For Pat Grossi of Active Child, the last two years have been nothing short of enriching. Musically, Pat has worked within and appropriated a number of styles into his sound, from his early days singing with that heavenly voice as a choir boy to his more recent forays into laptop-assisted indie-pop made in his bedroom, best exemplified on 2010’s acclaimed Curtis Lane EP. His sound is so wide-ranging that he has found himself touring with many notable acts of differing genres, including dubstep producer James Blake, dreamy synth-pop of School of Seven Bells, and the indie-rock bands White Lies and White Rabbits.
Nothing quite prepares you for the leap that Pat has taken with his debut album, You Are All I See, out on August 23rd via Vagrant records. Recently, he has expanded his sonic ambitions and turned the studio into an instrument for a record that sounds cosmically huge and yet intimate all the same.
Of the album title, Pat himself says, “You Are All I See is an attempt to build a bridge between the listener and I, in that, I wrote these songs for you as much as I did for me. And right now when you are listening to my voice, by yourself, it really is just you and I.” In attempting to craft songs that meant something not only to himself but that could be meaningful to others as well, he found himself working with some universally human and fragile themes. “The songs focus primarily on the joy and heartbreak of relationships, love lost and rediscovered, battles with monogamy, battles with identity,” Pat says. “It came out much darker than I had intended, but sometimes you only have so much control.”
The grand, cinematic scope of Pat’s artistic vision is apparent on You Are All I See, which owes as much to his wide array of influences as it does to Pat’s own knack for employing these influences in fresh, forward-thinking ways. With triumphant synths and shimmering, contrapuntal harp lines, songs like the title track and “Hanging On” are reminiscent of Radiohead’s “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” but improve upon that template with layered vocals not far removed from Bon Iver or even James Blake, who Active Child recently opened for on tour. “High Priestess” and “See Thru Eyes” are stunning forays into electronic music territory, littered with samples, drum machines, and keyboards that propel the songs forward while simultaneously seeming weightless and suspended. It is in this tension that You Are All I See lives, breathes, and thrives so magnificently. The album is indebted to the sounds of the 1980s, from New Order’s drums-and-synths to danceable hip-hop beats, and it’s all topped off with soaring r&b melodies. The album’s first single, “Playing House,” features guest vocals from Tom Krell, the crooner of lo-fi r&b project How To Dress Well. Pitchfork Media recently premiered the track, noting “Active Child’s sound now seems positively ahead of its time.”
Reflecting on the album’s finished product, Pat says “I think more than anything, I see this debut release as a bridge towards something bigger and truer. Something I can look back on and think, ‘damn, you really did it’.” When you finally hear You Are All I See you’ll think the very same thing.
Hanging On
Active Child Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because I'm calling your name
Every day I feel this pain
But you just turn and walk away
I just can't keep hanging on
To you and me
I just don't know what is wrong
Touch me and then turn away
Put your hands into the flame
Tell me if you feel this pain
'cause I don't want to be your ball and chain
I just can't keep hanging on
To you and me
I just don't know what is wrong
With you and me
With you and me
Me
Oh oh
Me
Pain
I just can't keep hanging on
To you and me
I just don't know what is wrong
I just can't keep hanging on
To you and me
I just don't know what what is wrong
I just can't keep hanging on
To you and me
The lyrics of Active Child's song Hanging On describe a love relationship that is painful and unfulfilling. The singer expresses his desire to be with his significant other, but realizes that it is not reciprocated. He is stuck in a cycle of pain and frustration, constantly calling out to his loved one, but receiving no response. The lines "Every day I feel this pain, but you just turn and walk away" illustrate this feeling of being ignored and neglected. He is left feeling like a prisoner, unable to break free from the relationship despite the emotional turmoil he is going through. This is portrayed in the lines "Touch me and then turn away, put your hands into the flame, tell me if you feel this pain, 'cause I don't want to be your ball and chain".
The chorus "I just can't keep hanging on to you and me, I just don't know what is wrong with you and me" is a cathartic release of emotions. It shows that the singer is aware that the relationship is not healthy and he wants to let it go but is unsure of how to move forward. He is tired of the pain and the disappointment, but still feels a strong connection to his partner.
Overall, the song is a poignant and emotional portrayal of a relationship that is unhealthy and painful. It shows how love can turn into a toxic cycle of pain and frustration, leaving one feeling trapped and unable to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
You know we can't get away
There is no escape from this situation
Because I'm calling your name
I am trying to reach out to you
Every day I feel this pain
I am reminded of the hurt and sadness constantly
But you just turn and walk away
You choose to ignore my cries for help
I just can't keep hanging on
I can't continue to hold onto this relationship
To you and me
This connection between us
I just don't know what is wrong
I am confused and don't understand why things aren't working
Touch me and then turn away
You lead me on and then abandon me
Put your hands into the flame
You engage in risky behavior without considering the consequences
Tell me if you feel this pain
I want to know if you are hurting too
'cause I don't want to be your ball and chain
I don't want to hold you back or be a burden to you
Me
I am here trying to make this work
Oh oh
I am feeling lost and uncertain
Pain
I am struggling with hurt and discomfort
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ariel Rechtshaid, Patrick J Grossi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marknye51.thefixitguy
So..
Is he reminiscing the past as he grew up as a you man fishing?
In the beginning of the video you see the body floating lifeless down the river.
The ending of the video shows the young man drowning as a result of HANGING ON too long.
Several meanings come to my mind.
Is this the Father and the young man his son and hes out there to find this fish?
Is it a metaphor that we shouldn't hang on?
Is it his life after death that hes visualizing??
So many interpretations of this video..
Just another amazing song and music video from ACTIVE CHILD
@marknye51.thefixitguy
@@trixie740 very good point Trixie.
I've followed Active Child for many years and watched many of their videos. They all tell great stories.
In the beginning of the video of Hanging On you see a lifeless body floating down the river.
Is it the old man or the young man..? To me it looks like the young man. As you watch the video is he reliving his past and has come back from the beyond, from death, to fish again...?
If you watch carefully at the scene where the young man catches the fish and doesn't let go , is it the old man or the young man.. to me it looks like the young man. He gets swept away in the current and drowns trying to hold on and that is the body you see in the beginning of the video. Is this the Father of this young man determined to catch the fish that took his son??
The meaning to me is this...
We often keep holding on( as a song goes by Simply Red) and if we don't let go we will drown in our own thoughts and die.
We are determined to get something that maybe is out of our reach and we become obsessed to get it at all cost.
If we just let go and let Gods Will take over our lives then we don't have to hang on to those struggles we face everyday.
@chocolate42069
It blows my mind that it's been 10 years since I found this masterpiece. It's so true that the older we get the faster time goes by.
@sarahfarah3226
yes to all of the above. 😢🥲
@mondeezybarreto8025
Did you find it from Cartoon Networks Adult swim?
@CosmoMcGillicutty
I found it on KCRW almost 12 years ago.
It chilled then and continues to enact an influence.
@Ryder340
yes time gose by so fast my stepmom got 🤰🏼now its her 7 month
@mattsven
This song is a fucking masterpiece.
@Bm0ney
Preach!!!!
@Kych666
Yes, it is!
@dannymartin442507
Listened 7 years ago. Everytime in stoned I listen 😂
@Ki30
100% the whole album is intense.