Archive was formed by Londoners Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths in 1994 and began as an electronica project. At the beginning, they mixed Bristol-style, Massive Attack, Portishead with Rap. The first album of the band, Londinium released in 1996 (with Roya Arab and Rosko John as guest vocalists). The second album, Take my Head, (which the band hates) was released in 1999 (with a new guest vocalist Suzanne Wooder), it is much more melodic than Londinium. The first song of the album, You Make Me Feel, illustrates this change in the Archive's music. After being dropped by their label and more changes in the lineup, the band seemed to hit its stride on the third album You All Look The Same To Me (2002), featuring singer Craig Walker (formerly of Power of Dreams), which took a decided turn toward more progressive music (with some Progressive Rock influences, notably Pink Floyd whose indelible influence is audible on tracks such as 'Finding it so Hard' and 'Again'), while still maintaining electronic elements. The band saw growing popularity and critical acclaim, especially in France, Greece, Germany and Poland. After recording two more artistically—but not too commercially—successful albums, Michel Vaillant (2003) and Noise (2004), Walker left the band for reasons the band and he will not talk about. The project continued on as a Collective, with new vocalists, Pollard Berrier and Dave Pen. In May 2006 they released the album Lights with Pollard Berrier on lead vocals, who is also a member/guest member of the innovative group, "Bauchklang" - a completely vocal beat-box (Vocal Groove) group based in Vienna, Austria. Archive released a live album, entitled,Live at Paris Zenith, in May, 2007 - which was recorded on January 20th, 2007 at the sold out Zentih Arena in Paris. Rolling Stone called it, "The best live album ever made." Archive continues to tour and is working on a number of forthcoming releases in the near future.
Archive are a Collective, not a band.
Lines
Archive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I re-submerge I can barely breathe, lung capacity withering away, hyperventilate, all disintegrating bodies turn to dust, sudden rush of blood, snap me out of moods swinging in the wind, round to hurricane breeze, past damage in the blast more than physical, plain to see upon the visual, feel the impact down deep inside a rattled rib cage, lying shattered there in pieces, fall away wither and decay, cannot keep this anxiety at bay, hellfire spray twisted metal stray, when sparks fly into the naked eye, fools know not to even try, think about it fully, blowing sky high bring a house down, panic all around, blind to the fact silent ones who plan a hijack give with one hand, other takes back one way collision flight path, aftermath, come and feel the wrath laid to waste, steadily with haste, cutting to the chase, drifting off the pace, filling all space and times up for the meanwhile pressure piles down, terror reigns.
Runaway, loose, gonna run over you, infected, injected, completely subdued, invasive, foreign entity, unwelcome. High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye.
Lines, lines data and lines, confusing nations all data inside, games shame lies to the masses, dead souls all rise on poisonous gasses, lines, lines la la la la la la, lines.
Runaway, loose, gonna run over you, infected, injected, completely subdued, invasive, foreign entity, unwelcome.
Lines, lines la la la la la la, lines, lines la la la la la la, lines, la la la la la. High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye.
The lyrics of Archive's song, "Lines," paint a bleak picture of a society crumbling under the weight of its own corruption and destruction. The opening lines, "High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye," hint at the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of death. The following lines continue this theme, describing a world in which bodies turn to dust and anxiety is a constant presence. The song moves on to describe the societal issues plaguing the world, including corruption, lies, and the rise of dead souls on poisonous gases. The chorus repeats the word "lines" over and over again, a reference to the data lines that confuse nations and perpetuate this destructive cycle.
The second verse of the song takes a more personal approach, describing an individual who is being "battered and broken" by the tension and corruption around them. The lyrics here suggest that this person is not alone in their suffering, as the world around them is also slowly deteriorating. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the importance of the data lines and the poisonous nature of the societal structures they create.
Overall, "Lines" is a powerful commentary on the state of our world and the destructive forces that continue to shape it. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of a society on the brink of collapse, highlighting the need for change and a new way of thinking. The repetition of the chorus and the haunting melody of the song serve to emphasize this message, leaving a lasting impact on the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
High, sunlight, drown, high, sunlight, goodbye.
As I enter a state of extreme intoxication, I feel a sense of suffocation and desperation taking over. The sun's bright light no longer brings warmth or solace, signalling the impending end of this state.
Lines, lines data and lines, confusing nations all data inside, games shame lies to the masses, dead souls all rise on poisonous gasses, lines, lines la la la la la la, lines.
The portrayal of false information and manipulation through media causes confusion, dividing nations into opposing sides. These lies and games are ultimately deadly, causing the rise of 'dead souls' and spreading like a poison.
Runaway, loose, gonna run over you, infected, injected, completely subdued, invasive, foreign entity, unwelcome.
An unknown, invasive force is threatening to take over and overpower us. It feels as though we have been infected, injected and completely subdued by an unwelcome entity, with no way to escape.
Battered and broken hour glass, last thing you see before the light fizzle out, smoke billowing, broken down from the inside by scandalous tension, take hold, gripped by the head, cold harbouring a grudge, closer to the edge, cradling the grave concern, follow leaders in turn, flipside opposition, convey grievance, half a mind to test immortal patience, held down while suffocating, blocking air path, final exhale, vital sign fail, flatline, they would rather do away with our kind, half expected inside, rotten infected, fatally flawed and overawed, biohazardous and contagious, got animal into animal, crushedlike beasts into cages, slow deteriorate body, shutting down, cease and fade, cease then fade.
As we run out of time, our lives come to a halt, and we are left with smoke and tension hanging in the air. Our minds become clouded with anger and negativity, and we feel as though we are clinging to the edge of sanity. We follow those in power, but the opposition proves to be just as harmful. We feel suffocated and held down by forces that want to do away with us entirely - making our bodies crumble and decay under extreme stress and pressure. We slowly deteriorate and shut down until there is nothing left.
Contributed by Hudson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.