Frontman Casey McPherson’s gripping, emotional songwriting dares others to search out hope in the bleakest of circumstances and the unique instrumentation pays homage to the classical music that gave him his love for the art. While McPherson’s songwriting and rock-inspired vocals form the core of Alpha Rev’s music, he is supported by a unique cast of musicians that fill Alpha Rev’s songs with as much classical beauty as American rock. In addition to the typical guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums, Alpha Rev boasts a violin and cello that add brilliantly to the band’s sound. Together, Alpha Rev offers up layered, orchestral, melody-driven masterpieces able to turn strangers to super fans in a single listen.
Home schooled in small town Texas, frontman Casey McPherson studied classical piano for 12 years and learned to play guitar left handed after figuring out it only worked when he played it upside down. The first band he started, Endochine, performed with Staind, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pete Yorn and many others. During this time, McPherson lost his father and only brother to suicide. Although Endochine was succeeding on many levels, touring took its toll, eventually leading to the band’s demise. Faced with unimaginable tragedy and the dissolution of his band of five years, Casey began to realize that his music, and his life, needed to take a turn in a more positive direction.
The result was Alpha Rev and its distinctive brand of soulful American rock, full of achingly beautiful melodies, haunting lyrics, and classical beauty. Welling up through all the rich, sonic splendor is a message of hope spun by McPherson and his penchant for perseverance. As Austin’s famous landmark club Antone’s raved on their website “witness [McPherson] in action and you know God made this man to play music.”
Big Blow
Alpha Rev Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
so much harder now
peace comes from understanding
but it's harder now
you look like an angel
no longer now
would you agree there's not anything
around the heal this pain
it's such a big blow
why should anyone else wanna
know
why it's such a big blow
why should anyone else find out
love looks like you want her
til you hold her down
you used to love me
no longer now
I would agree there's not anything
around to heal this pain
it's such a big blow
why would anyone else wanna know
why it's such a big blow
why should anyone else find out
love, so destroyed
you give so much time
I really ought to know
where all this goes
so much harder now
so much harder now
it's such a big blow
it's such a big blow
would you agree there's not
anything around to heal this
pain
It's such a big blow
why would anyone else wanna
know
(I don't know)
why it's such a big blow
why would anyone else find
out
The lyrics to Alpha Rev's song "Big Blow" seem to be exploring the pain and difficulty that comes with love and heartbreak. The first verse acknowledges the demanding nature of love and the fact that finding peace through understanding is harder than it seems. The second verse suggests that holding onto love and trying to make it last feels great at first, but eventually becomes a source of pain and disappointment. The chorus repeats the titular phrase "It's such a big blow" over and over again, driving home the idea that the end of a relationship can be devastating and hard to recover from.
One interesting aspect of this song is the way it is structured. The verses each have four lines, but the first and third lines of each verse rhyme with each other, while the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other. This creates a sense of symmetry and balance within each verse. Additionally, the chorus is very repetitive, which creates a sense of emotional intensity and almost obsessive fixation on the pain of heartbreak.
Another notable feature of this song is the vocal performance from lead singer Casey McPherson. He has a powerful and emotive voice that conveys a lot of raw feeling, especially during the chorus. The instrumentation is fairly simple but effective, with guitars, drums, and piano creating a mellow, melancholy tone.
Line by Line Meaning
love is so demanding
Love requires so much from us
so much harder now
Love is harder to find and maintain in today's world
peace comes from understanding
Understanding leads to peace
but it's harder now
But it's harder to find understanding nowadays
you look like an angel
You appear perfect and flawless
no longer now
However, that's not the case anymore
would you agree there's not anything
Do you think there's no solution
around the heal this pain
To heal this pain that we feel
it's such a big blow
It's a huge setback
why should anyone else wanna
Why would anyone else want to
know
Find out about our pain
love looks like you want her
Love appears alluring
til you hold her down
Until you experience and face its difficulties
you used to love me
You used to have feelings for me
I would agree there's not anything
I also believe there aren't any solutions
around to heal this pain
To ease the pain we're experiencing
why would anyone else wanna know
Why would others want to be aware of our misery
why should anyone else find out
Why should others discover our pain
love, so destroyed
Love has been ruined
you give so much time
We invest so much time in it
I really ought to know
We should be aware of where it's heading
where all this goes
Where our love leads us
so much harder now
Love is increasingly tough these days
it's such a big blow
It's a major setback for us
would you agree there's not
Do you also think there's no answer
anything around to heal this
No resolution to alleviate this
pain
Pain that we're experiencing
why would anyone else wanna
Why would others be interested in
know
Knowing about our pain
(I don't know)
I'm not sure why others would want to know
why it's such a big blow
Why it's such a great setback for us
why would anyone else find out
Why should others discover our pain
Contributed by Colton K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
yaler94
I love you guys! Come to DC? :)
Isaac Thompson
Knoxville, Tn - it's meant to be.