Since Streetlight's inception, BOTAR has been on hiatus. Kalnoky has promised to release new music for both of his projects in 2006. Streetlight have often played the song "They Provide the Paint for the Picture-Perfect Masterpiece That You Will Paint On The Inside Of Your Eyelids" at their New Jersey shows.
From The Botar Website-
"BOTAR is about to start recording its first full length. The plan is to release it around the same time or slightly after Streetlight gets its record done. But we're dealing with you-know-who here so expect it sometime before the end of our current decade"
BOTAR's next album came out on 9/9/08 via the Streetlight Manifesto myspace:A few years ago, when BOTAR (Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution) released it's first (and so far only) record, there was a mention in the liner notes of a large project called "99 Songs of Revolution". This is a collection of 99 cover songs, spanning all kinds of genres, all kinds of artists. Now, a few years later, it's all going down. And here are the details. Some of them, at least.
The 99 Songs of Revolution Project will consist of 8 full length records. Two from SM, two from BOTAR, and two each from two other SM related groups. Yes, this is indeed the record that Victory mistakingly posted as coming out in Oct of 08. Not sure how they got that date, but it was never even a possibility. The first SM record for 99SOR will be out in early 2009, simultaneously with another of the 8 CDs (no, not the BOTAR one). Victory will be putting out the CDs and mp3s and Pentimento will be releasing and distributing the vinyl. We are aware of our reputation to take forever to release records and miss our self imposed deadlines, so we are not giving anyone solid dates, not even our labels. Early 09 release, that's it. We are, though, working hard on it. The demos are all but done and we head into the studio to begin tracking in October. Our upcoming tour schedule, as you know, is borderline impossible/insane, so cut us some slack.
This will be a nice way for us to get into the studio and put out some "new" music as well as tide you guys over until our next full length. It's been a project that's been on the back burner for too long, and it's time to do something about it. Stay tuned to this site as well as the Pentimento site for more info over the coming weeks. Also make sure to keep peeking in on our other sites, as we're in the middle of working on a few projects that have been dormant for way too long.
They Provide The Paint For The Picture-Perfect Masterpiece That You Will Paint On The Insides Of You
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a name I don't remember
Who lives in a house in the middle of the woods
And he said once
"Son, don't you ever laugh out loud
For they are listening
Oh, they are listening
Oh, you've got to be strong
It's now just a matter of time"
(Head for the hills, go!)
They provide the paint
For the picture perfect masterpiece, that you will
Paint on the insides of your eyelids
Can you possibly see anything you want to see?
No (Hell No!)
"There's nothing wrong with the way I see"
And he wanted to be a soldier in the next great war
He wanted to kill and fight and maim
But not be told what he was fighting for
And that's the way
It's going to have to be my friend
And that's the way
It's going to have to be my friend
I passed a man
On the corner in the city yesterday singing
"Yada yada yada and tomorrow it'll never end"
And I never thought I'd live
To see another sunny day
But I'm here and I fear I'll be here till the end
(So watch your mouth)
Or you're going to make a grave mistake
(Hold your tongue)
Or you're going to catch a bullet in the head
(So watch your mouth)
Or you're going to make a grave mistake
Don't die for anything
Less than the best of life
The things you said went to your head
But you never tried to understand:
What they'll take you will never take back
What they take when take what they can
Because they can from you
You follow me and you follow me but you never ask why
And I wonder what you're under
Could this be another piece of the
"I don't care I just do what they say
Because they say what to do in a matter of fact way"
But don't stop because you might get burned
And you might just learn to stand on your own two feet
And I think that it's neat
How you learn to repeat everything
That you hear in the street so well
You learn to repeat everything
That you hear so well
You learn to repeat everything
That you hear so well
Oh and
Everyone was resting because they thought it was the end
And even if it wasn't they decide they'd pretend
And somewhere in the distance I could hear him whispering
"You can fight all you want
You'll never win in the end"
Sometimes in the evening when I'm lying in my bed
I am taken to the forest to the isolated shed
And I wake with his words resonating in my head
And I can't stop thinking about the gist of what he said:
So watch your mouth
Or you're going to make a grave mistake
Hold your tongue
Or you're going to catch a bullet in the head
So watch your mouth
Or you're going to make a grave mistake
Don't die for anything
Less than the best of
Everyone settles for the rest
Not the best of
I will die for no less
Than the best of life
The song starts with the mention of a man with no face, who cautioned the singer about being cautious with what he says because "they" are always listening. The man lives in a house in the middle of the woods, and he warns the singer that he should be strong and hold on because it's only a matter of time until something happens. The lyrics then shift to the metaphor of providing paint for the picture, suggesting that people get the tools for their dreams but fail to see beyond what they want to see. The singer warns that one shouldn't settle for anything less than the best of life.
Moving on, the singer talks about a man he saw on a street corner in the city who seemed to be singing meaningless words because tomorrow never ends. The singer expresses his surprise at still being alive to see another sunny day, and yet he fears he'll be stuck there until the end. The song ends with a warning to watch one's mouth as one could make a grave mistake, catch a bullet in the head, or too easily settle for less than the best of what life has to offer.
Overall, the song is about the importance of being discerning in what one believes, as well as in the actions one takes. It suggests that people should strive for the best in life, not settling for less, and that they should be vigilant in protecting what they have while pursuing their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a man with no face
There is an unknown man with an unidentified identity
And a name I don't remember
The man's name is forgotten or was never known
Who lives in a house in the middle of the woods
The man resides in a remote location where he is hard to find
And he said once
"Son, don't you ever laugh out loud
For they are listening
Oh, they are listening
Oh, you've got to be strong
Oh, you've got to keep holding on
It's now just a matter of time"
(Head for the hills, go!)
The man warns the artist to be cautious, as someone is always listening and waiting to harm them, and encourages them to be resilient when facing difficulties
They provide the paint
For the picture perfect masterpiece, that you will
Paint on the insides of your eyelids
Can you possibly see anything you want to see?
No (Hell No!)
"There's nothing wrong with the way I see"
The artist is given an opportunity to imagine a better life but they refuse it, as they believe their perception of the world is accurate and acceptable
And he wanted to be a soldier in the next great war
He wanted to kill and fight and maim
But not be told what he was fighting for
And that's the way
It's going to have to be my friend
And that's the way
It's going to have to be my friend
The singer has a desire for violence and conflict but not a strong reason to fight, and the man accepts this as the reality of the situation
I passed a man
On the corner in the city yesterday singing
"Yada yada yada and tomorrow it'll never end"
And I never thought I'd live
To see another sunny day
But I'm here and I fear I'll be here till the end
(So watch your mouth)
Or you're going to make a grave mistake
(Hold your tongue)
Or you're going to catch a bullet in the head
(So watch your mouth)
Or you're going to make a grave mistake
Don't die for anything
Less than the best of life
The singer encounters a man on the street who sings about the monotony of life, and the singer reflects on their own life and the dangers they face, urging themselves not to settle for less than the best of life
The things you said went to your head
But you never tried to understand:
What they'll take you will never take back
What they take when take what they can
Because they can from you
You follow me and you follow me but you never ask why
And I wonder what you're under
Could this be another piece of the
"I don't care I just do what they say
Because they say what to do in a matter of fact way"
But don't stop because you might get burned
And you might just learn to stand on your own two feet
And I think that it's neat
How you learn to repeat everything
That you hear in the street so well
You learn to repeat everything
That you hear so well
You learn to repeat everything
That you hear so well
The artist accuses someone of blindly following without questioning, ultimately getting taken advantage of, and reminds them to be their own person despite the potential consequences
Oh and
Everyone was resting because they thought it was the end
And even if it wasn't they decide they'd pretend
And somewhere in the distance I could hear him whispering
"You can fight all you want
You'll never win in the end"
The surrounding people are complacent in the face of perceived imminent destruction, and the man tells the artist that their efforts to fight are ultimately futile
Sometimes in the evening when I'm lying in my bed
I am taken to the forest to the isolated shed
And I wake with his words resonating in my head
And I can't stop thinking about the gist of what he said:
So watch your mouth
Or you're going to make a grave mistake
Hold your tongue
Or you're going to catch a bullet in the head
So watch your mouth
Or you're going to make a grave mistake
Don't die for anything
Less than the best of
Everyone settles for the rest
Not the best of
I will die for no less
Than the best of life
The artist revisits the man's words during moments of rest and reflects on the importance of speaking cautiously and striving for the best life
Contributed by Parker S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.