Like the bathroom, Groningen, although a vibrant and energetic college town, gradually felt more like a forest robbed of all its secrets. De Haan tried to escape the obstructing familiarity by moving first to rural Pennsylvania, and next to similar surroundings in Michigan. Ironically, he ended up, again, in Holland, Michigan. The years in the US proved to be very determining, seeing that they gave De Haan an opportunity to explore the English language thoroughly. De Haan had always been looking for stories in history and in whatever types of texts he could find, studying literature, wherever he was. Looking back on it now, De Haan realizes that this was “always with the intention of recycling things into my music, not my degree.”
Again like bathrooms and cities without secrets, De Haan decided that studying language and literature at university was just a tool on the road to somewhere else, not some final destination. He moved to Amsterdam and started looking for, and finding, all sorts of musicians. Four of them were in a band called Alamo Race Track (Excelsior Recordings, Fargo, Minty Fresh). A lot of musical cross-fertilization was going at this time among many musicians in the Amsterdam-area, but De Haan started working most intensely with the guys from Alamo. Finally, De Haan cut all ties to his past, parental advice and academe, and decided to join Alamo Race Track in September 2007. He plunged himself into a joyride tour through large parts of Europe and the US. The sudden burst of movement and energy that resulted from being on the road for long periods of time artistically benefited awkward i.
In the summer of 2008 now band-member Diederik Nomden (Redivider, Daryll-Ann, Johan, Paulusma) convinced De Haan that it was about time to record an album. During the recording sessions, cellist and bassplayer Jelte van Andel (Ghosttrucker) joined awkward i as well. Others came, went, and contributed (such as the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Silje Nes, and Brooklyn-based songwriter Dawn Landes) but in the end Nomden, Van Andel and De Haan remained awkward i.
In December 2008 Excelsior Recordings decided to release awkward i’s album “I Really Should Whisper” (September 2009). Before any deals were cut or any records were made, awkward I managed to be invited for several important showcase-festivals such as Eurosonic/Noorderslag, SWSX, and NXNE.
In 2011, Awkward I released his second album "Everything on Wheels", again with Excelsior Recordings. Meanwhile Djurre/Awkward I became a regular guest at De Wereld Draait Door where he performed a.o. a cover of a Washington Phillips song for the DWDD recordings and a song from the Beck songbook.
In 2012 he finished the soundtrack for the movie "De ontmaagding van Eva van End".
Let's Get Ready to Die
Awkward I Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well your mind's gotta lot on it too
You gotta lot on your mind
But you don't need a light,
Don't need a light
Don't need a light
To see the dark
To see what's wrong
Yeah it keeps getting harder to breathe
So let's get ready to die
Let's get ready to die
Let's get ready to die
See the smile on your face
Will I see the face of your smile
You're pulling my leg
You're pulling my leg
Pulling my leg
Pulling my leg
Pull it right out
Use it to make everyone else
If it keeps getting harder to breathe
Yeah it keeps getting harder to breathe
So let's get ready to die
Let's get ready to die
Let's get ready to die
Don't need a light
To see the dark
To see what's wrong
If it keeps getting harder to breathe
Yeah it keeps getting harder to breathe
So let's get ready to die
Let's get ready to die
Let's get ready to die
The lyrics of Awkward I's song "Let's Get Ready to Die" discuss the overwhelming feeling of having too much on one's mind and feeling like it's getting harder to breathe. The repeated phrase "let's get ready to die" can be interpreted as a metaphorical statement about accepting one's struggles and giving up trying to fight them. The lines "you don't need a light to see the dark, to see what's wrong" suggest that the darkness and negativity can be seen and felt in life without any external assistance.
The lyrics also touch upon the theme of self-destruction, as seen in the line "use it to make everyone else", which implies that the person is willing to harm themselves to help others. The line "see the smile on your face, will I see the face of your smile" suggests that the person is putting on a front to hide their inner struggles and that their true emotions may not be as positive as they appear.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of hopelessness and a desire to give up, with the repeated chorus of "let's get ready to die" hinting at an acceptance of the difficulties and a willingness to move on from them.
Line by Line Meaning
You gotta lot on your mind
Your mind is occupied with a lot of thoughts
Well your mind's gotta lot on it too
Your mind is overwhelmed with thoughts as well
You gotta lot on your mind
You have a lot of things to worry about
But you don't need a light,
You don't need any guidance or support
Don't need a light
You don't require any help
Don't need a light
You can handle everything on your own
To see the dark
To see the negative aspects in life
To see what's wrong
To see the flaws and imperfections
If it keeps getting harder to breathe
If the situation continues to escalate
Yeah it keeps getting harder to breathe
The situation is continuously worsening
So let's get ready to die
Let's face the inevitable consequences of our actions
Let's get ready to die
Let's face the consequences without any fear
Let's get ready to die
Let's prepare ourselves for the worst
See the smile on your face
The fake smile on your face
Will I see the face of your smile
Will I see your true emotions
You're pulling my leg
You're joking with me
You're pulling my leg
You're not serious in your actions
Pulling my leg
Lying to me
Pulling my leg
Deceiving me
Pull it right out
Leave the lie behind
Use it to make everyone else
Use the truth to help others
If it keeps getting harder to breathe
If the situation continues to worsen
Yeah it keeps getting harder to breathe
The situation is getting more difficult to handle
So let's get ready to die
Let's face the consequences bravely
Let's get ready to die
Let's take responsibility for our actions
Let's get ready to die
Let's prepare ourselves mentally and emotionally
Don't need a light
No need for any guidance or support
To see the dark
To see the negative aspects of life
To see what's wrong
To recognize the imperfections
If it keeps getting harder to breathe
If the situation keeps worsening
Yeah it keeps getting harder to breathe
The situation is becoming more challenging
So let's get ready to die
Let's be prepared for the worst
Let's get ready to die
Let's face the consequences with courage
Let's get ready to die
Let's accept the consequences of our actions bravely
Contributed by Addison L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.