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.
Inland Sea
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Relax your limbs gently float to earth
Hear the laughing of the Inland Sea
And know your mind is where you're meant to be
Wake up, wake up
Remind yourself exactly who you were
Is the price you've paid to live this little dream
The only way out is to go up
Take up your arms
Prepare yourself to face the whole world
Don't ask your friends for faith or company
They're none of them who they pretend to be
The lyrics of "Inland Sea" starts with an encouragement to stay calm and relaxed as the person is encouraged to let go of their inhibitions and let their limbs float to the earth below. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the person being encouraged to let go of their worries and anxieties and just enjoy the moment. The laughing of the Inland Sea in the background can be seen as a representation of happiness and joy, which the person should aim for. The lyrics continue, and the person is advised to remind themselves of who they were. The person is also questioned if the price they paid for their current state is worth it or not. The only way out of this state is supposedly to go up, ascend as in breaking free from their current state/condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay calm, stay calm
Remain relaxed and composed.
Relax your limbs gently float to earth
Relax and let yourself go with the flow.
Hear the laughing of the Inland Sea
Take joy and pleasure in the present moment.
And know your mind is where you're meant to be
Acknowledge that you are exactly where you need to be mentally.
Wake up, wake up
Become aware of the reality of your situation.
Remind yourself exactly who you were
Remember who you are and where you came from.
Is the price you've paid to live this little dream
Consider whether the sacrifice you've made to live this life is worth it.
Worth the pain you've been suffering?
Is it really worth the suffering you've experienced?
The only way out is to go up
The only escape is to rise above the situation.
Take up your arms
Prepare yourself for battle.
Prepare yourself to face the whole world
Get ready to confront the world and all its challenges.
Don't ask your friends for faith or company
Don't rely on others for support.
They're none of them who they pretend to be
Don't be fooled by people's false personas.
Lyrics © 2004 STEAL OUR MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind