Ballast is the name of at least 3 different bands:

1. Ballast is a b… Read Full Bio ↴Ballast is the name of at least 3 different bands:

1. Ballast is a band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Their music is often classified as crust punk though some would disagree and categorize it as peace punk. The lyrics often deal with politics and the current state of the world but also with strong personal issues. They have tracks coming out on three compilation albums in the near future, and the new album FUSE has been recorded and was released on Trująca Fala coinciding with their most recent European tour, and will also be released in north america by Inimical Records. Lineup - Nancy: bass, Adam: guitar, Spoke: vocals, Dave: drums/vocals, Scott: guitar/jug. Discography - Demo Cassette (2001, Self-released), Demo Cassette (2003, Self-released), Numb Again 7" EP (2004, Self-released), Sound Asleep LP/CD/Cassette (2005, Profane Existence/Trująca Fala, Cassette), Ballast 7" EP (2005, Stonehenge), FUSE LP (2006, Trująca Fala)

2. Ballast (formerly This is Treason) was a five-piece post-hardcore/melodic hardcore/metalcore band from Derry/Salem, New Hampshire, United States. They are a group of guys who love to make music and have a good time. Even though they have only been together for a couple years, their solid sound, mature songwriting and energetic stage presence shows that this is only the beginning. The best is yet to come for Brian Gallagher (Guitar/Vocals), Sean Ormond (Bass), Seth Rand (Drums/Vocals), Nate Piliponis (Guitar/Vocals) and PJ O'Brien (Lead Vocals) as they push ahead to what is bound to be a long and eventful career as a band. In October of 2009, they released their debut full-length album ominously titled, 'When All The World Has Failed You.' They recorded it at Project 2 Studios in Milford, NH with Connor Hayes and Andy McCabe (From Here Down). In 2012 the album 'Encounter' was released.

Members:
David Sperring - Vocals
Brian Gallagher - Guitar/Vocals
Nate Piliponis - Guitar/Vocals
Sean Ormond - Bass
Seth Rand - Drums/Vocals

PJ O'Brien - Vocals

myspace.com/ballastrock
twitter.com/ballastrock

3. An Indiana band that released a self-titled album in 2000.

Day By Day
Ballast Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well it's too late for an assessment of the damage that's been done and we're too lost in the dark to see what we've all become/so accustomed to the chains that we no longer feel/so divorced from our dreams that they're no longer real/cultivate this culture of callous cruelty/safe upon your bloated wealth, I'll gained prosperity/congratulations all around to the beautiful and free/who made their fortunes numbing us to this world of misery/tired of these roles that I've been told I'm supposed to play/but i perpetuate them nonetheless, repeat them day by day/tired of this happy face that I'm supposed to wear/as i step around the suffering and death that's everywhere/cultivate this culture of callous cruelty/safe upon your bloated wealth, I'll gained prosperity/congratulations all around to the beautiful and free/who made their profits numbing us to this world of misery/but I'm wide awake and sick from the things i see/I'm wide awake and your clear conscience is cancerous and riddled with disease/I'm wide awake/and sick from the shit I've consumed/I'm wide awake in this sick organism the healthy cell is doomed

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Day by Day" by Ballast are a searing indictment of the culture of callousness and cruelty that the world seems to have cultivated. It starts with an acknowledgement that it is probably too late to assess the damage that we have done to the planet and to each other. People seem to be lost in the dark, unable to see what they have become. They have become so accustomed to their chains that they no longer feel them; they are so divorced from their dreams that they are no longer real. The culture of callous cruelty seems to have taken over, and those who are safe in their bloated wealth continue to propagate it. They have made their fortunes by numbing the rest of the world to the misery that surrounds them.

The singer is tired of the roles that he is supposed to play, but he perpetuates them nonetheless, day by day. He is sick of the happy face that he is supposed to wear, as he steps around the suffering and death that is everywhere. The culture of callous cruelty seems to be everywhere, and it seems to be winning. But the singer is wide awake, and he is sick from the things that he sees. He can see that the clear conscience of those who are safe in their wealth is cancerous and riddled with disease. He is also sick from the things that he has consumed- the lies, the propaganda, the rhetoric. He is wide awake in a sick organism, but the healthy cell is doomed.

Overall, "Day by Day" is a powerful and poignant critique of the world that we live in, and the way that it seems to be heading. It highlights the culture of callous cruelty that seems to be spreading, and the way that those who are safe in their wealth seem to be contributing to it. It also highlights the importance of staying awake and aware, even if it is uncomfortable or painful.

Line by Line Meaning

Well it's too late for an assessment of the damage that's been done and we're too lost in the dark to see what we've all become
It's too late to analyze the negative impact we've caused, and we're too unaware of our current state to recognize the damage we've caused to ourselves and our surroundings.

so accustomed to the chains that we no longer feel
We've become so used to the constraints that it doesn't affect us anymore.

so divorced from our dreams that they're no longer real
We've distanced ourselves so much from our aspirations that they no longer represent our reality.

cultivate this culture of callous cruelty
We're actively nurturing a society that is apathetic and indifferent to others' suffering.

safe upon your bloated wealth, I'll gained prosperity
Those who have obtained wealth and prosperity have done so at others' expense, and feel secure in their elevated status.

congratulations all around to the beautiful and free
Society celebrates those who fit the mold of beauty and freedom, but ignores the price others pay for their success.

who made their fortunes numbing us to this world of misery
Success is attainable by those who distract others from the harsh reality of their surroundings.

tired of these roles that I've been told I'm supposed to play, but I perpetuate them nonetheless, repeat them day by day
I'm exhausted by the expectations and labels forced upon me, but I continue to conform to them regardless and carry them out every day.

tired of this happy face that I'm supposed to wear, as I step around the suffering and death that's everywhere
I'm exhausted by the requirement to maintain a positive demeanor while ignoring the agony and death that surrounds me.

but I'm wide awake and sick from the things I see
I'm fully aware of the distressing things happening in the world and am ill from bearing witness to them.

I'm wide awake and your clear conscience is cancerous and riddled with disease
I'm fully aware of my surroundings while those with a clear conscience lack compassion and have an unhealthy mindset.

I'm wide awake and sick from the shit I've consumed
I'm cognizant of the negative things that I've internalized and it's affecting me adversely.

I'm wide awake in this sick organism the healthy cell is doomed
I'm fully conscious in this corrupted entity, and those who attempt to do good are ultimately doomed to fail.

Contributed by Chase C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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