After the band's split, Bachmann moved onto multiple solo projects, including Barry Black and Crooked Fingers, and Gentling toured with Superchunk as an additional instrumentalist.
The band reunited in 2011 and scheduled multiple live dates throughout the year.
South Carolina
Archers of Loaf Lyrics
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With my nonsense
And clog your ears with ashes
And boiled the sound to dry
It's not your fault you're not my hero
It's not your fault I can't make it clear enough
It's not your fault at all
Do do do
Scrape off my teeth
Pull off my leg
Drop off my load
For a quarter, you can give him a quarter
You can go into town with a reason to have an erection
I like your tatoo depiction
South Carolina
Because I've been dying
And I've been trying
For ways to get through
Days to get through
And I chew my grass
Just my grass
My grass, my grass, my grass, my...
Do do do
Do do do
South Carolina
Carolina
Carolina
South Carolina
Because I've been searching for you
I've been praying for you
I've been saying for you
I've been waiting for you
South Carolina
Do do do
Do do do
The lyrics to Archers of Loaf's song "South Carolina" appear to be exploring ideas of disconnection, frustration, and a longing for something unattainable. The opening line "crawl off the faces with my nonsense" suggests a desire to escape from reality, to shed the superficial and meaningless aspects of life. This is reflected in the following line "and clog your ears with ashes", which could imply a sense of burning away the distractions and white noise of everyday existence.
The lyrics then move towards a sense of isolation and a frustration with the inability to communicate effectively with others. "It's not your fault you're not my hero / It's not your fault I can't make it clear enough / It's not your fault at all" suggests a feeling of being let down or not understood by someone else. The repetition of "do do do" throughout the song adds to the sense of uncertainty and searching.
The final verse of the song brings the lyrics full circle and back to the title. The singer of the song is searching for something, and South Carolina is the location of this search. The repetition of "I've been looking for you / I've been praying for you / I've been saying for you / I've been waiting for you" is almost like a mantra, a desperate plea for some kind of connection or resolution.
Overall, "South Carolina" seems to be a song about disconnection, frustration, and a longing for something unattainable - whether that be an idealized version of oneself or a true connection with another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Crawl off the faces
I will remove all the unpleasant things from my mind
With my nonsense
By doing random things that bring no result or reasoning
And clog your ears with ashes
I will fill your ears with useless and irrelevant information
And boiled the sound to dry
The sounds are so repetitive and dull they make everything sound monotonous
It's not your fault you're not my hero
I don't blame you for not being the person that can save me
It's not your fault I can't make it clear enough
I can't express myself clearly and it's not your fault
It's not your fault at all
It's not your fault that things aren't working out as I want them to
Do do do
Nonsensical sounds, no meaning behind them
Break off my jaw
I wish I could silence myself to keep my thoughts from getting the best of me
Scrape off my teeth
Take away the little power I have to fight back
Pull off my leg
Make sure I can't run away from my own thoughts
Drop off my load
I wish I could free myself from the burden that is my mind
For a quarter, you can give him a quarter
You can use the little you have to contribute to someone else's survival
You can go into town with a reason to have an erection
You can go into town feeling powerful and in control
I like your tattoo depiction
I appreciate the art and effort put into your tattoo
South Carolina
A place I long to be
Because I've been dying
I have been struggling and losing hope
And I've been trying
I've been doing my best to keep going
For ways to get through
I'm looking for ways to survive and move forward
Days to get through
Each day seems like a challenge to overcome
And I chew my grass
I try to find comfort in mundane and simple things
Just my grass
Something I can control and find comfort in
Do do do
Nonsensical sounds, no meaning behind them
South Carolina
A place I long to be
Carolina
Referencing the state in the United States
Carolina
Referencing the state in the United States
South Carolina
A place I long to be
Because I've been searching for you
I have been searching for a place of comfort and hope
I've been praying for you
I have been hoping for something better to come along
I've been saying for you
I have been expressing my desire for comfort and hope
I've been waiting for you
I have been waiting for something to bring me peace and happiness
South Carolina
A place I long to be
Do do do
Nonsensical sounds, no meaning behind them
Do do do
Nonsensical sounds, no meaning behind them
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: O HAMMERSTEIN, R RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind