Their debut album Plan B was the brainchild of the band’s guitarist/original vocalist Michael Franzino, who invited several talented musicians in the Sacramento scene (Including various orchestral instrumentalists and a female vocalist) to perform on the record. They spent their first year of existence diligently perfecting their live set, building their fan base, and most recently, writing their sophomore album as a collaborative effort. Their live set is known for setting deep moods that swing from thoughtful, emotional build-ups to body-moving, epic climaxes.
After signing both deals, they entered Interlace Audio Recording Studio with producer / engineer Kris Crummet (Closure In Moscow, Fear Before, Dance Gavin Dance) to record their second full length, Conversation Piece.
After it's release in the fall of 2011, Conversation Piece received praise and they were called "one of post-hardcore’s most important new bands and one of the few capable of saving the scene." (-MindEqualsBlown.net).
A Lot Like Birds spent all of 2012 on the road, taking their new album and frenzied live antics to the masses. The positive reception to their high energy performances lead to a one month tour of Europe in February 2013. The band's growing fan base fueled powerful performances in London, Paris, Vienna, Budapest and 19 other cities.
ALLB Released their 2nd LP 'No Place' with Equal Vision Records on October 29th, 2013.
ALLB released their 3rd LP 'DIVISI' with Equal Vision Records on May 5th, 2017.
On February 17, 2018, A Lot Like Birds announced their break-up.
Current Members:
Cory Lockwood
Michael Franzino
Ben Wiacek
Joseph Arrington
Matt Coate
Past Members
Kurt Travis
Michael Littlefield
The Blowtorch is Applied to the Sugar
A Lot Like Birds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you don't need me, please let me go.
Playing with my dreams? Not anymore.
Time is dancing on my chest and its casting stones.
It's casing parts, each one of them antagonist.
And I'm trying to feed the wasp inside my mouth.
It's dying! I'm not sure that it wants to live. Oh well.
Hail the insane and deranged! It wasn't my embrace.
Now it's time! I wanted you forever and ever.
Now it's never again. Never.
I wanted you forever and ever.
Now it's never again. Never.
Oh, how your hands used to shake,
Tremble and threaten to break if they weren't encased in mine,
Telling you that it'll be just fine.
I could have had it forever and ever.
Now it's never again. Never.
I could have had it forever and ever.
Now it's never again. Never.
I would have thrown it all away for you and actually did.
It's all around me but I can't pick it up
Because I gave you all what was left of my strength.
Love's a many splendored thing; an often vendored thing.
If love was just a movie about war, it's the surrender scene!
You think you've got it figured out?
I didn't say that! I've got doubts!
I said I've lost my faith in love.
There's still a way to find it! How?
I might've cared for it at first.
Now that I've buried it, my thirst
Is met in bars and not the fake embrace of needy arms.
That isn't true! I've seen your heart!
You didn't see that it was charred?
There was a fire, that's a start.
The fire's gone and now it's dark.
Please turn on the light.
Please turn on the light!
I think I'm still fucked up!
Time didn't heal me! Oh god!
You were a fever dream but you never broke or went away.
The Blowtorch is Applied to the Sugar is a track from A Lot Like Birds’ 2011 album, Conversation Piece. The song deals with the pain of loving someone who no longer wants to be with you. The lyrics convey feelings of helplessness, disillusionment, and despair. It starts with a plea to let the singer down easy and not to tease him with false hopes. He accepts that the relationship is over and asks to be let go. He’s tired of playing with his dreams and wants to move on. However, he still feels the sting of rejection and the weight of time passing by. The metaphorical wasp inside his mouth is dying, and he’s not sure if it wants to live. The idea of letting go of something he once wanted so badly is both liberating and painful.
The chorus expresses how much he wanted the relationship to last forever but now knows it’s never going to happen. He reminisces about how her hands used to shake when they held hands, but now she’s gone, and he’s left with nothing. He thought she was the one for him, and now, he’s bitter about the whole thing.
The second verse starts with him saying he would have thrown everything away for her but ended up doing it anyway. He’s lost his faith in love, and the only thing he’s interested in now is meeting people at bars. He’s given up on the idea of true love and settled for fleeting moments of pleasure. His friend tries to console him and tells him that there’s still hope, but the singer has buried his faith too deep to recover. He’s still suffering from the pain of the breakup and feels he’s still messed up. He concludes by saying that the girl was like a fever dream that he never woke up from, she was always there but never really there.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me down easy. There's no reason to tease me.
Please reject me kindly with no false hope.
If you don't need me, please let me go.
If you don't have use for me, please release me.
Playing with my dreams? Not anymore.
You used to toy with my aspirations, but this will not continue.
Time is dancing on my chest and its casting stones.
Time is affecting me harshly and leaving a negative impact.
It's casing parts, each one of them antagonist.
Time is dividing me into antagonist parts.
And I'm trying to feed the wasp inside my mouth.
I'm attempting to give life to my destructive emotions.
It's dying! I'm not sure that it wants to live. Oh well.
My destructive emotions are fading, and I'm unsure if I want them to live.
Hail the insane and deranged! It wasn't my embrace.
You embraced insanity and craziness; I didn't.
It's yours. Now I'm trying to walk the straightest line.
I'm departing from the chaotic path and trying to walk a more straightforward one.
Now it's time! I wanted you forever and ever.
I yearned for you indefinitely.
Now it's never again. Never.
Now it's over for good.
Oh, how your hands used to shake,
I recall how your hands used to quiver,
Tremble and threaten to break if they weren't encased in mine,
They trembled and seemed frail unless they were wrapped in mine.
Telling you that it'll be just fine.
I assured you that everything would be okay.
I could have had it forever and ever.
I could have kept it indefinitely.
Now it's never again. Never.
But it's lost now, forevermore.
I would have thrown it all away for you and actually did.
I would have given up everything for you, and I did.
It's all around me but I can't pick it up
It's close by, but I cannot access it.
Because I gave you all what was left of my strength.
Because I exhausted all my strength on you.
Love's a many splendored thing; an often vendored thing.
Love has many positive qualities, but it's often sold or marketed.
If love was just a movie about war, it's the surrender scene!
If love were a war movie, it would be the scene where they surrender!
You think you've got it figured out?
Do you believe you've solved the puzzle?
I didn't say that! I've got doubts!
I didn't believe that! I'm skeptical!
I said I've lost my faith in love.
I remarked that I no longer have hope in love.
There's still a way to find it! How?
Is there still a method to regain it? How?
I might've cared for it at first.
Initially, I may have cherished it.
Now that I've buried it, my thirst is met in bars and not the fake embrace of needy arms.
Now that it's gone, I quench my thirst in bars and not in the artificial embrace of someone desperate.
That isn't true! I've seen your heart!
That isn't accurate! I've witnessed your inner self!
You didn't see that it was charred? There was a fire, that's a start.
Didn't you see it was burnt and destroyed? There was a blaze, at least.
The fire's gone and now it's dark. Please turn on the light.
The flame is extinguished, and now there is only darkness. Illuminate me, please.
Please turn on the light!
Illuminate the surrounding area!
I think I'm still fucked up! Time didn't heal me! Oh god!
I believe I'm still mentally and emotionally distressed! Time hasn't aided me! Oh god!
You were a fever dream but you never broke or went away.
You were once a wild aspiration, but you never disappeared or vanished.
Contributed by Jordyn H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kriskenard
PLEASE TURN ON THE LIGHTS
@kevbrand8824
I miss music like this. Take me back to 2011 before the world ended.
@nathanaelwithlove
A decade later and still my favorite poem towards the end.
@henryv0908
Wait but this is such a good album
@wrouxmer
One of the best albums of the genre, this era
@cmrncore
forever my favorite band, forever my favorite album
@baylorlopez4495
when will more of this album be in stock? :(
@theonlyakuma
3:11
@bloomdocs
Hell yeah
@theonlyakuma
@@bloomdocs hello