The band's first release was in 2007 with an EP titled When The Sea Became A Giant. The band released a full-length album, What It Takes To Move Forward, in 2009. The band is signed to Count Your Lucky Stars Records and has released albums on a number of other labels, such as strictly no capital letters (UK), Topshelf Records, Stiff Slack (Japan), and Hobbledehoy Record Co (Australia). The band released their second album You Will Eventually Be Forgotten on August 19, 2014. On February 16, 2016, the band announced their final tour before their breakup on their official Facebook page.[2]
Bandcamp
Social media: facebook / twitter /
Labels: count your lucky stars / strictly no capital letters / stiff slack / keep it together / topshelf
How to Make Love Stay
Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) Lyrics
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the way you move your hands through your hair when you feel alone.
remember the flowers you picked when we crossed over madison?
you were so sure you found yourself that you branded it into an oak-
the one you swore reached through the sky and swallowed the city line.
you had yet to hit twenty-three (an age that would swallow you).
then, every breath made you confess you did not know what to do with your hands.
this is a new side of you- so full of fear.
The lyrics to "How to Make Love Stay" by Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) are emotionally charged and deal with romantic love, as well as insecurity and the search for personal identity. The opening lines describe a scene of driving on highways, surrounded by city lights. The singer addresses their partner, whom they observe moving their hands through their hair, seemingly feeling alone. The memory of a shared experience, picking flowers when crossing the Madison area, is then mentioned. The partner, feeling they had found themselves, had marked the occasion by branding their name on an oak, which they believed swallowed the entire city line.
But now, the partner is struggling with fear and uncertainty, and their inner conflict is revealed in the way their breaths make them confess that they don't know what to do with their hands. The song touches on themes of insecurity and the search for self, highlighting the fact that even someone who seemed sure of themselves can experience doubt and fear as they grow older. The title of the song, "How to Make Love Stay" suggests a longing for the stability of long-term love, and the difficulties that come with maintaining it.
Line by Line Meaning
city lights graced interstates,
Driving on the highway under the bright city lights.
the way you move your hands through your hair when you feel alone.
A nervous habit you do when you're feeling lonely.
remember the flowers you picked when we crossed over madison?
Recalling a past memory of picking flowers while crossing over Madison.
you were so sure you found yourself that you branded it into an oak-
Feeling confident that you knew who you were and marking that identity into an oak tree.
the one you swore reached through the sky and swallowed the city line.
Believing that the oak tree was so tall it extended beyond the city line.
you had yet to hit twenty-three (an age that would swallow you).
Realizing that you were still young and had a lot to learn, even though life can be overwhelming.
then, every breath made you confess you did not know what to do with your hands.
Feeling anxious and uncertain, expressed through fidgeting with your hands.
this is a new side of you- so full of fear.
Experiencing a new, fearful side of your personality that you haven't encountered before.
Contributed by Jordan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.