Balance and Composure are an American alternative rock band with melodic pu… Read Full Bio ↴Balance and Composure are an American alternative rock band with melodic punk, post-hardcore, and shoegaze influences from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The band consisted of lead vocalist/guitarist Jonathan 'Jon' Simmons, bassist Matthew Warner, drummer Bailey Van Ellis and guitarists Erik Petersen and Andy Slaymaker. The band formed in the winter of 2007; their first release being a 6-song EP entitled 'I Just Want To Be Pure' in 2008. The EP is now out of print. A 12'/CD EP entitled 'Only Boundaries' (2009) and a split with Tigers Jaw (2010) followed. The band has also released 3 full length albums: 'Separation' (released May 10, 2011 on No Sleep Records), 'The Things We Think We're Missing' (released Sept 10, 2013 on No Sleep Records), and 'Light We Made' (released October 7, 2016 on Vagrant Records).

The band broke up in 2016 but announced their comeback, along with 2 singles under the title "Too Quick to Forgive", on April 11th, 2023. The singles were produced by Will Yip and released under Memory Music.

Only Boundaries
Balance and Composure Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I try to find my plight
But it wouldn't show itself to me
So I got lost along the way
It seems that everything is grey
But that's okay

I know it's out there waiting for me
But I can't see it from where I stand

And all this going but not knowing
If you plan on ever showing up
Is getting so old

I'm not getting out

As you grow old, you'll see that it's useless
To make an attempt to escape reality
I see no hope for us, only boundaries surround me
And crush the hope inside
Lately the colours don't seem as bright as they could be to me
It's so impossible to treat these days

I'm not getting out

I'm not getting out
I'm not getting out

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Balance and Composure's "Only Boundaries" convey feelings of frustration and hopelessness. The singer is struggling to find their purpose or meaning in life, and they feel lost and overwhelmed by the monotony of their daily routine. In the first verse, the singer describes their search for meaning, but they are unable to find it. They feel like everything is grey and bleak, but they try to stay positive by reassuring themselves that it's okay.

The second verse takes on a more existential tone, with the singer acknowledging the futility of trying to escape reality. They feel trapped by the boundaries that surround them, and their hope is slowly being crushed. The world around them seems dull and uninteresting, which makes it difficult to find fulfillment in anything. The repetition of "I'm not getting out" at the end of the song emphasizes their feeling of being stuck, both physically and emotionally.

Overall, "Only Boundaries" is a powerful and relatable song that speaks to the struggle of finding one's place in the world. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they seem to suggest that sometimes, we just have to accept the limitations of our reality and try to find meaning within them.

Line by Line Meaning

I try to find my plight
I am trying to discover my purpose in life

But it wouldn't show itself to me
But it is not revealing itself

So I got lost along the way
As a result, I am feeling lost

It seems that everything is grey
Everything looks dull and lifeless

But that's okay
I am learning to accept it

I know it's out there waiting for me
I am aware that my purpose exists and is waiting for me

But I can't see it from where I stand
But it is not yet visible to me

And all this going but not knowing
I am pursuing my goals without having all the answers

If you plan on ever showing up
Referring to the purpose, wondering if it will reveal itself

Is getting so old
Becoming tired of not knowing

As you grow old, you'll see that it's useless
With age, one realizes that trying to escape reality is pointless