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)
Start Over
Abandoned Pools Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was at its best when you and I were only three
We can start with all the things that turn us out
And we can go right down the list and throw them out
Can we start over?
It's over
But don't think you don't have company
Think of all the lonely people in the world
And if it's God who made us why we so damn cruel
We can never lie
And you can never steal the time
And we can only watch them die
And we can never find out why
The lyrics of Abandoned Pools' song Start Over depict a sense of regret and longing for a better life. The opening line "What a mess our lives turned out to be" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer reflects on a time when things were better with just the two of them, and now their lives have spiraled out of control. They propose starting over and getting rid of things that are holding them back. However, there is a sense of defeatism in the repetition of "It's over" at the end of each chorus.
The second verse shifts to a more philosophical view of the world, questioning the cruelty of humans even if they were created by a higher power. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels somewhat alone in the world, but acknowledges that they are not the only ones. The final lines of the song express sorrow over the passing of time and the futility of understanding the reasons behind it all.
Line by Line Meaning
What a mess our lives turned out to be
Our lives have become complicated and difficult to navigate.
It was at its best when you and I were only three
Our lives were simpler and happier when it was just the two of us.
We can start with all the things that turn us out
We can begin by identifying the things that stress us out or cause problems in our lives.
And we can go right down the list and throw them out
Once we've identified these stressors, we can work to eliminate them from our lives.
Can we start over?
Is it possible for us to reset our lives and start from scratch?
It's over
Unfortunately, it seems like our current situation is beyond repair.
Here you are and there's where you want to be
You've achieved your goals and are where you wanted to be in life.
But don't think you don't have company
However, you're not alone in your success – there are many others out there who have also achieved their dreams.
Think of all the lonely people in the world
It's important to remember that not everyone is fortunate enough to be where they want to be in life, and many people still feel lonely or unfulfilled.
And if it's God who made us why we so damn cruel
Even if we believe that a higher power created us, it's difficult to understand why there is so much suffering and cruelty in the world.
We can never lie
We must always be honest with ourselves and others.
And you can never steal the time
We can't control time or take back the moments we've lost.
And we can only watch them die
Ultimately, we must come to terms with our own mortality and the mortality of those around us.
And we can never find out why
Despite our best efforts, there may not always be an explanation for the tragedies we experience in life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind