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.
Monsoon
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a voice that commands
Rain drops fall
Like the blood from your hands.
Pray to god
But I doubt that he's listening
This world is a gutter
Tonight (yeah tonight)
Millions of people
Quietly sleep
Dreaming of deserts
As the puddles grow deep
Dark clouds of rage
Black out the sun
The rivers will run
Red with their blood
No place left dry
No place of shelter for which to run
People muddle in mass
Waiting for the storm to pass
But it's just begun
Millions of people
All of you people
Dream of the sandman
But the sandman has turned to mud
Rain falling down
Is this another great flood?
The rivers are running
Red with our blood
The song "Monsoon" by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is a powerful commentary on the complexities of existence and the uncertainty of faith. The opening lines, "Rolling thunder/Like a voice that commands/Rain drops fall/Like the blood from your hands," set the tone for the rest of the song, which explores themes of profound despair and spiritual disillusionment. The singer prays to a distant God, but doubts that his prayers will be answered, calling the world "a gutter/That he likes to piss in." The song suggests that there is little hope for the human race, as even the natural elements seem to turn against us, with "dark clouds of rage/Black out the sun" and "the rivers...[running] red with our blood."
The imagery in the song is vivid and poetic, creating a sense of foreboding and unease that builds throughout the track. The line "Dreaming of deserts/As the puddles grow deep" creates a striking contrast between the longing for stability inherent in human nature and the chaos of the natural world. The repetition of the line "Millions of people" adds to the sense of scale, emphasizing the idea that the struggles of the individual are reflected by the struggles of society as a whole.
Overall, "Monsoon" is a bleak and intense song that challenges the listener to confront the darker aspects of existence. Its themes of disillusionment, fear, and despair are woven together through powerful, evocative language that lingers long after the final chords have faded away.
Line by Line Meaning
Rolling thunder
The sound of thunder, which comes after lightning, is heard in the distance and echoes out powerfully.
Like a voice that commands
It seems as though the thunder is commanding attention, as it booms out and rolls on through the air.
Rain drops fall
As the storm approaches, droplets of water begin to come down from the sky, landing on everything in sight.
Like the blood from your hands.
The drops of rain look like blood on someone's hands, which could symbolize either guilt or hurt from something that has happened.
Pray to god
The artist encourages people to turn to religion for comfort or answers in times of distress.
But I doubt that he's listening
However, the singer is skeptical that any higher power is listening or would intervene.
This world is a gutter
The world is viewed as a dirty, neglected place that is filled with unpleasant things.
That he likes to piss in.
The artist implies that God takes pleasure in adding to the misery that already exists in the world.
Tonight (yeah tonight)
The song emphasizes that the events mentioned in the lyrics are happening right now, in the present moment.
Millions of people
There are countless individuals who are all grappling with the same circumstances.
Quietly sleep
Despite the rain and the looming storm, many people are still sound asleep and unaware of what's happening outside.
Dreaming of deserts
These individuals are dreaming about warm, dry landscapes that are the opposite of what they're currently experiencing.
As the puddles grow deep
Meanwhile, the storm is continuing to intensify outside, causing water to pool in the streets and other low-lying areas.
Dark clouds of rage
The clouds in the sky are described as being full of anger or hostility, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the world at large.
Black out the sun
The clouds are so thick and oppressive that they block out the light from the sun, casting a gloomy shadow over everything below.
The rivers will run
The impending storm will cause the water in the rivers and other bodies of water to begin rapidly flowing or even overflowing.
Red with their blood
This could be a metaphor for the waters becoming dangerous or deadly, as well as a literal representation of people dying due to the storm.
No place left dry
The rain is so heavy and all-encompassing that there isn't a single spot left that isn't wet or soaked through.
No place of shelter for which to run
Despite the rain, there is nowhere for people to hide or take refuge from the storm, leaving them exposed and vulnerable.
People muddle in mass
Everyone is crowded together and confused, trying their best to figure out what they should do or where they should go.
Waiting for the storm to pass
Despite the chaos and danger, many are hoping that the storm will simply go away on its own and not cause any lasting damage or destruction.
But it's just begun
Unfortunately, the artist implies that the storm is far from over and that things will likely get much worse before they improve.
All of you people
The singer is calling out to everyone, addressing them directly and emphasizing that they are all in this together.
Dream of the sandman
People are continuing to hope and dream of a peaceful, restful sleep despite the chaos and destruction happening outside their windows.
But the sandman has turned to mud
Their hopes have been dashed, and the possibility of restful sleep now seems impossible in the face of the ongoing storm.
Rain falling down
As the storm continues, the rainfall is increasing in intensity and weight, rendering people even more helpless and exposed.
Is this another great flood?
The singer is questioning whether this storm is somehow related to the biblical story of Noah's Ark and the flood that inundated the whole world.
The rivers are running
The current is speeding up in the rivers, making them appear more like torrents or waterfalls than quiet streams.
Red with our blood
This is a visceral, almost violent image of the storm, with the rushing water now appearing to be stained red with the blood of those caught in its path.
Lyrics © 2004 STEAL OUR MUSIC
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