Antigone Rising is an all-female New York City based rock band. Their music… Read Full Bio ↴Antigone Rising is an all-female New York City based rock band. Their music is influenced by classic rock from the 1970s such as The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, mixed with pop overtones and at times folk and country elements. They met at Bucknell University and formed in New York City's Greenwich Village in 1993, with sisters Cathy (guitar) and Kristen Henderson (guitar/drums) as the primary force, with Penelope "Peppy" Kokines taking lead vocals and Suzanne Obolsky on vocals and percussion.

As of 2009, the band consists of Kristen Henderson on bass guitar/bg vocals, Cathy Henderson on lead guitar/bg vocals, Dena Tauriello on drums and Nini Camps on rhythm guitar and lead vocals.

The band is primarily known as a touring band, at one time performing 260 shows a year. They earned a dedicated fanbase early on that follows them from concert to concert along the East Coast and increasingly across the country. Fans refer to the band simply as "AR" or "Antigone".

Their first four albums were recorded mostly with independent labels and financed through fan donations. In 2003 they signed up with Lava Records after label president Jason Flom spotted them playing at one of their gigs. In 2005, they became the first artists to be promoted in Starbucks' Hear Music Series, created to discover and spotlight new music. The high visibility, exclusive sale, in-store promotion and airplay at Starbucks across the country helped the band's acoustic EP From the Ground Up sell over 450,000 copies by the end of 2005. The album's single, "Don't Look Back," was very popular among country audiences, and its video received heavy airplay on CMT.

Antigone Rising have shared the stage with Joan Jett, The Rolling Stones, moe., Rob Thomas, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers and The Bangles[1]. They performed at Lilith Fair 1998 and SXSW 2005 and have co-written with Chris Trapper of The Push Stars and Rob Thomas.

Honest Mistake
Antigone Rising Lyrics

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Depression sets in
No one's looking at you
They figured you out
They know your routine
They know the score
They've done all they can for you
I've done all I can
The road is long the road is wide

I buried myself half alive
But I'm seeking truth, higher ground
I'm humbled when I make
An honest mistake

The timer is set for guilt to set in
You taught me the dance with Pavlov's approach
And heavy hand
I used to perform for you
I just can't perform

Burning in the sun
Drying up the tears as they fall
One, by one, until there's none

Detachment sets in
I'm done looking at you
Does that make me the stronger man?
Is victory mine?

Funny, I don't feel so strong
Funny, I don't feel

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Antigone Rising's song "Honest Mistake" express a sense of struggling with depression and feeling like no one is paying attention or cares. The singer feels like they've been figured out and that everyone knows their routine and score. It's as though the singer is trapped in a cycle of feeling invisible and unimportant, yet somehow responsible for their own distress.

The second verse talks about feeling guilty, as though there is a "timer" ticking down until the singer succumbs to their own perceived failures. The line "You taught me the dance with Pavlov's approach and heavy hand" speaks to a sense of being taught to respond to external stimuli like a trained animal, rather than having agency over one's own mental state. The singer is struggling with a performance they feel obligated to put on for others, but they know they can't keep it up forever.

As the song progresses, the singer begins to detach from those around them, and wonders if that makes them stronger. But in the end, victory feels hollow and the singer is left feeling weak and unfulfilled. The line "I'm humbled when I make an honest mistake" speaks to a sense of humility in recognizing one's own fallibility, and suggests that perhaps the singer can find some comfort in acknowledging that they don't have to be perfect.

Overall, "Honest Mistake" is a powerful exploration of what it feels like to struggle with depression and anxiety, and the pressure to conform to external expectations.

Line by Line Meaning

Depression sets in
Feeling low and helpless

No one's looking at you
Being ignored by others. Feeling invisible

They figured you out
Others believe they know what you are up to

They know your routine
Others know your behavior and pattern of life

They know the score
Others are aware of your actions and their consequences

They've done all they can for you
Others feel that they have helped you as much as they can

I've done all I can
I have tried my best

The road is long the road is wide
Life is unpredictable and full of challenges

I buried myself half alive
Feeling trapped and helpless in life

But I'm seeking truth, higher ground
Struggling to find the truth and improve oneself

I'm humbled when I make
Feeling humbled when making mistakes in life