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.
Monsters
American Aquarium Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Facedown in a shoebox
You were lyin' just the way
You were the day I left you
Dust settles on your face
As time consumes the memories
Now you′re nothin' but a name
And where were you when I needed a friend?
And where were you when I was at the end?
And I take back the words I said
'Cause all I have of you are the monsters under my bed
The monsters under my bed
I forgot how you used to smile
Before the walls came tumblin′
Down on what we had
A kingdom reduced to nothin′
I'm surprised that you stayed
Two years of degradation
You were fightin′ just to save
A sinner not worth savin'
And where were you when I needed a friend?
And where were you when I was at the end?
And I take back the words I said
′Cause all I have of you are the monsters under my bed
The monsters under my bed
Well, I lay my sins to rest
Judgement Day at last
I'll never see tomorrow
If I′m livin' in the past
I'm a better man today
Two years to my favor
And you′re nothin′ but a name
Another face in the crowd
The song "Monsters" by American Aquarium is a powerful ballad that deals with themes of regret, lost love, and the ghosts of the past. The lyrics describe the singer's shock at seeing his former lover asleep in a shoebox, and the realization that he has nothing left of her but the monsters under his bed. The song is a lament for the past, for two years of degradation and the loss of what was once a kingdom.
The opening verse employs vivid imagery to underscore the themes of the song. The singer discovers his former lover sleeping face down in a shoebox, a powerful metaphor for her degradation and loss of self. As time passes, she becomes nothing but a name and another face in the crowd. The chorus is a poignant cry of regret, as the singer asks where his former lover was when he needed a friend and apologizes for his harsh words. He is left with nothing but the monsters under his bed, symbolic of the demons and regrets that haunt him.
The final verse is a rumination on the passage of time and the possibility of redemption. The singer lays his sins to rest and looks to the future with hope, contrasting his own growth and maturity with his former lover's stagnation. The song ends with a haunting repetition of the line "another face in the crowd," emphasizing the loneliness and desolation that comes with the loss of a deep and meaningful connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Saw you sleepin′ yesterday
The singer sees someone they know lying down in a vulnerable position.
Facedown in a shoebox
The person is lying down on a small surface that does not allow for much movement.
You were lyin' just the way
The position of the person reminded the singer of the last time they saw them.
You were the day I left you
The person has not changed since the artist left them.
Dust settles on your face
The person has not moved in a while and dust has settled on their face.
As time consumes the memories
The memories of the person are being forgotten over time.
Now you′re nothin' but a name
The person is now only a memory with no presence in the singer's life.
Another face in the crowd
The person has become like all the others around them, just a passerby.
And where were you when I needed a friend?
The artist is questioning the person's loyalty to them in a time of need.
And where were you when I was at the end?
The artist is questioning the person's support during their difficult times.
And I take back the words I said
The singer regrets what they said to the person earlier.
'Cause all I have of you are the monsters under my bed
The person is no longer present in the artist's life but has left an emotional impact.
I forgot how you used to smile
The singer is forgetting the happy memories of the person.
Before the walls came tumblin′
Before things fell apart in their relationship.
Down on what we had
The relationship between the singer and the person has ended.
A kingdom reduced to nothin′
Their once happy relationship has been destroyed.
I'm surprised that you stayed
The artist is grateful for the person sticking around for as long as they did.
Two years of degradation
The relationship lasted two years before falling apart.
You were fightin′ just to save
The person was trying to save their relationship.
A sinner not worth savin'
The artist believes they were not worth the person's effort to try and save the relationship.
Well, I lay my sins to rest
The artist is letting go of their past mistakes.
Judgement Day at last
The artist feels like they are being judged for their past mistakes.
I'll never see tomorrow
The singer is unsure if they will live to see another day.
If I'm livin' in the past
The artist is holding onto their past mistakes and regrets.
I'm a better man today
The singer has learned from their past mistakes and is a better person now.
Two years to my favor
The singer has grown and improved over the past two years.
And you′re nothin' but a name
The person's memory is fading away.
Another face in the crowd
The person is no longer significant in the artist's life and has become like everyone else around them.
Writer(s): J. Kay, J. Edmonton
Contributed by Arianna S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.