Emo is a style of punk rock music typically characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as “emotional hardcore” or “emocore” and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace.
As the style was echoed by contemporary American punk bands, its sound and meaning shifted and changed, blending with pop punk and indie rock and encapsulated in the early 1990s by groups such as Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate. By the mid 1990s numerous emo acts emerged from the Midwestern and Central United States, and several independent record labels began to specialize in the style, known as 2nd wave emo.
Emo broke into mainstream culture in the early 2000s with the platinum-selling success of Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional. In recent years the term “emo” has been applied by critics and journalists to a variety of artists, including multiplatinum acts such as Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance and disparate groups such as Coheed and Cambria and Panic at the Disco. This modern style of emo, characterized by a fusion of emo sensibilities with pop punk, indie rock, alternative rock and other more mainstream musical tendencies, is vastly different from both original emo and 2nd wave emo, and is usefully (and accurately) referred to as emo pop.
Patience
Rites of Spring Lyrics
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To understand a hand that's not my hand
In a moment to be defined
All clear lines of all that, that could mean
And I'm wanting eyes
That won't justify or despise all they see
And a silence inside
To help me decide and hide in me
But oh,
I get so tired of waiting
I get so tired of waiting
I get so tired of waiting
When these skies won't fall
Wanting a chance
Just a chance that cannot be missed
Because in seconds that pass
Never there, it's just another kiss
And I'm wanting a heart
And hearts that won't just beat on their own
Because every beat without purpose or thought
You know..
Makes me feel more alone
And I'm so tired of waiting
I get so tired of waiting
Waiting
When the skies won't fall
In Rites of Spring's song "Patience," the lyrics express a yearning for understanding and connection, but also a deep frustration with the waiting and uncertainty that often accompanies these desires. The first verse opens with the singer's desire to understand "a hand that's not my hand" and "all that, that could mean." This can be interpreted as a desire to connect with someone or something outside of themselves, but also an acknowledgement of the difficulty and ambiguity of truly understanding another person. The next few lines express a longing for "eyes that won't justify or despise all they see" and "a silence inside to help me decide and hide in me." These lines paint a picture of someone who is seeking clarity and calmness amidst the chaos and noise of everyday life.
The next verse builds on the themes of longing and frustration, with the singer wishing for "a chance that cannot be missed" and a heart that won't just beat on its own without purpose or thought. These lines continue the theme of the desire for connection, but also suggest a frustration with the fleeting nature of these opportunities and the feeling of isolation that can come from not having a deep, meaningful connection. The repetition of the lines "I get so tired of waiting" and "when these skies won't fall" adds to the feeling of restlessness and impatience that permeates the song.
Overall, "Patience" is a meditation on the difficulty of connecting with others and the frustration and loneliness that can come from waiting for those connections. The lyrics are introspective and contemplative, expressing a sense of longing and a desire for understanding, but also a recognition of the challenges and uncertainties that come with pursuing those desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Wanting to understand
I seek the ability to comprehend
To understand a hand that's not my hand
I desire to understand a gesture that is not of my own
In a moment to be defined
In a specific instance that is yet to take place
All clear lines of all that, that could mean
All the distinct possibilities that come with it
And I'm wanting eyes
I wish for a sight
That won't justify or despise all they see
Eyes that do not form opinions on what they perceive
And a silence inside
A stillness within
To help me decide and hide in me
That will aid me in decision making and concealing emotions
But oh,
However,
I get so tired of waiting
I become weary of anticipation
I get so tired of waiting
I become bored of expectation
I get so tired of waiting
I become exhausted of waiting
When these skies won't fall
During times when things do not change
Wanting a chance
Desiring an opportunity
Just a chance that cannot be missed
An opportunity that must not be overlooked
Because in seconds that pass
Because time swiftly passes
Never there, it's just another kiss
Events that never occur, just like a fleeting kiss
And I'm wanting a heart
I seek a soul
And hearts that won't just beat on their own
Hearts that do not function independently
Because every beat without purpose or thought
Any heartbeats without intention or contemplation
You know..
You are aware...
Makes me feel more alone
Further deepens my sense of solitude
And I'm so tired of waiting
I am extremely exhausted of waiting
I get so tired of waiting
I become weary of waiting
Waiting
The act of waiting
When the skies won't fall
During times of staticity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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