The band formed back in 2001 and played locally in Arizona for their first few years. Their first formal release of music was in 2003 with the Fik'shen EP. The release had five tracks; the first three tracks, "Overflow", "Makeshift", and "Sudden Change", would later be reworked and re-recorded later for their first LP, Welcome to the Fall, in 2005. The other two tracks, "Bruised and Break" and "Dissolved", had a different, softer sound than the majority of the rest of their work, and were never reworked. Additionally, the track "Interlude to Addiction", from Welcome to the Fall, is also on the EP, but as an intro to "Makeshift" rather than a separate track by itself.
While the band toured some in 2009 in support of the album, they disbanded amicably in 2010.
Members:
Mike Lopez − guitar
Mike Chavez − guitar
Aron Orosz − bass
Barrett Gardner − drums
Sideways
32 Leaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Divine underneath your skin
Not too afraid to remain in silence
Watching your will grow thin
Remembering when we cried out
Heaven why won't you shine down
So ready to walk away
Go on twist me
Sideways enough to sever
Some day I won't feel this way
Go on twist me
Nothing's made to last forever
Some day I'll be set free
You look so pitiful
When you're hiding behind that grin
Not too afraid to restrain your violence
Holding my head in my hands
Remembering when we cried out
Heaven why won't you shine down
So ready to walk away
Kill with the words you say
Go on twist me
Sideways enough to sever
Some day I won't feel this way
Go on twist me
Nothing's made to last forever
Some day I'll be set free
Bleeding all the time
I never said goodbye
Hurting all the time
I never said goodbye
Lying all the time
I never said goodbye
Dying all the time
Go on twist me
Sideways enough to sever
Some day I won't feel this way
Go on twist me
Nothing's made to last forever
Some day I'll be set free
The song "Sideways" by 32 Leaves talks about seeking freedom from an abusive and toxic relationship. The singer is pitiful and divine, and the abuser hides behind a facade of a smile and is not afraid to unleash their violence emotionally. The singer remembers when they cried out for help, but they were ready to walk away and sever all ties with the abuser. They urge the abuser to twist them sideways enough to sever the relationship once and for all, allowing them to be set free from the emotional pain and hurt.
The lyrics capture the complexities of an abusive relationship where the victim is torn between seeking help and getting out and staying put despite the pain and hurt. The chorus is a call to the abuser to end the suffering by twisting the victim sideways to sever the relationship, suggesting that they want it to end and be set free from the emotional burden. The song's tempo paces the lyrics, conveying a sense of urgency and desperation to break free from the binds of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You're so pitiful
The person addressed by the song is looked upon with pity
Divine underneath your skin
Despite outward appearance, the person being addressed by the song is seen as having divine qualities
Not too afraid to remain in silence
The person being addressed is capable of staying quiet even in uncomfortable situations
Watching your will grow thin
The person being addressed is believed to be losing their determination
Remembering when we cried out
The singer recalls a time they both expressed their emotions loudly
Heaven why won't you shine down
They ask why they feel unimportant in the grand scheme of things
So ready to walk away
The singer is ready to leave the situation
I don't wanna hear you say
The singer is unwilling to listen to anything the other person has to say
Go on twist me
The singer invites the other person to manipulate their emotions
Sideways enough to sever
They want the other person to twist them in any way possible, even if it causes harm
Some day I won't feel this way
The singer believes that eventually they won't feel as vulnerable
Nothing's made to last forever
The singer believes that all things eventually come to an end
Some day I'll be set free
The singer believes that one day they'll be released from the situation
You look so pitiful
The person being addressed is being perceived as weak
When you're hiding behind that grin
The person being addressed is masking their true feelings with a smile
Not too afraid to restrain your violence
The person being addressed is believed to have the capacity for violent behavior
Holding my head in my hands
The singer is exasperated and doesn't know what else to do
Kill with the words you say
The other person's words are causing emotional harm to the singer
Bleeding all the time
The singer is suffering constantly
I never said goodbye
The singer either did not have a chance to say goodbye or chose not to
Hurting all the time
The emotional pain does not stop
Lying all the time
Someone involved in the situation is not telling the truth
Dying all the time
The emotional turmoil is causing the singer to metaphorically die inside
Contributed by Alexandra R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.