Absynthe Minded originally formed in 1999 as a one man band. Singer/guitarist Bert Ostyn recorded the first demos solo in his bedroom in Ghent. In 2002 Ostyn recruited Renaud Ghilbert (violin, trumpet, percussion), Sergej Van Bouwel (bass, contrabass) and Jan Duthoy (Hammond, piano) to form the Absynthe Minded Quartet, shortly Absynthe Minded. The History Makes Science Fiction EP (2003) was their first release on the independent Keremos label.
One year later the band finished second the infamous Belgian rock contest Humo's Rock Rally, which gathered them a serious amount of media coverage. After the addition of drummer Jakob Nachtergaele to its line-up, Absynthe Minded released their first full length Acquired Taste later that year to much critical acclaim.
Their sophomore album New Day was released only a year later. With the succes of hit-single My Heroics, Part One, Absynthe Minded start touring Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany. They also supported dEUS on their European tour.
For the release of their next albums There Is Nothing (2007) and the self-titled Absynthe Minded (2009), the band signed with Universal.
In february 2015 Absynthe Minded announced their split, due to solo ambitions of Ostyn.
One Way Or Another
Absynthe Minded Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take a look at yourself
Have another cheap whiskey
Hanging out with the pricks
The disco is dumber
The people want hits
Well this is a shoutout
Let go the drama
And let go those pills
In a narrow panorama
No money's ever well spent
This girl makes it happen
She don't need no tricks
Just wash off the image
And burn down the bridge
One way or another
It don't really matter
I just gotta set my goals
And satisfy my soul
About time for a new view
About time for a switch
I don't want more suckups
I don't need more kicks
If you're scared of the real world
Or maybe against
Let me tell you I'm sorry
That you can't make no fist
One way or another
It don't really matter
I just gotta set my goals
And satisfy my soul
One way or another
It don't really matter
I just gotta set my goals
And satisfy my soul
One way or another
It don't really matter
I just gotta set my goals
And satisfy my soul
I just gotta set my goals
And satisfy my soul
The song "One Way or Another" by Absynthe Minded is a commentary on the social dynamics of a particular scene or subculture, and the singer's feelings of disillusionment with it. The lyrics suggest that the singer is surrounded by people who are superficial and lacking in substance, represented in the opening lines by the "room full of peasants" and the "pricks" they hang out with. The music they enjoy, too, is criticized as being "dumber" and unfulfilling, designed to appeal to the masses rather than offer any true artistic merit. However, the singer is not without hope - the song is a "shoutout to all my friends," suggesting that they share a common bond of dissatisfaction with the status quo.
The second verse further emphasizes the singer's desire for change and a break from the monotony of their current situation. They reject the idea of succumbing to drug abuse or other artificial means of escaping reality and instead advocate for a "new view" and a "switch." There is an acknowledgement of the dangers of empty pleasure-seeking as well, with the line "no money's ever well spent." The third verse is perhaps the most direct in its criticism of the scene the singer is a part of, calling out those who are "scared of the real world" or "against" it. The final repetition of the chorus highlights the centrality of the singer's need to "set my goals / And satisfy my soul," as a way of finding their own path and rejecting the pressures of conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
A room full of peasants
Surrounded by unimportant people
Take a look at yourself
Reflect on your own actions and choices
Have another cheap whiskey
Drink more alcohol to cope with the situation
Hanging out with the pricks
Spending time with unpleasant people
The disco is dumber
The club is playing low quality music
The people want hits
The crowd wants to dance to popular songs
Well this is a shoutout
Sending greetings to friends
Let go the drama
Stop creating unnecessary conflicts
And let go those pills
Stop relying on drugs for emotional relief
In a narrow panorama
Feeling limited in options and opportunities
No money's ever well spent
Spending money doesn't always bring happiness or satisfaction
This girl makes it happen
A determined, capable woman who doesn't need help or tricks
She don't need no tricks
She doesn't require any clever schemes to achieve her goals
Just wash off the image
Forget about appearances and social expectations
And burn down the bridge
Cut ties with toxic or harmful people
One way or another
Regardless of the outcome
It don't really matter
The specific details or methods don't affect the end result
I just gotta set my goals
Focus on personal ambitions
And satisfy my soul
Find inner peace and contentment
About time for a new view
It's time for a change of perspective
About time for a switch
It's time to switch things up
I don't want more suckups
I don't need more people trying to please me insincerely
I don't need more kicks
I don't require more thrills or excitement in life
If you're scared of the real world
If you're afraid of confronting real life challenges
Or maybe against
Or if you have a negative attitude towards life
Let me tell you I'm sorry
I'm sorry you feel that way
That you can't make no fist
That you don't have the courage or strength to fight for yourself
I just gotta set my goals
Focus on personal ambitions
And satisfy my soul
Find inner peace and contentment
One way or another
Regardless of the outcome
It don't really matter
The specific details or methods don't affect the end result
I just gotta set my goals
Focus on personal ambitions
And satisfy my soul
Find inner peace and contentment
One way or another
Regardless of the outcome
It don't really matter
The specific details or methods don't affect the end result
I just gotta set my goals
Focus on personal ambitions
And satisfy my soul
Find inner peace and contentment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAN DUTHOY, RENAUD GHILBERT, JAKOB NACHTERGAELE, BERT OSTYN, SERGEJ VAN BOUWEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind