The band is best known for their heavy yet anthemic music and their tendency to destroy their equipment at the end of their performances (a rock and roll tradition usually associated with The Who). According to the band's website, the name "...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead" is taken from both an ancient Mayan ritual chant and an Egyptian burial text. Band members have also claimed that they made it up because it sounded cool and discovered the association after the fact.
The chief creative element of the band consists of Jason Reece and Conrad Keely. The two switch between drumming and lead vocals and guitar, both on their records and during their shows. (On some songs, [former] bass player Neil Busch sings lead vocals). Keely and Reece have been friends since their youth, meeting originally in Hawaii. They each formed their first band in 1993 soon after moving to Olympia, Washington. Keely started a band called Benedict Gehlen that only lasted a year. Nancyville was Keely's next project, though it also was short lived. Reece started with Honeybucket and then formed Mukilteo Fairies while living in Olympia. Dissatisfied with the northwest, the two ventured south to Austin, Texas and started playing as a duo under the moniker, "You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead". The band expanded to include guitarist Kevin Allen and bassist Neil Busch. They then officially changed their name to "...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead" (adding the conjunction and then the ellipsis for effect). The band is also known by the shorter name "Trail of Dead".
By 1998 they had issued their first release (a live cassette on local Golden Hour Records), followed by a self-titled full-length on Trance Syndicate. In early 2002, Trail of Dead released Source Tags & Codes to immediate critical acclaim, and made numerous critics' year-end top 10 lists.
In 2003, an EP named The Secret of Elena's Tomb followed up, which included amongst others "Mach Schau", which was the first recording of a song the band had written in their early days, as well as "Intelligence", a song with dominant electronic sounds, which was pulled from Jason Reece's electro side-project called A Roman Scandal.
In 2004, Neil Busch left the band due to health issues and was replaced by Danny Wood of The Rise. Together with additional drummer Doni Schroader (ex-Forget Cassettes) and keyboarder David Longoria (The Black), a revamped Trail of Dead embarked on an extensive worldwide tour in 2004-2005, which covered USA and Canada, and cities throughout Europe to promote their album Worlds Apart, which was finally released in January 2005 after some annoying issues with the label's corporate policies.
After the tepid critical and commercial reception of Worlds Apart, Conrad Keely became very frustrated and considered quitting the band altogether. Luckily, the band regrouped to record an EP, but the group's creativity blossomed, resulting in enough material for an album. Their latest full-length album, X: The Godless Void and Other Stories, was released on January 20th, 2020.
How Near How Far
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through verses set into nursery rhyme
At oil painted eyes
Of muses left behind
I swear I know not why
These eyes have always left me dry
She stands with arms stretched out
Oil painted eyes
Blind yet hypnotized
I swear I know not why
These eyes have always left me dry
(How near, how far, how lost they are)
I've rendered every line
Every contour of a muse's eye
Painted in my eyes mind
On canvases of time
I swear I know not why
These eyes have always left me dry
The lyrics to ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's "How Near How Far" are open to interpretation but it seems that the singer is reflecting on the muses from his past - women who inspired him artistically - and how those relationships ultimately left him feeling empty. He mentions "oil painted eyes," which may refer to the women's eyes as depicted in his artwork. Looking back at these muses, he realizes that their presence and inspiration was ultimately short-lived and left him feeling lost and disconnected.
The image of a woman standing with arms stretched out towards the mountains and clouds suggests a desire to escape or reach for something greater. Despite this, the singer acknowledges that he doesn't understand why these muses left him dry, suggesting that he may not fully understand the impact they had on him until years later. The repetition of "How near, how far, how lost they are" suggests a sense of distance or separation from these past relationships and the inspiration they brought him.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking back in time
Through verses set into nursery rhyme
At oil painted eyes
Of muses left behind
I swear I know not why
These eyes have always left me dry
Reflecting on the past through poetic verses that remind me of childhood stories. Gazing at the oil paintings of muses from ages ago. Even though I don't understand why, these painted eyes have never moved me emotionally.
She stands with arms stretched out
Towards the mountains and the clouds
Oil painted eyes
Blind yet hypnotized
I swear I know not why
These eyes have always left me dry
An imaginary figure with her arms extended towards the endless sky. Her eyes are painted in oils, blind but still captivating. I still cannot explain why these eyes never evoke emotion in me.
(How near, how far, how lost they are)
Expressing the feeling of distance and confusion towards these oil painted eyes of the muses.
I've rendered every line
Every contour of a muse's eye
Painted in my eyes mind
On canvases of time
I swear I know not why
These eyes have always left me dry
I have meticulously painted every line and curve of a muse's eyes in my mind. On the canvas of time, these oil painted eyes have left me emotionless, and I cannot explain the reason behind it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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