Formed in 2006, the band derived its name from the Wilco song, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” and is led by band founder and lead vocalist/ guitarist BJ Barham. A new lineup was announced in April 2017 with new faces joining the ranks: Crooks drummer Joey Bybee, Damn Quails bass player Ben Hussey and guitarist Shane Boeker – all from Texas – along with Nashville pedal-steel player Adam Kurtz, who also fronts Music City's experimental Buck Owens tribute Buck N' Stuff. Bybee left in August 2018 and was replaced by Nashville-based drummer Matty Alger, who in turn left in February 2019. Kurtz left the band after the Mile Zero fest in January 2019, and Hussey left in July 2019.
Their first album, Antique Hearts, was released in 2006, followed by The Bible and the Bottle in 2008.
In 2012, American Aquarium released two albums: Live in Raleigh and Burn. Flicker. Die.
The band released their sixth original album, Wolves, in February 2015.[7] The band's fans helped raise $24,000 through a Kickstarter project to help fund the album's production, and the album was recorded in Asheville, North Carolina at Echo Mountain.
On November 25, 2016 "Live at Terminal West" was released by the band from a live show recording in November 2015 at Terminal West in Atlanta, Georgia.
Things Change was released on New West Records in 2018, followed by
Lamentations (on New West Records) in 2020.
Last Stand
American Aquarium Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She’ll drink when she’s down. She’ll drink when he’s not around. She’ll drink away her paycheck. She’ll drink cause she’s trying to forget.
On a barstool with time to pass, she peels away the label from a longneck glass. Her cheeks are as red as the leaves in the fall and she keeps looking down, expecting him to call
She’ll drink when she’s down. She’ll drink when he’s not in town. She’ll drink away her paycheck. She’ll drink cause she’s trying to forget.
I’ll drink when I’m down. I’ll drink when no one else is around. I’ll drink every dime of my check. I’ll drink cause I got so much to forget.
The American Aquarium's song "Last Stand" tells the story of two people who are drinking to forget their problems. The first verse introduces us to a woman who appears sad and desperate at a bar. She's trying to get over a broken heart, but the neon lights and alcohol are just numbing her pain. The second verse follows a man who is playing guitar in his bedroom while drinking on his desktop. He's also trying to escape his problems, but instead of going out, he's turning inward. Both characters are self-medicating, and it's clear that their drinking isn't providing a long-term solution to their issues; the chorus repeats the sentiment that they'll continue to drink no matter what, indicating that they're resigned to their fate.
The final verse reflects on the self-destructive nature of their actions. Like a general fighting a losing battle, the man realizes that alcohol isn't going to help him win his war. The song ends on a bleak note, with both characters acknowledging that they have things they want to forget, but they can't keep running away forever. Ultimately, "Last Stand" is a poignant portrayal of people who are struggling to cope with their lives and are turning to alcohol to help them through.
Line by Line Meaning
She was glassy eyed at the bar.
She was staring blankly while sitting at a bar, presumably due to intoxication.
Someone stole the keys to her heart.
She's heartbroken and unable to move on from a past relationship.
The neon lights they bent the bottles on the shelf so she bought another round to feel sorry for herself.
The ambiance and loneliness of the bar caused her to buy more alcohol to drown her sorrows.
She’ll drink when she’s down. She’ll drink when he’s not around. She’ll drink away her paycheck. She’ll drink cause she’s trying to forget.
Her drinking is a coping mechanism to deal with her emotional pain.
On a barstool with time to pass, she peels away the label from a longneck glass.
She's bored and idle, thus finding trivial things to occupy her time.
Her cheeks are as red as the leaves in the fall and she keeps looking down, expecting him to call.
She's flushed from the alcohol and hoping for contact from a former lover.
The bottle’s on the desktop, the guitars in my hand.
The singer is surrounded by music and drinking, as if seeking solace in them.
Like a five star general making his last stand.
The artist feels like they're fighting a losing battle.
With every passing second, with every painful shot I realize just who I am and what I’m not.
The artist is using alcohol to come to terms with their identity and limitations.
I’ll drink when I’m down. I’ll drink when no one else is around. I’ll drink every dime of my check. I’ll drink cause I got so much to forget.
The artist is also using alcohol as a coping mechanism and to escape from their problems.
Contributed by London N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.