The band was formed with five members in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The band consisted of vocalist Shawn O'Brien, lead guitarist Thomas Buser, rhythm guitarist Wes Jenkins, bassist and keyboardist Brandon Lawrance and drummer Johnny Bay.
O'Brien and Buser started the project in 2010. They released a couple of singles online. When O'Brien decided that he was going to become a solo artist, he had set up several different projects across the nation with many different people. But none of those projects had topped Above This. The name comes from the experience that one may face when dealing with rejection, misjudgment, or denial from their friends or family. When O'Brien got kicked out of his first legit band around 2009, he told himself that he wouldn't join another band anytime soon, but after meeting the other members of the band and connecting, they became a band.
Some time later, Jenkins, Lawrance and Bay left the band and Buser took over the role for producing the instrumentals while O'Brien did the vocals. During these years, they released two albums "7L7" in 2010 and "Titanium" in 2013, and two EPs, "Empire" in 2012 and "Hyrax" in 2015.
Eventually Buser also left the project, and O'Brien continued on with the project with different collaborations. The album "Alloquy" was made with Zachary Stitleler in 2015, and the album "Chapter 7" was made with Cameron Ayala and Nicholas Shtyrlov in 2016.
Shtyrlov eventually became a more integral part of the band, now producing all instrumentals for Above This.
O’Brien has built an empire consisting of producers, designers, promoters and engineers that have helped him successfully release several albums since they started. O’Briens ability to recruit talent via social media has allowed the internet band to monetise its music worldwide. Over the years the project has experimented with a variety of sounds including rapping and edm/trap and O’Brien continues to work on future projects amongst different genres.
Of Suns Above
Above This Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I′m nothing but a lost man now
Conflict, has never stopped me
Only in the end, do we ever see
What you did to me
Liar, take ever liar
Far away from me
Life flashes before my eye
The smoke we see billows high
Above the open ground that we used to walk on
As we await a brighter sun
These days seem like they'll never come
Let′s take a stand for once
Just for once
Over and over
The pistol's revolver
Higher and higher
My life's growing tired
Look at the air that we breathe
There′s nothing left here for me
So let me go
Just let me go right now
Tell your friend that I′ll be waiting for him
If he's scared, then I′ll come looking for him
FUCK IT
Tell your god that I'll be waiting for him
If he′s scared then hell is looking for him
Lost without a word to say to you
What did I say? what did I do?
Open your mind, open your heart
Let's turn our time back to the start
Over and over
The pistol′s revolver
Higher and higher
My life's growing tired of this
The sun is falling from the sky!
The song "Of Suns Above" by Above This is about a person who has been hurt and betrayed by someone they trusted. The first verse talks about putting hatred aside, but still feeling lost because of what someone has done to them. The person is trying to breathe and move on from the pain, but they want the liar to be far away from them. The second verse talks about life flashing before the person's eyes, and how they used to walk on the open ground with someone who they can't be with anymore. The person is waiting for a brighter sun to come, but those days seem like they'll never come.
The chorus talks about the person feeling tired of life as they contemplate the pistol's revolver. They look at the air that they breathe and realize that there's nothing left here for them. The person wants to be let go, so they can move on from the pain. They're willing to confront their betrayer's friend and even God, showing how much they've been hurt. In the last part of the song, the person reflects on how they're lost without a word to say to the one who hurt them. They want to turn back time to the start and try to fix things, but they're growing tired of the pain. The sun falls from the sky, showcasing the darkness the person feels.
Line by Line Meaning
Hatred aside,
Though there may be ill feelings between us, I am choosing to put them aside for now.
I'm nothing but a lost man now
I feel aimless and unsure of my direction in life at this moment.
Conflict, has never stopped me
Prior instances of strife have not deterred me from continuing to engage in disagreements.
Only in the end, do we ever see
The true impact of our actions and choices often only become apparent once everything has played out.
What you did to me
I am referring to a specific action or event that you caused that has had a negative impact on me.
Liar, take everything liar
I am expressing anger towards someone who I believe has lied to me, and I want them to take everything and leave me alone.
Far away from me
I want this person to be physically distant from me and out of my life.
Just so I can breathe, without you at my feet
I need this person to be gone so that I can feel free and independent, and no longer at their mercy.
Life flashes before my eye
I am experiencing a moment of heightened awareness and reflection on my past experiences and how they've led me to where I am now.
The smoke we see billows high
I am describing an actual physical occurrence of smoke rising, likely as a result of some kind of disaster or tragedy.
Above the open ground that we used to walk on
This smoke is rising from an area that I used to be familiar with and feel comfortable in, but now it has been marred by this traumatic event.
As we await a brighter sun
I am expressing a hope for a better future, where things will improve and we will feel more secure and at peace.
These days seem like they'll never come
I am concerned that this better future may be too far off or unattainable, and that we will be stuck in this difficult situation for a long time.
Let's take a stand for once
I am suggesting that we need to actively work towards making positive change happen, rather than simply waiting for it to come to us.
Over and over
I am describing a pattern of behavior that has been repeated many times in the past.
The pistol's revolver
I am referencing a gun, which may be involved in violent or dangerous situations.
My life's growing tired
I am feeling exhausted or burdened by the continued stress and difficulties in my life.
Look at the air that we breathe
I am pointing out that the air around us is polluted or unhealthy in some way, perhaps as a metaphor for the toxic situation that we find ourselves in.
There's nothing left here for me
I feel as though I have exhausted all of my options and that there is no hope for my current situation to improve.
So let me go
I want to break free from this situation and move on with my life, even if it means leaving something or someone behind.
Tell your friend that I'll be waiting for him
I am potentially threatening someone who I perceive as a threat to me or my loved ones.
If he's scared, then I'll come looking for him
I am asserting my dominance or power over this other person, and daring them to oppose me.
FUCK IT
I am expressing a feeling of frustration or anger, likely at a specific person or situation.
Tell your god that I'll be waiting for him
I am potentially threatening a higher power or deity, and implying that there will be consequences for their actions against me.
If he's scared then hell is looking for him
I am portraying myself as an agent of divine justice or punishment, and suggesting that whoever opposes me will suffer terrible consequences.
Lost without a word to say to you
I am feeling uncertain or confused about how to communicate with someone who I used to be close to, but now we have grown apart.
What did I say? What did I do?
I am reflecting on past interactions with this person and trying to understand what went wrong and caused us to drift apart.
Open your mind, open your heart
I am urging someone to be more receptive and compassionate towards others, and to try to understand their perspectives and emotions.
Let's turn our time back to the start
I am suggesting that we need to rewind to a time when we were more connected and happy, and find a way to rekindle that relationship.
The sun is falling from the sky!
This line may represent a moment of desperation or panic, as the sun represents life and hope, and its disappearance would be catastrophic.
Contributed by Arianna S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.