As a band they wrote enough material to record a five song EP entitled "Sleep Comes In Interludes," which was recorded in Oneonta and produced by TJ Foster who was their former bandmate in The Cast Before The Break.
After releasing the EP, Athletics continued to write more material, until a cohesive group of songs were ready to record a full length record. The band recorded their debut full length record in Oneonta, NY over the course of a few months in the winter and spring of 2010. The tracks were produced by Moving Mountains' Greg Dunn, and later released on Deep Elm records as the album "Why Aren't I Home?" on October 26, 2010.
Why Aren't I Home?
Athletics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As my world finds it's end
No safe place to exist
But to pretend we never did
In Athletics's song "Why Aren't I Home?", the lyrics delve into the feelings of being lost and the struggle to find a sense of belonging. The opening lines, "Well I'm lost again, as my world finds its end," suggest a state of confusion and disorientation. The singer feels as if their world is crumbling, leaving them without a stable foundation.
The lyrics also touch upon the concept of finding solace in pretending that certain things never happened or never existed. This can be seen in the lines, "No safe place to exist, but to pretend we never did." It reflects a desire to escape the pain or discomfort of reality by creating an alternate narrative where certain experiences or relationships are erased from memory.
The overall tone of the song seems introspective, with the singer pondering their current circumstances and questioning why they are not at home. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing for a place of comfort and familiarity, both physically and emotionally. It speaks to the universal human need for a sense of belonging and the struggle to navigate through feelings of displacement or alienation.
Overall, "Why Aren't I Home?" captures the emotional turmoil of feeling lost and disconnected, while also highlighting the coping mechanism of pretending certain aspects of one's life never existed.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm lost again
I am once again feeling directionless and uncertain
As my world finds its end
As everything around me seems to be collapsing and coming to an end
No safe place to exist
There is no secure or comforting space for me to simply be
But to pretend we never did
All I can do is pretend that the past never happened or try to erase it from my mind
Writer(s): Garrett Yaeger, Howie Cohen, Jimmy Boyce, John Cannon, Zach West
Contributed by Dominic W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.