Abandoned Pools is the performing name for singer-songwriter and musician T… Read Full Bio ↴Abandoned Pools is the performing name for singer-songwriter and musician Tommy Walter, as well as the name of the band in which he plays. He began playing music at a young age, first with the bass guitar and then the French horn. He attended University of Southern California, followed by the Pacific University. Teaching classical music theory, Walter began working with various Los Angeles-area musicians.

Walter soon began working with a singer-songwriter who went by E and drummer Butch Norton as The Eels. After a promising debut, Walter left the band due to differences with E. He formed a short-lived band, Tely, who released a CD that was distributed on the internet. He was also in the touring band for the Ken Andrews solo project ON, though in the end the band saw little touring. Later he went on to form Abandoned Pools and recorded a solo album, Humanistic, in 2001. Humanistic actually features a couple of songs that were once performed by Tely, like "Start Over."

In 2002 they performed the theme song for the short-lived MTV animated series Clone High. Many of their songs can be heard in the background during the show.

Walter teamed up with drummer Bryan Head and guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme in 2004 to record "Armed to the Teeth," the follow up to Humanistic. In June of 2005, they released an EP, consisting of a few songs from the new album along with b-sides and demos, called The Reverb EP. This was followed by the full album in September 2005.

In January of 2006, Walter wrote in his blog that Universal Records had stopped promoting the album. However, he has included several song snippets on his MySpace and has said he is writing songs for a new album.

In March of 2010, Walter announced via Twitter that he would enter the studio to work on a third Abandoned Pools album after five years of hiatus.

In mid-May 2011, via the Abandoned Pools' MySpace page, two new songs, "Marigold" and "In Silence" from the upcoming album, "Sublime Currency" were made available for streaming and download, or iTunes, as well as a full length demo of the first album, "Humanistic." The third studio album was expected to be released in late 2011, but is now due out sometime in 2012. On Friday, January 27, 2012, the Abandoned Pools' Facebook page posted: "Announcement coming on Monday." (January 30th)

Compass
Abandoned Pools Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Friends they come and go and then you know which ones are
But I am on your side out on the frontline trenches

Days go by and nothing changes
High and low we′re mending fences/friends

We survived
We did our best

Out in the forest
Without a compass
How we get along
Days they come and go

Days they come in waves

An endless haze of memories
It's fast and then it′s slow an afterglow in movies

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Abandoned Pools' song "Compass" is about the ever-changing nature of friendships and relationships, but amidst all the ups and downs, the singer affirms that they are still on the side of the person they're addressing. The song speaks of days passing by, but with nothing much changing, and both parties working together to mend any fences that need repairing. The singer reflects on their time together and how they've survived various challenges. The metaphor of being lost in the forest without a compass is used to describe how they've overcome difficulties and made it through together.

The lyrics could also be interpreted as a reflection on life's journey, particularly the way we navigate through various stages and seasons with the help of the people around us. The ups and downs we face in life are often unpredictable and we may feel directionless or lost, but having people we can rely on during these times is crucial. By going through various experiences together and surviving, we build a bond that makes us stronger, despite not having all the answers.

Line by Line Meaning

Friends they come and go and then you know which ones are
People in our lives change over time, and it becomes clear which ones matter most, but I am still by your side fighting with you.

Days go by and nothing changes
Time passes, but things remain stagnant despite attempts to fix them. We work to repair our friendships regardless of the challenges we face.

High and low we?re mending fences/friends
We work through good times and bad times, striving to reconcile our differences and repair our friendships.

We survived
We have overcome the hardships we've faced, and we've come out stronger for it.

We did our best
Despite the struggles we've faced, we tried our hardest and gave it our all.

Out in the forest
We were lost and uncertain, unsure of the path we should take.

Without a compass
We lacked direction and guidance on how to navigate through our challenges.

How we get along
We explore the ways we continue to work through our challenges and maintain our friendships despite difficult times.

Days they come and go
Time passes quickly, and we must cherish the moments we have and the memories we create.

Days they come in waves
Time moves in cycles, with ups and downs like the waves of the ocean.

An endless haze of memories
Memories of our experiences together blur together in a never-ending stream.

It's fast and then it?s slow an afterglow in movies
Time can move quickly or slowly, like the aftermath of a film where the memories linger on.

Writer(s): Tommy Walton

Contributed by Alexis B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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