Their name is a play on the 38th parallel north, which divides North Korea from South Korea. Their first album, Turn the Tides, was released in 2002. Their most famous song is "Horizon."
Following the disbandment of 38th Parallel, vocalist Nate Rippke formed the rock band Sons of the Republic. Guitarist Jason Munday and drummer Aaron Nordyke formed the Harry Potter-themed electronica band Ministry of Magic.
38th Parallel also reformed in 2005 and independently released their self-produced second album.
On August 2nd, 2006, band member Mark Jennings announced, via the band's MySpace blog, that it is unlikely that 38th Parallel will release another album. The decision was influenced by shifting priorities in the personal lives of the members such as marriage.
On June 16, 2007, 4 out of the 5 members of 38th Parallel played 5 songs at Bash on the Farm in Garner, IA.
Who Am I
38th Parallel Lyrics
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But the gla** got smashed, bought a counterfeit story
We gave into pride, sacrificed life, on that day we died inside
Outside we ignited a rebellion, an infectious disease
That labels us felons cold and alone, ever wandering in search of a home
Hearts breaking, hands shaking in time with our hearts vibrating
We say bridges to yesterday are burned
We can never keep our gaze locked on the ground
As we stand with wide wide eyes as our world comes crashing down
Who am I to say I'm right?
Who am I to say you're wrong?
Play judge, look you in the eye
Who am I to throw the stones?
Who am I to say I'm right?
Who am I to say you're wrong?
Play judge, look you in the eye
Who am I to throw the stones?
Now I remember when trust went for free
Sold for a smile on the face of a fantasy
Truth found her home in the pages of fairy tales
Decadent words formed the phrases for dreams that failed
Now trust is a costly commodity giving it away is the mark of absurdity
And truth is a homeless traveler hoping in the night to be found
Hearts breaking, hands shaking in time with our hearts vibrating
We say bridges to yesterday are burned
Seasons over, all those leaves have turned we cannot look down
We can never keep our gaze locked on the ground
As we stand with wide wide eyes as our world comes crashing down
Who am I to say I'm right?
Who am I to say you're wrong?
Play judge, look you in the eye
Who am I to throw the stones?
Who am I to say I'm right?
Who am I to say you're wrong?
Play judge, look you in the eye
Who am I to throw the stones?
And we wave goodbye to our innocence
And we wave goodbye to our ignorance
And we wave goodbye to our nursery mindsets
Abandoning cribs of complacence
And we wave goodbye to our innocence
And we wave goodbye to our ignorance
And we wave goodbye to our nursery mindsets
Abandoning cribs of complacence
Who am I to say I'm right?
Who am I to say you're wrong?
Play judge, look you in the eye
Who am I to throw the stones?
Who am I to say I'm right?
Who am I to say you're wrong?
Play judge, look you in the eye
Who am I to throw the stones?
The song "Who Am I?" by 38th Parallel is a reflective piece that delves into the human condition of trying to understand oneself in the context of the world. The lyrics portray the idea that as human beings, we were created to reflect the glory of God, but we have been influenced by outside forces that have distorted our perception of reality. The mirror, which represents humanity, has been shattered by the counterfeit story that we've sold ourselves. Our pride has caused us to sacrifice our lives, and we've become dead inside. This internal emptiness has manifested itself in the form of rebellion, making us outcasts, and leaving us searching for a home.
The chorus repeats the idea of questioning ourselves in relation to others, asking "Who am I to say I'm right? Who am I to say you're wrong? Play judge, look you in the eye, who am I to throw the stones?" The song is essentially saying that we are not equipped to pass judgment on one another, as we are all struggling to find our own way.
The second verse speaks to the idea of trust and truth as commodities that are no longer readily available. Truth has become distorted and elusive, while trust is now something that must be earned and is therefore scarce. The lyrics suggest that we've lost our innocence and ignorance, but in doing so, we've outgrown our nursery mindsets and are abandoning our cribs of complacence.
Overall, the song encourages self-reflection and humility, urging listeners to question their beliefs and perceptions of the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Made like a mirror to reflect His glory
We were created to reflect God's glory.
But the glass got smashed, bought a counterfeit story
However, sin broke us and we bought into the lies of the world.
We gave into pride, sacrificed life, on that day we died inside
We gave in to our selfishness, which led us to sacrifice our true identity and caused us to die spiritually.
Outside we ignited a rebellion, an infectious disease
Our rebellion against God became contagious, spreading like a disease.
That labels us felons cold and alone, ever wandering in search of a home
This rebellion caused us to be labeled as criminals and left us feeling lost and alone, trying to find a place to belong.
Hearts breaking, hands shaking in time with our hearts vibrating
We are emotionally distressed, and our bodies physically react to it.
We say bridges to yesterday are burned
We cannot go back to the way things used to be.
Seasons over, all those leaves have turned we cannot look down
We must move on from past mistakes and not dwell on them.
We can never keep our gaze locked on the ground
We should not focus solely on the negative aspects of life.
As we stand with wide wide eyes as our world comes crashing down
Even when everything falls apart around us, we must hold onto our faith.
Who am I to say I'm right?
I am not always right, and I must recognize my limitations.
Who am I to say you're wrong?
I cannot judge others and declare them wrong.
Play judge, look you in the eye
I should not play the role of judge over others.
Who am I to throw the stones?
I should not be quick to criticize others and find fault in them.
Now I remember when trust went for free
Trust used to be given without question.
Sold for a smile on the face of a fantasy
But now it is difficult to trust because many things are not what they seem.
Truth found her home in the pages of fairy tales
The truth is often hidden and can be found in unlikely places.
Decadent words formed the phrases for dreams that failed
False promises and empty words lead to shattered dreams.
Now trust is a costly commodity giving it away is the mark of absurdity
Trusting now comes at a high cost, making it difficult to give it freely.
And truth is a homeless traveler hoping in the night to be found
The truth is often difficult to find and is constantly searching to be discovered.
And we wave goodbye to our innocence
We must let go of our childlike innocence and naivety.
And we wave goodbye to our ignorance
We must relinquish our ignorance and strive for knowledge and understanding.
And we wave goodbye to our nursery mindsets
We must leave behind our childish and immature thinking patterns.
Abandoning cribs of complacence
We must avoid becoming complacent and not cling to our old ways of thinking.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: AARON NORDYKE, AARON DAVID NORDYKE, DAVID HENTSCHEL, JEFF BARTON, JEFF ARTHUR BARTON, MARK JENNINGS, MARK MICHAEL JENNINGS, NATHAN RIPPKE, NATHAN ALAN RIPPKE, NICK MOROCH, SHANE MOE, SHANE PHILIP MOE, TOM 00 SALTA, TONY MCANANY
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