Credit such significant notoriety to the fact that American Eyes never settled on playing standard fare, stand ‘n’ stare rock music from its inception. Instead, the quintet had always been a dark-edged neo-gothic punk act that’s incorporated prominent dance rhythms within its material, whether it’s on the band’s first two self-released recordings, or their SideOneDummy debut EP, Never Trust Anything That Bleeds.
Hailing from the westernmost region of Los Angeles County — Agoura Hills, to be exact — American Eyes’ members Henry, Richardson and Gold actually shared sandboxes together, having known each other since pre-school. The three didn’t really materialize into a musical act until their years at Agoura High, where they met locals Anthony and Johnson — it’s also the same institution of which members of Linkin Park, Hoobastank and Incubus had attended (but, of course, ended up in an entirely different musical genre). Originally formed under a different name, the pre-American Eyes act gave the members ample opportunity at which to cut their teeth.
Since high school wasn’t the act’s forte, Henry, Richardson and Gold opted to swap their chance at higher education for a shot at bigger venues and more recordings. With a renewed spirit, a more focused concept and a few years of steady experience already underneath their collective belts, the set launched American Eyes in 2002. But the launch wasn’t exactly the propulsive lift-off that the act had been anticipating.
“When we first started, no one would book us because we had a really bad reputation around L.A.,” says Henry. “We played an all-ages show and kids were going nuts — it was a typical hardcore show. Next thing I know, I see a chair getting thrown through a window. The cops came and it made the front page of the local magazine. A week later, we played at USC and I put my foot through the grand piano on accident. No venue would book us. Troubadour? No. Knitting Factory, Roxy, Whisky? No way.”
The only place that gave the band a shot was a gay club in West Hollywood — and American Eyes was the first band to ever play there. Packing in their audience amidst the cage dancers, American Eyes soon grabbed the attention of local radio stations and other promoters. Next thing they knew, they were welcomed back into L.A.’s club scene — selling out nearly every local show they’ve played since.
That doesn’t mean that American Eyes have toned down their act. Actually, Henry mentions that the group was recently asked to leave another local venue — the reason given was that Henry had endangered the crowd by climbing up the side pillars and hanging upside down while singing — in short, just going nuts. “We’re just always looking for trouble,” Henry admits. “I believe it’s fun, it’s music.”
An American Eyes show isn’t just a band slamming through a handful of songs and making a quick exit — it’s a total production that goes well beyond the scope of five guys playing music on stage. For example, the band’s Valentine’s Day gig in 2005 featured a kissing booth and a snow machine. “We throw events, we don’t throw concerts,” Henry adds.
The chatter of their famed shows and a well-connected Henry caught the attention of the SideOneDummy record label execs, who inked a deal with the band after catching a seemingly rousing practice session in 2004.
Enter Never Trust Anything That Bleeds, American Eyes’ six-song label debut. Produced by Michael Patterson (Puff Daddy, Notorious B.I.G., Beck) and Gavin MacKillop (Sugarcult, MXPX), the concept EP was devised around a relationship in Henry’s life, and all the ensuing emotional twists and turns. “It was a turning point in my life. I’d got out of high school, I was out in the world, I had a girlfriend for five years and we had broken up. You didn’t know anything, you didn’t trust anybody, not even yourself. You just had to keep your eyes open.”
Never Trust Anything That Bleeds leads off with the electro-charged “Knife Fight With A Girl (True Story),” a song about confusion, incomprehension and the emotions of having to sever ties with a former love. Next comes the propulsive “Telephone Wires,” followed by the anthemic “Carry On For Keepsake,” which grapples painfully with a sense of loss in the wake of a tumultuous relationship. “The Girl With The Broken Heart (By The Way)” is a straightforward rocker, which then leads into the sweeping, orchestral ballad, “The Day We Died,” of which Henry addresses internalizing his frustration. The song is a collaboration featuring vocals by Curt Smith of Tears For Fears fame. “Recording with Curt was surreal,” Henry exclaims. “I had to kick myself!” The disc’s massive send off is the upbeat, sing-along track “Radio.” “With that song it’s like, it doesn’t matter, I can do whatever I want to do,” Henry notes. “I’m doing what I love to do. And hopefully one day, she’ll hear this song on the radio and be like, ‘Wait, I fucking blew it.’”
And it’s that intriguing dichotomy of tormented, frustrated lyrics and danceable, stimulating rock (“We make happy music to cry to,” says Henry) that’s made American Eyes such a favorite — especially online, through their MySpace profile. “We put ‘The Day We Died’ on MySpace and tons of people were hitting us up, saying ‘Oh my God, that song is reading what I’m thinking.’ The lyrics can totally bum you out but the music is happy. It’s all right to be sad. It’s all right to grieve.”
American Eyes receive and continue to respond to personal e-mails seeking advice on many of their fans’ issues. “It’s like therapy,” he says. “That’s how we’ve gotten to where we are, because we’ve made personal connections with everyone. We’re going through the same thing they are.”
It’s no surprise American Eyes have caused kids to uncross their arms and take notice. And Los Angeles is just the starting point.
Knife Fight With A Girl
American Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aand I'm still standing in my grave
You're the tear thats burns my great mistake
Wish I could pik you up but
I'm still dangling by a thread
So unravel me in misery
With nothing to lose
Nothing to say
I'll find a way
To be to love to fight
Anything to feel that I'm alive
I'll get you back one day
I'll find a way
To leave to run and hide
I'll catch up if it breaks this heart of mine
I'll get you back one day
I'll find a way
I crushed out all of the fractions of a life
Of everything that you ever need and what you say
You just don't get it
Hey hey you'll never get it
Sell yourself around cause you'll never get it
With one lit match I will carry the flame
And burn this city just to mourn your name
You just don't get it
Hey hey you'll never get it
Sell yourself around cause you'll never get it
To be to love to fight
Anything to feel that I'm alive
I'll get you back one day
I'll find a way
To leave to run and hide
I'll catch up if it breaks this heart of mine
I'll get you back one day
I'll find a way
To be to love to fight
Anything to feel that I'm alive
I'll get you back one day
To leave you always run and hide
I'll get you back one day
I'll find a way
You're the most beautiful girl in the world
You're the stars in the sky, the planet earth
Just don't you ever leave
The lyrics of Knife Fight by American Eyes portrays the theme of love, heartbreak, and revenge. The first few lines of the song suggest that the singer has been stuck in a difficult situation for years, and it seems as if he is standing in his own grave. He is feeling the pain of losing someone and regrets his mistake. The following lyrics convey the singer's emotions of helplessness and despair as he describes himself as dangled by a thread. The lines "With nothing to lose, nothing to say, I'll find a way" signify the singer's will to overcome the situation despite feeling broken.
The chorus of the song seems to be the singer's vow to do whatever it takes to feel alive again. He desires to get revenge on the person who hurt him and wants to channel his pain into action. The lines "To leave, to run and hide, I'll catch up if it breaks this heart of mine" shows that the singer is willing to sacrifice everything, even his own emotional well-being, to get back what he lost. The end of the song describes the person who hurt the singer as the most beautiful girl in the world, whom the singer begs not to leave.
Overall, the lyrics of Knife Fight detail painful emotions of heartbreak, revenge, and hope. It showcases the singer's struggle to come to terms with his loss and desire to get back what he lost by whatever means necessary.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the years they go
Time passes by
Aand I'm still standing in my grave
I feel emotionally dead
You're the tear thats burns my great mistake
Your presence reminds me of my regret and pain
Wish I could pik you up but
I want to help you but I'm struggling myself
I'm still dangling by a thread
I'm on the verge of losing control
So unravel me in misery
Help me confront and deal with my pain
With nothing to lose
I have nothing more to fear or sacrifice
Nothing to say
I have no words to describe how I feel
I'll find a way
I'll search for a solution
To be to love to fight
I'll do whatever it takes
Anything to feel that I'm alive
I'm desperate to feel something significant
I'll get you back one day
I'll repay you someday
To leave to run and hide
Sometimes I just want to escape
I'll catch up if it breaks this heart of mine
I'll chase after you even if it hurts me
I crushed out all of the fractions of a life
I destroyed all the remnants of my previous existence
Of everything that you ever need and what you say
All of your needs and opinions no longer matter to me
You just don't get it
You don't understand
Hey hey you'll never get it
You'll never understand
Sell yourself around cause you'll never get it
You'll never comprehend it, so stop trying
With one lit match I will carry the flame
I'll destroy everything with one simple action
And burn this city just to mourn your name
I'll cause destruction to commemorate you
You're the most beautiful girl in the world
You're incredibly attractive
You're the stars in the sky, the planet earth
You're an integral part of my world
Just don't you ever leave
Please don't abandon me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@msboomerizzle303
I cant even find this band on Spotify!!! Awesome song!
@justlikeheaven84
hearing this song in 2020 still omg i luv this song it too me awile to find this and radio <3 <3
@akakgak
Key Club. Early 2000's. Packed the house. Upstairs and downstairs. Killer band.
@maxisttot
great song, can't believe it wasn't even semi-popular
@ninjaadaniel1674
was soo hard to find this song lol missed it xD
@Julie-nf8zc
anything by them really