ACB released its first full length album, Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest, on June 21 of 2005, and was featured in Solid State's Young Bloods Tour with The Chariot, Showbread, and He Is Legend.
Earlier in the year, the band released a statement saying that vocalist TJ was getting married and leaving the band, so they decided to call it quits. However, partially through their 'farewell tour', they decided to stay together, but eventually T.J. decided to depart from the band and go his own way.
The band's second album, titled "Come Now Sleep" was released August 14, 2007, on Tooth and Nail Records. Different from their previous recordings, however, the genre featured on Come Now Sleep has been classified by the band themselves as Rock / Indie / Progressive.
As Cities Burn's third studio album was released on April 21, 2009, with the title "Hell or High Water". The band's music evolved even more with their final album, venturing into indie rock territory but while still maintaining their unique post-hardcore sound.
On the bands myspace on July 17, 2009, the band announced that they had broken up and were going to pursue other interests.
As of 2012 they have re-united for a reunion tour with the original line-up from their first full length album SILYAYD. including TJ on Vocals
2013 - they are Currently supporting Underoath on their farewell tour. They have stated that they are only playing song off of Son, I loved you at your darkest.
Members:
T.J Bonnette-lead vocals
Cody Bonnette-vocals, guitar
Colin Kimble-Bass guitar/guitar/backup vocals
Aaron Lunsford-Drums
Chris Lott- Guitar
Former Members:
Bryan Dixon- Drums
Pascal Baronne-Bass
Terrible! How Terrible For The Great City!
As Cities Burn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I don't love her
No, I don't love you
Forgive me darling, but love has nothing to do with this
It has nothing to do with how I can't stop
Until I get what I want from you
This is what real men keep quiet
And sleep at night next to your wife
Who you love too much to tell her
You don't love her at all
I just feel as empty as the lungs
Of those waiting in the womb
Do you feel as empty as the lungs of those waiting
To come into this world
Where being beautiful means being used
How long will we blame the devils on our shoulders
And pose like angels on the outside
When all I am is a monster
The lyrics to As Cities Burn's song Terrible! How Terrible For The Great City! explore the theme of toxic masculinity and the way that men are conditioned to view women as objects to be used and discarded. The singer of the song is grappling with the fact that he doesn't love the woman he is with, but is still using her for his own fulfillment. He questions whether this makes him a monster, and acknowledges that he is participating in a cycle where the objectification of women is normalized, and beauty is equated with being used.
The lines "This is what real men keep quiet / It doesn't exist if you can hide it behind your teeth" speak to the idea that men are taught to suppress their emotions and behave in destructive ways while still presenting a facade of strength and control. The final lines of the song, "How long will we blame the devils on our shoulders / And pose like angels on the outside / When all I am is a monster" are a powerful indictment of the societal pressure placed on men to maintain a facade of dominance and strength even in the face of their own flaws and insecurities.
Overall, the song is a poignant commentary on the dehumanizing effect of patriarchal attitudes on both men and women, and the need for honest self-reflection in the pursuit of healthy, equal relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I a monster when I sink my teeth into her
Questioning whether his actions make him a monster when he treats women as objects
When I don't love her
He acknowledges that he doesn't have any genuine feelings for the woman he is treating this way
No, I don't love you
Reiterating the lack of love he has for the woman he is using
Forgive me darling, but love has nothing to do with this
Asking forgiveness but admitting that his actions have no connection to love
It has nothing to do with how I can't stop
Clarifying that his actions are more about a lack of control than anything else
Until I get what I want from you
Justifying the mistreatment of women by asserting that it is in order to get what he wants
This is what real men keep quiet
Implying that this behavior is unfortunately common and a part of toxic masculinity
It doesn't exist if you can hide it behind your teeth
Insisting that ignoring or hiding the problem makes it feel nonexistent
And sleep at night next to your wife
Highlighting the hypocrisy and dishonesty inherent in this behavior
Who you love too much to tell her
Acknowledging that the man may actually love his partner but still engages in this harmful behavior
You don't love her at all
Repeating the earlier assertion that the man doesn't truly love the woman he is using
I just feel as empty as the lungs
Using a metaphor to describe his sense of emptiness
Of those waiting in the womb
Drawing attention to the vulnerability and innocence of unborn children
Do you feel as empty as the lungs of those waiting
Challenging the listener to empathize with the vulnerable and neglected
To come into this world
Reinforcing the earlier metaphor and highlighting the tragedy of being born into a world where people are treated as objects
Where being beautiful means being used
Condemning the culture that values physical beauty over human connection and worth
How long will we blame the devils on our shoulders
Challenging society to take responsibility for its own toxic behavior instead of passing the blame onto outside forces
And pose like angels on the outside
Observing how people often pretend to be innocent and good when they know that they are not
When all I am is a monster
Concluding with the painful self-awareness that the singer knows he is part of the problem and a perpetrator of harmful behavior
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind