It also once featured Carol Heller (Guitar/Backing Vocals), formerly of Get The Girl, but she later left the band to start a family. She is heard as backup vocalist in 3 of the tracks on the first album. The name +44 is a reference to the international dialing code for the United Kingdom, where Hoppus and Barker first discussed the new project.
On December 13th, 2005 (Tom Delonge's birthday), the band released a demo of the song "No It Isn't". Hoppus insists that, while it was directed towards Delonge's breaking up of blink-182, the release date was just coincidental. On September 1st 2006, they added a song called "Lycanthrope" to their official website, http://www.plusfortyfour.com. Also on September 7th, the +44 Song "When Your Heart Stops Beating" was played on KROQ radio. On September 18th, an unedited version of the song was posted on the band's MySpace profile.
Their debut album "When Your Heart Stops Beating" was released on November 14, 2006.
Hoppus has stated that the songs "Little Death" and "No, It Isn't" are about the break-up of blink-182. In both songs lines such as "The cry for inspiration never reaches ears on distant stars" or "You swore you wouldn't lose then lost your brain, you make a sound that feels like pain" can be seen to be related to Angels and Airwaves, DeLonges new project.
In several interviews Hoppus has claimed Tom quit the band through his agent and didn't even bother to call Hoppus or Barker.
While shooting the video for the first Single "When your Heart stops beating" Travis Barker broke his arm. Not noticing it was broken he played an entire European tour with the arm broken.
In an interview with Blunt Magazine in March 2009, Hoppus was asked if +44 will continue again, where he stated "I think so, yes. I love Shane [Gallagher] and Craig [Fairbaugh]. They are great guitarists and good friends and I'd love to do another record with them. I know that Tom [DeLonge] plans to continue doing Angels & Airwaves in some capacity but right now all of our efforts are on Blink."
Lycanthrope
+44 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's bringing out the worst in me
I hear your voice start breaking in fear
When the lights go down
And I still feel you looking over my shoulder
Your sinking guilt and approaching nightmare
And I know none of us'll survive
And my dear I need you to move a little faster
This second counts as the rest of your life
Your final word and an itchy finger
And then it's taken away
And we'll be beaten down without mercy or meaning
I turn my face to a careless skyline
I'm searching hard for a sign from heaven
But they've forgotten me here
You can just stop talking, I get it (I hear your silence loud and clear)
I know it's barely a thought but it'll see us through
I'm only setting you free so just let it happen (Let it happen, no need to fear)
Yeah you can just stop talking, I get it
Sex, fuck, and fluorescent lighting
A hollow point on an angry bullet
We're on the teeth of a crocodile
We're in the mouth of the gun
And sometimes at night I feel I'm just a broken vessel
An instrument with a darker purpose
I'm at the throat of the young and the helpless
Because they've got nothing to say
You can just stop talking, I get it (I hear your silence loud and clear)
I know it's barely a thought but it'll see us through
I'm only setting you free so just let it happen (Let it happen, no need to fear)
Yeah you can just stop talking, I get it
You can just stop talking, I get it (I hear your silence loud and clear)
I know it's barely a thought but it'll see us through
I'm only setting you free so just let it happen (Let it happen, no need to fear)
Yeah you can just stop talking, I get it
The song "Lycanthrope" by +44 is a haunting and ominous track that delves into the darker and more vulnerable aspects of humanity. The lyrics describe the feeling of being trapped in a hopeless situation, where the darkness is closing in and there seems to be no way out. The song's opening line "I wake up at the end of a long, dark, gloomy year" sets the tone for the rest of the track, which explores themes of guilt, fear, and self-destruction.
Throughout the song, the persona struggles with inner demons and haunting memories. The lines "And I still feel you looking over my shoulder/Your sinking guilt and approaching nightmare" suggest that the persona is tormented by their past actions and the consequences of their choices. The idea of being "beaten down without mercy or meaning" further reinforces the persona's sense of hopelessness and despair.
Amidst the darkness, there is a sense of resigned acceptance. The persona acknowledges that they cannot change the past and that they are ultimately at the mercy of their own actions. The repetition of the lines "You can just stop talking, I get it" suggests a desire to be left alone, to be free from the weight of guilt and remorse.
Overall, "Lycanthrope" is a powerful and haunting track that delves into the complexities of human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up at the end of a long, dark, gloomy year
The singer has endured a year of hardship and misfortune and is finally awakening at its end
It's bringing out the worst in me
The struggle of the year has caused the singer to become more negative and pessimistic
I hear your voice start breaking in fear
The singer senses the fear in another person's voice and is concerned for their safety
When the lights go down
The fear of the person's voice is heightened when the lights go down, indicating a threatening situation
And I still feel you looking over my shoulder
The singer is paranoid and feels that someone is watching and judging them
Your sinking guilt and approaching nightmare
The person who was fearful earlier is now overcome with guilt and a sense of impending disaster
And I know none of us'll survive
The singer believes that the situation is so dire that nobody will come out alive
Because I know everything
The singer has a sense of control and knowledge over the situation, even if it is harmful
And my dear I need you to move a little faster
The singer implores the fearful person to act and react quickly for their own safety
This second counts as the rest of your life
The situation is so critical that every moment is crucial for survival
Your final word and an itchy finger
The situation is so dire that the person is ready to use a weapon or take drastic action
And then it's taken away
The person's ability to act or use their weapon is removed, leaving them helpless
And we'll be beaten down without mercy or meaning
The outcome of the situation will be dire and cruel, with no justification or purpose behind it
I turn my face to a careless skyline
The singer is feeling hopeless and disillusioned with the world around them
I'm searching hard for a sign from heaven
The singer is seeking some kind of divine intervention or guidance in the midst of chaos
But they've forgotten me here
Despite the singer's desperate pleas for help, they feel abandoned and forsaken by heaven or any higher power
You can just stop talking, I get it (I hear your silence loud and clear)
The singer understands the unspoken message of the fearful person and tells them to stop talking and act
I know it's barely a thought but it'll see us through
The singer believes that even a small amount of hope or faith can help them survive the dire situation
I'm only setting you free so just let it happen (Let it happen, no need to fear)
The singer is trying to reassure the fearful person that their actions are necessary for survival and that they should not be afraid of what will happen
Sex, fuck, and fluorescent lighting
The singer is describing a cheap and meaningless sexual encounter
A hollow point on an angry bullet
The singer is describing a very dangerous and harmful situation
We're on the teeth of a crocodile
The singer is describing the precariousness of their situation with a metaphor
We're in the mouth of the gun
The singer is describing the extremely dangerous and violent situation they are in
And sometimes at night I feel I'm just a broken vessel
The singer feels damaged and used up, like they are no longer of any use in the world
An instrument with a darker purpose
The singer feels like they are being used for a harmful or violent purpose
I'm at the throat of the young and the helpless
The singer feels a sense of power over others who are more vulnerable and in need of help
Because they've got nothing to say
The singer believes that those who are young or helpless are being silenced and ignored
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TRAVIS BARKER, TRAVIS L BARKER, MARK HOPPUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind