The mojave desert is home to many mysterio… Read Full Bio ↴Formerly Goodbye Tomorrow
The mojave desert is home to many mysterious and enchanting life forms; gila monsters, scorpions, and skin walkers (just to name a few). However, little is known of a new species... Alive In Wild Paint. Increasingly recognized for their soothing, sincere, comforting sonic delivery, they are preparing to release their debut record, Ceilings.
The album was produced by Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Mineral) and mixed by Michael Barbiero (Counting Crows, Maroon 5, Guns N Roses). Ceilings features twelve tracks of honest songwriting jeweled by thoughtfully simple instrumentations and a telling voice.
Children of Divorce
Alive In Wild Paint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spiritual mothers
Chemical fathers
Wish I learned to love you more
Lonesome brothers
Trustless daughters
We are children born of wars
For the faces
Where happiness is sold in stores
They'll keep you smiling
If you keep buying
But they can't take from you
Something inside you never knew
You always have too much to prove
And never have enough to lose
I seem to see everything you do
We are the unwritten scrolls
Background songs
For dialogues
Always wanting something more
To be the stars
The light shines on
But they can't take from you
Something inside you never knew
You have nothing to prove
And oh, you have so much to lose
I seem to see everything you do
These evocative lyrics of Children of Divorce by Alive in Wild Paint explore the devastating effects of broken homes on the lives of the children. The song begins by describing the harsh reality of living in a fragmented family, where children are forced to endure the impact of divorce, living with spiritual mothers and chemical fathers. The lines "Wish I learned to love you more, Lonesome brothers, Trustless daughters" highlight the sense of loss, longing, and abandonment felt by the children. The pain and isolation faced by them is evident through the imagery of "Lonesome Brothers" and "Trustless Daughters," who are bereft of the unconditional love and support that a family should provide.
The second verse deepens the profoundness of the first, referring to children born of wars that have faced turbulent times. The quest for happiness in today's world is portrayed as a commodity that can be purchased in stores. The idea of possessing a sense of contentment can be fleeting, elusive and often linked to the material wealth and acquisitions, a trap that many people fall into. However, the song reminds its listeners that some things are beyond the reach of material possessions. The line "They can't take from you something inside you never knew" emphasizes our innate ability to find inner peace and strength, even in the most challenging of circumstances.
The chorus conveys the theme of the song, highlighting the duality of our lives. On the one hand, we always "have too much to prove," struggling to find acceptance and validation in our lives. But on the other hand, we "never have enough to lose," which emphasizes our fragility in the face of life's challenges. The final line, "I seem to see everything you do," suggests the empathic quality of the artist, who sees the pain and hurt suffered by others.
Line by Line Meaning
We are children of divorce
We are offspring of spouses who ended their marriage
Spiritual mothers
Our mothers are not physically present, but we feel their guiding influence
Chemical fathers
Our fathers are emotionally distant or absent and cope by using drugs or alcohol
Wish I learned to love you more
Our relationships with our parents are strained and we wish we had greater affection for them
Lonesome brothers
Our brothers feel isolated and disconnected from us and others
Trustless daughters
Our daughters have difficulty trusting others due to the breakdown of trust they experienced with their parents' divorce
We are children born of wars
We are the offspring of parents who lived through traumatic events and conflicts
Fought in places
Our parents fought in battles or conflicts, both literally and figuratively, throughout their lives
For the faces
Our parents fought for the people and things that mattered to them most
Where happiness is sold in stores
Society encourages us to find happiness through consumerism and material possessions
They'll keep you smiling
Advertisers and marketers promise that their products will bring us happiness, and they will do anything to keep us smiling in order to sell us more
If you keep buying
We are told that we need to keep buying in order to maintain our happiness, but it's never enough and we can never truly be satisfied
But they can't take from you
Despite the influence of consumerism and societal pressure, there is still something inside of us that is uniquely ours
Something inside you never knew
We may not be aware of our own strength, resilience, and individuality until we are forced to face difficult circumstances
You always have too much to prove
Our success and self-worth are often judged by external factors, leaving us feeling like we have something to prove
And never have enough to lose
We may not have much to gain from societal expectations, but we have everything to lose by conforming to them
I seem to see everything you do
We are constantly observing and evaluating the actions of those around us, particularly our parents, and their examples shape who we become
We are the unwritten scrolls
We are blank slates, with our own stories yet to be written
Background songs
We may feel invisible or insignificant compared to the world around us, like background music to someone else's story
For dialogues
Our lives can be seen as supporting roles for the people we encounter and interact with
Always wanting something more
We are searching for a sense of purpose and fulfillment in our lives
To be the stars
We aspire to stand out and make our mark on the world in a positive way
The light shines on
We believe that we have the potential to shine, and that our talents and abilities are a valuable contribution to the world
You have nothing to prove
Our worth is not defined by external standards, and we do not need to justify our existence to anyone else
And oh, you have so much to lose
While we may not need to prove our worth, we have a great deal to lose if we do not live up to our own potential and take advantage of the opportunities we have
Contributed by Kayla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mikel
on God Save Me A Gun
a sadly poignant message, so many years after its release