Initially beginning as a small collection of largely guitar and vocal based… Read Full Bio ↴Initially beginning as a small collection of largely guitar and vocal based Garageband demos recorded by Tim Anderson in early 2014, the project steadily developed into having a necessity for the punch and versatility of a full band. Inspired by 80's indie rock of the Smiths and the Cure, the Midwestern emo surrounding his home state of Wisconsin and the Beach Boys music of his childhood, Tim began writing and planning for a debut record. In 2015, Tim moved to Minneapolis and the following summer began practicing with a band comprised of friends Adam Jordahl, Scott Fabbri, and Cal Jurgella. The quartet recorded the basic tracks for what would be Fall Through Sparks in the old Smart Studios location in Madison. A short while after these initial sessions, progress of the album ensued in early 2017 at a friend's studio in Minneapolis. Fall Through Sparks was released in the spring of 2017.

What You Want
Able Baker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Open up. Let me in.
I can see through your skin
That you're all dead.
I know now what I knew then:
Who you are, where you've been...
I've got a line drawn in the sand.
You're stuck there. At war each night.
In your mind. (?)

Where you killed that man.
Hand to hand. Fist to bone.
It was not as planned. Now you're alone.
It's times like that they carried...

Get it out of the way. Give it all to me.
What doesn't kill you, will eventually.

An empty shell. Full of earth.
Wind and dust. (?)
Heal your broken days.
I know now what I knew then:
Who you are? A broken man.
No conversation. No chance to understand.
Your history. You're half asleep.
Comatose, you can barely breathe.
You never once talked to me.
Open up. Let me in.
I can't see through your skin.
If you're not alive, you should just be.

No more small talk.
No more bullshit
No more barstool silences
No more tv ad's
No more sleepless nights
Is it too late?
Can we let it ride?
Can you tell me how you thought it would be?

When did it go wrong?
Is it too late? are you gone?

Overall Meaning

"What Doesn't Kill You" by Able Baker Fox is a song that captures the struggles of a person trying to connect with someone who has gone through significant trauma. The singer tries to understand the other person's agony and tries to offer help to counter their pain. The first lines of the song, "Open up. Let me in. I can see through your skin that you're all dead," is a representation of how the other person is going through something unbearable, and the only way to help is to create a safe space for them to vent their feelings. The singer then acknowledges how the person has been affected and emphasizes how they know what they are going through. The line, "Where you killed that man. Hand to hand. Fist to bone. It was not as planned. Now you're alone," portrays the trauma that the person has been keeping inside and the effects it has on them.

The chorus, "Get it out of the way. Give it all to me. What doesn't kill you, will eventually," indicates the singer's willingness to listen to the other person and help them deal with their issues. They encourage the person to open up and talk about their struggles, indicating that it is essential to receive help on time. Throughout the song, the singer acknowledges how challenging it is to understand what the other person is going through and tries their best to create a comfortable environment to help them.

Line by Line Meaning

Open up. Let me in.
I want to connect with you on a deeper level.

I can see through your skin
I can tell that you're hurting and need help.

That you're all dead.
You're emotionally dead and have lost your spark.

I know now what I knew then: Who you are, where you've been...
I have insight into your experiences and personality.

I've got a line drawn in the sand.
I have set boundaries and won't tolerate mistreatment.

You're stuck there. At war each night.
You're trapped in your own mind, fighting inner battles.

In your mind. (?) Where you killed that man.
You have been haunted by a traumatic event that you can't forget.

Hand to hand. Fist to bone.
There was a physical altercation involved.

It was not as planned. Now you're alone.
The event didn't go as intended, and now you feel isolated.

It's times like that they carried...
You're reminded of this event and carry the weight of it with you.

Get it out of the way. Give it all to me.
Let's address this issue head-on and work through it together.

What doesn't kill you, will eventually.
Challenges are opportunities for growth, even when they're difficult.

An empty shell. Full of earth. Wind and dust. (?) Heal your broken days.
You feel depleted and broken, but you can recover.

I know now what I knew then: Who you are? A broken man. No conversation. No chance to understand.
I recognize that you're struggling, but you haven't let me in or shared your thoughts and feelings.

Your history. You're half-awake. Comatose, you can barely breathe.
Past experiences have left you feeling emotionally numb and disconnected.

You never once talked to me.
We haven't had an honest conversation, which has hindered our relationship.

If you're not alive, you should just be.
You're not truly living if you're not engaged with life and others.

No more small talk. No more bullshit. No more barstool silences. No more TV ads.
Let's cut through the superficial and have meaningful conversations.

No more sleepless nights.
Let's resolve our issues so that we can sleep soundly.

Is it too late? Can we let it ride?
Is there still a chance for us to salvage our relationship?

Can you tell me how you thought it would be? When did it go wrong? Is it too late? Are you gone?
Can you explain what went wrong in our relationship and if it's too late to fix it?

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WALTER DONALDSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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TRACKS