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.
Let It Dive
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As we say goodbye
Let us not wonder whether
We are ready to take the dive
Let it dive, let it die, let it fade out of sight
Let it drag us down, let it fade
Mourn with nothing to say
Gone are those times forever
Lost as those sweet warm other days
Let it dive, let it die, let it fade out of sight
Let it drag us down, let it come between you and I
Let it dive, let it die, let it fade
Where we born to despair
Deeds done but not forgiven?
There will always be something there
As long as one of us goes on living
Let it dive, let it die
Let it fade out of sight
Let it drag us down, let it come between you and I
What's done is done, no reason to apologize
Let it dive, let it die, let it fade.
The lyrics of "Let It Dive" by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead are about accepting the end of a relationship or friendship, and moving on. The singer seems to be addressing someone they have grown apart from, and suggesting that they both let go of any lingering feelings and allow the relationship to "dive" or fade away.
The first verse acknowledges that it's time to say goodbye and suggests that neither person should doubt whether they are ready for this change. The chorus is a straightforward request to let the relationship fade away, even if it causes some pain or regret. The second verse goes deeper, acknowledging that both parties may feel a sense of grief or loss, but ultimately they must mourn alone and accept that the past can never be recovered. The final lines of the song suggest that some wounds may never fully heal, but the only way to move forward is to let go of the past and start anew.
Overall, the tone of the song is melancholic but ultimately optimistic. It acknowledges that letting go of something you once cherished can be painful, but it's also necessary in order to grow and move on. The repetition of the phrase "let it dive, let it die, let it fade" drives this point home.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that our ties are served
Now that our relationship is over
As we say goodbye
As we part ways
Let us not wonder whether
Let us not question
We are ready to take the dive
We are prepared for the separation
Let it dive, let it die, let it fade out of sight
Let the relationship end and disappear from our lives
Let it drag us down, let it fade
Let the separation affect us and let the relationship fade away
Grieve, but not grieve together
Mourn individually
Mourn with nothing to say
Mourn in silence
Gone are those times forever
Those happy times are gone for good
Lost as those sweet warm other days
Those lovely times are lost forever
Let it come between you and I
Let it affect our relationship
What's done is done, no reason to apologize
There is no need to apologize for what has already happened
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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