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.
Luna Park
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In order to live its got to be freed
And all I want
Is this grace undone
Its haunting my head now
Like a prodigal son
You know I couldn't wait
I want to set this place aflame
Frame by frame
A lingering vision burning my memory
A scorching scene dying by the sea
Like a dog tired sage
You know I couldn't wait
To set this place aflame
Frame by frame
It didn't take long
To see it gone
Look at what I've done
I've seen it, want to feed it
Burn it down and just free it
I need it now
I need you right now
Night descends the fires rage
Through the morning light
The lyrics of "Luna Park" by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead depict a powerful, haunting desire to release oneself from the constraints of life. The first verse suggests that the singer has had a revelation that in order to truly live, they must break free of something. The chorus reinforces this desire for release with the lyrics "All I want is this grace undone, it's haunting my head now like a prodigal son." The combination of the longing for freedom and the sense of being haunted or pursued by something creates a sense of urgency and desperation within the song.
The second verse furthers this idea of burning and destroying everything in order to be free, with the lines "I want to set this place aflame, frame by frame." The lyrics are intense and vivid, creating a mental image of a person consumed by their desire for release. The repetition of the line "like a dog tired sage, you know I couldn't wait" reinforces this sense of urgency and longing, while the line "I need you right now" hints at a desire for connection or support.
The final lines of the song, "Night descends, the fires rage, through the morning light," suggest that the singer has taken action on their desire for release, and that they are willing to burn everything down in order to find it.
Overall, "Luna Park" is a powerful song about the desperate desire for freedom and release from the constraints of life.
Line by Line Meaning
It hit my mind, it came to me
An idea came to me suddenly and forcefully
In order to live its got to be freed
To truly live, we must be free from something
And all I want
This is my deepest desire
Is this grace undone
I want to experience something pure and unspoiled
Its haunting my head now
This idea consumes my thoughts
Like a prodigal son
I am restless and searching for something that will fulfill me
Like a dog tired sage
I am worn out, but still persistent in my pursuit
You know I couldn't wait
I am driven by a sense of urgency
I want to set this place aflame
I want to destroy everything that is holding me back
Frame by frame
I will systematically tear everything down
A lingering vision burning my memory
I cannot forget this powerful image that is stuck in my mind
A scorching scene dying by the sea
A dramatic and intense event is coming to an end
It didn't take long
It was surprisingly easy and quick to accomplish my goal
To see it gone
Everything I wanted to destroy is now gone
Look at what I've done
I am both amazed and horrified by the destruction I caused
I've seen it, want to feed it
I have experienced something that I desire to continue growing
Burn it down and just free it
By destroying something, I am setting it free from its negative influence
I need it now
I must have this in order to feel fulfilled
I need you right now
I need someone or something to help me accomplish my goals
Night descends the fires rage
The darkness is here and my destruction is still ongoing
Through the morning light
The consequences of my actions will be visible in the daylight
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Mark Gane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind