scissors, maybe referring to self-harm tendencies.
Come on, could you maybe give me a smile?
Can you make me feel better by smiling at me?
No, I ain't got nothing to smile about
I have no reason to smile or be happy right now.
I got no one to smile for, I’ve waited a while for, A moment to say 'I don’t owe you a Goddamn thing'
I have waited for a chance to say that I don’t have to please anyone and no one has any hold over me.
No sweet dream but I'm a hell of a night
I'm not easy to deal with, but I'm still interesting.
No, I won’t smile, but I'll show you my teeth
I won’t give in to your demands for a smile, but I’ll show you my anger.
And I’ma let you speak if you just let me breathe
I'll listen to you if you give me space and respect.
I've been polite, but won't be caught dead, Letting a man tell me what I should do in my bed
I've been courteous so far, but I won't allow any man to dictate what I should do in my private life.
Keep my exes in check in my basement
I keep tabs on my ex-partners to ensure they can't harm me anymore.
′Cause kindness is weakness, or worse, you′re complacent
If you show kindness, others perceive it as weakness, and it can hold you back.
I could play nice, or I could be a bully
I have the choice to either be friendly or aggressive, and I'll choose whichever suits me.
I'm tired and angry, but somebody should be
I am exhausted and upset, but someone should express it and bring attention to the issue.
Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware
People like me who understand their strengths and weaknesses can be challenging to deal with.
And I'd rather be a real nightmare than die unaware
I prefer being aware of who I am and causing some chaos than living in ignorance and not experiencing life.
But I’m glad to be a real nightmare, so save me your prayers
I'm satisfied with who I am and don't need others' pity or support.
I'm hell of a nightmare
I'm a tough and challenging person to handle.
Writer(s): Martin Kierszenbaum, Benny Blanco, Ivan Shapovalov, Elena Kiper, Happy Perez, Cashmere Cat, Ashley Frangipane, Trevor Horn, Sergey Sasunikovich Galoyan, Valery Polienko
Contributed by Jeremiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.