Arctic Death is the product of many… Read Full Bio ↴http://arcticdeath.bandcamp.com/
Arctic Death is the product of many needs left unfulfilled. The subtle simplicity of early Rock & Roll has been replaced by decades of over-compensation. Steven Floyd and brothers John and Harrison Crook found the musical solution over months of all-night sessions. Insomnia and records from the fifties fueled a binge of creativity and burning tube amplifiers. What remained was a handful of shining Rock & Roll songs and a fresh ideology. The band agreed on a simple Mission Statement:
"Arctic Death is a grassroots effort with no greater objective than to be a vessel for the most pure of human desires - to be. The music is just a simple product of its environment. There is no pretense, no enigmatic intention, and definitely no prophetic rock & roll narcissism. Arctic Death believes in the beauty of human kindness, and the harsh hand of karma. The fierce drive to create and perform is no illusion, nor is the DIY ethic that the band will always rely upon. The music’s value and its growth are based on the knowledge that nothing would fulfill or enrich to any relative degree like it already has. That being said, Arctic Death’s message is simple: We are alive, and you are alive. Relish in it!"
With their first show in March of 2010 came a slew of demos. Recording, pressing, and distributing the records hand-to-hand was the obvious choice. The band dropped their first official release with their self-titled EP in August of the same year. The record quickly spread throughout the underground with the help of blogs and compilations. In the following months the band shared the stage with such acts as Tokyo Police Club, Wavves, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Lemuria, etc. Arctic Death is proving to be one of the most exciting young indie rock bands of 2011.
The bands debut full-length is slated to be released on July 5th, 2011 on Susquehanna Records.
River
Arctic Death Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have to admit it didn't do me no good
I'm coping slowly
With all my options
I won't let you walk away
I guess that i'll just stay
200,000 people
To see.
To see me.
You won't you won't you won't you won't you hold me?
I didn't mean what i said.
You can't you can't you can't you help me?
I'll never understand
No girl i won't be
The best thing you always dreamed of
To slip the final weight is a death grip
It's your life force
And it's in a minute
With all my options
I won't let you go away
Oh please
With all my options
I won't let you float away
Please, please stay
You won't you won't you won't you won't you hold me?
I didn't mean what i said.
You can't you can't you can't you help me?
Help me to understand
With all my options
I won't let you go away
You're my breath
You're the emptiness
You're the only thing left
You peel me
You.
The song "River" by Arctic Death is a reflection on the regretful actions and emotions of the singer. The river of regret is a metaphor for the singer's past choices and the negative impact they have had on his life. The singer admits that dwelling on this regret hasn't been helpful, but he is slowly learning to cope with it. Despite this progress, he is still unable to let go of someone he loves, and he won't let them walk away. The singer sees this love as his way out of the river of regret and clings to it desperately.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of self-destruction and the struggle to break free from negative patterns. The singer has enabled thousands of people to see him but feels that perhaps this hasn't been a positive thing. He acknowledges that he won't be the best thing his love has ever dreamed of, and the weight of his choices is a death grip. He seems to suggest that, no matter how much time passes, he feels trapped in those choices, unable to move forward.
The lines "You peel me, You." at the end of the song are very enigmatic, leaving the listener to come up with their interpretation. It could refer to the way the singer's love interest sees through his defenses, peeling away his layers to see the real him, or it could be an allusion to the Biblical story of Eve taking the fruit from the tree of knowledge, symbolizing the singer's desire for knowledge and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
The river of regret would recently flood
The overwhelming feeling of regret is currently consuming me
I have to admit it didn't do me no good
I acknowledge that my actions have caused harm and have not benefited me in any way
I'm coping slowly
I'm trying to deal with the aftermath and consequences of my actions, but it's a slow and difficult process
With all my options
Despite having choices and alternatives, I refuse to let you leave
I won't let you walk away
I'm determined to keep you by my side, despite the situation
I guess that i'll just stay
I'm resigned to accept my fate and remain in this situation
I have enabled
I have gained a large following and attention from others
200,000 people
A specific number of individuals who follow and support me
To see.
To witness my actions and behaviors
To see me.
To observe and take note of who I am as a person
You won't you won't you won't you won't you hold me?
I yearn for physical and emotional comfort from you, but I'm not sure if you're willing to provide it
I didn't mean what i said.
I regret the hurtful words that I spoke and didn't truly mean them
You can't you can't you can't you help me?
I feel as though I'm hopeless and beyond help in this situation
I'll never understand
I'm struggling to comprehend and make sense of what's happening
No girl i won't be
I can't live up to your expectations and fulfill all of your dreams
The best thing you always dreamed of
I know that you had high hopes for me, but I can't live up to them
To slip the final weight is a death grip
Releasing the burdens and consequences of my actions feels like a death sentence
It's your life force
My connection and attachment to you is what gives me strength and vitality
And it's in a minute
It only takes a moment for everything to change and for me to lose that connection with you
Oh please
Pleading and begging for you to stay and not leave me
You're my breath
You are the reason why I'm able to keep going and survive
You're the emptiness
At the same time, you're also the feeling of emptiness and loneliness that I experience without you
You're the only thing left
You are the one remaining thing that I hold onto, the one thing that gives meaning to my life
You peel me
You strip away my defenses and expose my vulnerabilities
Contributed by William V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.