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
Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Man with a face and a name I don't remeber
Always in a house in the middle of the woods.
He said once "son don't you laugh out loud. For they are listening, oh their listening.
Oooo ya gotta be strong.
Oooo ya gotta keep holding on (cuz now it's just a matter of time!)
Heading for the hills go!
They provide the paint for the picture perfect masterpiece that you will
paint on the inside of your eyelids.
Can you possibly see anything you wanna see now? (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 and not be told what he was fighting for,
and that's the way, it's gonna have to be my friend.
And that's the way it's gonna have to be my friend.
I passed a man on a corner in the city yesterday
singing "Yada yada yada and tomorrow it will end."
And I never thought I'd live to see another sunny day,
but I'm here and I feel I'll be here to the end.
So watch your mouth
or you're gonna make a grave mistake
Hold your tongue
or you're gonna catch a bullet in the head
Watch your mouth
or you're gonna make a grave mistake
Don't die for anything less than the best of life.
Things you said, went to your head
You Never try, to understand
What they take you will never take back
Cuz they take what they take when they can from you.
From then your falling but you never ask why
and I wonder what you're under cuz its me another peice of the
"I don't care I just do what they say
say what to do in a matter of fact way."
Don't stop cuz you might get burned
and you might just learn how to stand on your own two feet.
And I think 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 well and everyone was searching cuz they thought it was the end
and even if it was then they decided to pretend
and somewhere in the distance I can hear them wispering
You can fight all you want they will win in the end.
Sometimes in the evening when I'm lying in my bed
I get taken to that forest to the isolated shed
And I wait with the words resonating in my head.
And I can't stop thinking about the jist of what he said
So watch your mouth
or you're gonna make a grave mistake
Hold your tongue
or you're gonna catch a bullet in your head
Watch your mouth
or you're gonna make a grave mistake
Don't die for anything less than the best of
Everyone settles for the rest not the best of
Now we'll die for the last and the best of life.
In Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution's song "They Provide," the lyrics tell a story of a man who lives in the middle of the woods and warns the singer to be careful with what he says because "they are listening." The chorus alludes to the idea that there is a force that is controlling what we perceive, represented by the line "They provide the paint for the picture-perfect masterpiece that you will paint on the inside of your eyelids." The song also touches on the theme of blindly following authority, embodied by the character who wants to be a soldier in the next great war and is willing to kill without knowing what he's fighting for.
The verses contain different scenarios that illustrate the same concept of being careful with one's words and actions. In the second verse, the singer encounters a man in the city who sings about the end of the world, but the singer decides to live in the present and not fear the future. The third verse escalates the idea by depicting the consequences of not being aware of who or what is controlling our thoughts and actions. The line "they take what they take when they can from you" alludes to the idea that we are susceptible to manipulation and control by outside forces that we might not even realize exist.
Overall, "They Provide" is a warning against blindly following authority and being aware of one's own thoughts and actions. The song draws attention to the concept of mind control and manipulation, encouraging listeners to think critically and not just accept what they are told without questioning it.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a...
Introduces a man with a face and name not remembered, who lives in the woods and warns the singer about being listened to
Always in a house in the middle of the woods.
Further describes where the man's house is located
He said once "son don't you laugh out loud. For they are listening, oh their listening.
The man's warning to the singer to be careful not to draw attention to themselves
Oooo ya gotta be strong.
Encouragement to be resilient given the situation
Oooo ya gotta keep holding on (cuz now it's just a matter of time!)
And to keep persevering despite the challenging circumstances
Heading for the hills go!
A call to action to escape the dangers the man is warning about
They provide the paint for the picture perfect masterpiece that you will
paint on the inside of your eyelids.
Referring to the manipulative tactics of those in power to influence our thoughts and perspectives
Can you possibly see anything you wanna see now? (Hell no)
A rhetorical question questioning whether our thoughts are truly our own
There's nothing wrong with the way I see
A statement that the artist's perspective is their own
And he wanted to be a soldier in the next great war.
The man desires to be part of something significant, but something dark
he wanted to kill and fight and maim and not be told what he was fighting for,
The man desires to fight for glory and power, rather than a just cause
and that's the way, it's gonna have to be my friend.
And that's the way it's gonna have to be my friend.
The man's determination and conviction that this is the only path forward
I passed a man on a corner in the city yesterday
singing "Yada yada yada and tomorrow it will end."
The singer encounters someone who represents the mindlessness and complacency of society
And I never thought I'd live to see another sunny day,
but I'm here and I feel I'll be here to the end.
The singer expresses gratitude for still being alive and optimistic about the future
So watch your mouth
or you're gonna make a grave mistake
Hold your tongue
or you're gonna catch a bullet in the head
Watch your mouth
or you're gonna make a grave mistake
Don't die for anything less than the best of life.
A repetition of the man's warning to be careful, and to value one's own life and opportunities
Things you said, went to your head
You Never try, to understand
What they take you will never take back
Cuz they take what they take when they can from you.
Reflecting on how easily influenced and manipulated people can be, and the consequences of that
From then your falling but you never ask why
and I wonder what you're under cuz its me another peice of the
"I don't care I just do what they say
say what to do in a matter of fact way."
Don't stop cuz you might get burned
and you might just learn how to stand on your own two feet.
And I think 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.
Describing the prevalence of conformity and blind obedience, and the dangerous path that leads down
Oh well and everyone was searching cuz they thought it was the end
and even if it was then they decided to pretend
and somewhere in the distance I can hear them wispering
You can fight all you want they will win in the end.
A commentary on how many people are asleep to the true dangers and difficult realities that exist
Sometimes in the evening when I'm lying in my bed
I get taken to that forest to the isolated shed
And I wait with the words resonating in my head.
And I can't stop thinking about the jist of what he said
The warning from the beginning of the song continues to resonate with the singer and affect their thoughts
So watch your mouth
or you're gonna make a grave mistake
Hold your tongue
or you're gonna catch a bullet in your head
Watch your mouth
or you're gonna make a grave mistake
Don't die for anything less than the best of
Everyone settles for the rest not the best of
Now we'll die for the last and the best of life.
The song ends with the repetition of the man's warning, followed by a message to aim for the best in life and not settle for less
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind