September 2007 saw the release of their latest album, Iron Gag, featuring musical guests Devin Townsend of Strapping Young Lad, Anthony Green of Circa Survive, and Randy Blythe of Lamb of God. The band supported the album with tours alongside High on Fire, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Saviours, Suicide Silence, and Job for a Cowboy.
Their last album, Ecstatic Trance, came out in 2012.
Why?
A Life Once Lost Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can cry on your command.
I can scream making my lungs bleed.
I can stare at a broken reflection seeing you laughing at me.
I pretend so that I can kill you.
Pieces of my heart cut me like suicide.
I crave her touch.
I wish I fell in love and never wakened from it's slumber.
I wish I fell in love
"Why?" by A Life Once Lost is a compelling song about the singer's obsessive feelings of love and anger towards someone who has hurt and betrayed them. The opening lines suggest a sense of emotional numbness and detachment as the singer tries to prevent themselves from crying but is unable to express their grief through tears. The next lines reveal a disturbing willingness to follow orders and inflict harm on themselves, perhaps as a coping mechanism or a way of seeking control. The imagery of the broken reflection amplifies their self-loathing and the sense of being mocked by the person they desire.
The chorus introduces a new dimension to the singer's psyche, as they reveal their longing for someone else's touch and kiss, implying that they are not simply a victim or a monster but also a vulnerable human with unfulfilled desires. The juxtaposition of these lines with the previous ones creates a sense of internal conflict and confusion, as if the singer is torn between hating and loving, living and dying.
Line by Line Meaning
I try and catch myself from crying but the tears are dead.
I attempt to control my emotions and hold back tears but they are no longer available or responsive.
I can cry on your command.
I am easily swayed and can be manipulated into showing emotions as per your instructions.
I can scream making my lungs bleed.
I can vent out in agony and anguish to such an extent that it may physically harm me.
I can stare at a broken reflection seeing you laughing at me.
I can visualise myself in a shattered state and imagine you mocking me, adding insult to injury.
I pretend so that I can kill you.
I feign my emotions and mask my true intent in order to make it easier to exact my revenge on you.
Pieces of my heart cut me like suicide.
The fragments of pain, heartbreak and betrayal that I am experiencing are making me feel like I am constantly dying a painful death.
I crave her touch.
I yearn for the sense of affection and comfort that her touch provides.
I crave her kiss.
The feel of her lips on mine is something that I deeply desire and wish for with all my heart.
I wish I fell in love and never wakened from it's slumber.
I wish I was in a state of love where I could just slip into an oblivious, dreamlike state and never wake up to the painful reality of heartbreak.
I wish I fell in love.
All I want is to experience the feeling of being truly loved and cherished by someone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@iizanthonybuck
This one of the best music videos I've ever seen, I've always loved it.
@mozzarellastick3730
Near impossible to see in 2021
@Billo1281
This band kicked ass when this album dropped. Still jams the hell out! I always play this song on guitar when jamming. Just a fun tune! Great memories!
@abyssesgrind
they sound even better live than their recordings
@The_Dusk_Sage
I still have to come back and listen to this shit as loud as my car can play it. Still one of the heaviest songs I ever heard, no 9 string guitar needed.
@creekandseminole
I was lucky to have seen them twice. Once on the Sounds of the Underground 2005 tour and another tour with Himsa and The Red Chord. I also saw the band get into a fight on this Dilinger Escape and Unearth tour. They didn't play that night
@The_Dusk_Sage
Brrrruuuuhhh I miss himsa and the red chord so much, that’s amazing. UMBRA VITAE is like a more punk version of the red chord, it has their bass and guitar player and Jacob Bannon from converge on vocals
@FriedEggsandJellyfish
Saw them in the early 2000's and this jam still fucking slaps to this day.
@punkdude543
anybody notice the devildriver bass cab? fuck yeah! ALOL and devildriver would be an amazing line up. and to the people saying the hardcore dancers ruin the show: i do not hardcore dance, but some people do and i think if a band say someone doing that to their music, they would just be happy they're getting into the music. whether its headbanging, moshing, hardcore dancing, its all a sign of respect for the artists. just depends how you want to show it.
@sackerz9
Drum "solo" at 1:59 is so rad.