WHERE THE SOUND COMES FROM...
Bitter … Read Full Bio ↴BITTER RUIN'S BIOGRAPHY
WHERE THE SOUND COMES FROM...
Bitter Ruin are Georgia Train and Ben Richards. Described as a boy/girl duo but never to be underestimated when it comes to both their live and recorded sound, Bitter Ruin's dynamic is a huge part of what makes them stand out. They met in 2007 and began crafting their sound through a number of self-released EPs. Interestingly, these multi-instrumentalists had wildly opposing musical backgrounds with Georgia veering towards the melodic female songstresses Bjork, Billie Holiday, and Edith Piaf whilst Ben remained focused on his guitar skills and the rockier sounds of Jeff Buckley, however both found a common ground with Antony and the Johnsons, St Vincent and even Nick Cave.
"It was the songwriting that brought us together, we were creating such weird and interesting music that it didn't matter that we didn't share tastes because we BOTH liked what WE were creating. It was exciting to be pulled away from your normalcy."
So the music has ended up somewhat eclectic and Ben and Georgia themselves still find it a tough task to put a label on it. Interesting, intellectual and yet hooky songs range in instrumentation from a folky acoustic sound in 'Pushin' Out The Light' and 'A Brand New Me', reminiscent of Laura Marling, to White Stripes gritty rock in 'Leather for Hell' and even dark, synth driven sounds in the Bjork-esque 'Diggers'.
Bitter Ruin have been described by others as Noir Pop, Indie, Rock, Punk, Folk, Soul, Flamenco, Classical and so many more sub-genres, but the best thing to do is listen and make up your own mind.
βWe donβt mind what people want to call us, as long as they GET ITβ.
And people are getting it and talking about it...
"Initially rather disturbing but ultimately brilliant!" and "an exquisite, emotional song by Bitter Ruin" (Stephen Fry).
βHoly shit, that girl can singβ (Amanda Palmer)
βYou two are AH-mazingβ (Tim Minchin)
"The absolutely unique @BitterRuin" (Ben Folds).
THE STORY SO FAR...
Since their formation, Bitter Ruin have been a loud and proud voice in the brave new world of DIY artists, gigging, recording and releasing music direct to their fans around the world through social media. They've played stages worldwide on tours with big names and yet have still retained a dedicated underground following who thrive off each low-fi release. Their EPs are known throughout small indie pockets from New York to New Delhi and in 2013 Ben and Georgia reached out to their most loyal fans to ask for their help and support in recording their 2nd album. A huge Kickstarter campaign was the testament to their hard work and apparent musicianship when the money raised well in excess of what they had asked for, smashing their initial target within the first 12 hours. The resulting album "Waves" is due for release in the Spring of 2014, with "The Rocket Sessions" EP being bit of a taster of what's to come.
ARTISTS BITTER RUIN HAVE WORKED WITH...
Ed Sheeran, Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer, Tim Minchin, Matt Lucas, The Dresden Dolls, Duke Special, Luke Sital Singh, Kate Miller-Heidki, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Jherrek Bischoff, Brian Viglione, Jarboe and many more.
http://www.bitterruin.com
https://www.facebook.com/bitterruin
https://twitter.com/BitterRuin
http://www.youtube.com/bitterruin
http://bitterruin.bandcamp.com
Chewing Gum
Bitter Ruin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get it out, I don't want it there
There's a little piece of you clawing at my ribcage
Let it out, it needs to be saved
Hell No
Mother you're wrong that fucker's not gone
He's here in my bed, dying
While you're all asleep I'm crying
There's a little piece of you still catching on my ribbon
Get it off, 'cause I simply don't love you
Not again, I'm not broken
Hell No
Mother you're wrong that fucker's not gone
He's here in my bed, dying
Rotting away, just smell that decay
While you're all asleep I'm crying
He has locked me up
Punched air holes in this box
Left me in this cage
Left me here for days
And I can't find signs for an exit
Collectively we find
A person can't survive
Without an ounce of love
Without an ounce of woe
Mother you're wrong that fucker's not gone
He's here in my bed, dying
Rotting away, just smell that decay
While you're all asleep I'm crying
The lyrics of Bitter Ruin's "Chewing Gum" speak about the aftermath of a toxic relationship. The song starts with the lines "There's a little piece of you tangled in my hair, get it out, I don't want it there." The singer is trying to remove the remnants of her ex-lover from her life; she does not want any part of him in her being anymore. The following verse, "There's a little piece of you clawing at my ribcage, let it out, it needs to be saved," suggests that the person she was involved with was possessive or became attached to her in an unhealthy way.
The chorus of the song, "Mother you're wrong that fucker's not gone, he's here in my bed, dying, rotting away, just smell that decay while you're all asleep I'm crying," expresses the idea that she is still struggling to move on from their relationship. Her mother may have told her that her ex has left her alone, but in reality, he is still present in her mind, slowly decaying the remnants of what they had. The second verse, "He has locked me up, punched air holes in this box, left me in this cage, left me here for days, and I can't find signs for an exit," implies that the relationship was not only mentally dangerous, but also physically abusive, leaving her emotionally trapped and unable to escape from the trauma.
Overall, "Chewing Gum" illustrates the emotional trauma that can come from unhealthy relationships. The song speaks to the difficult process of letting go, even when someone is not physically present in your life anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a little piece of you tangled in my hair
I am still hurt and have not gotten over you, there are remnants of you still present in my life, even in the smallest ways
Get it out, I don't want it there
I do not want any reminders of you in my life anymore, I want to move on
There's a little piece of you clawing at my ribcage
My heart still aches for you, even though I know it would be better to let you go
Let it out, it needs to be saved
I need to confront my feelings and deal with them in order to heal, ignoring them will only prolong the pain
Hell No
Absolutely not, no way
Mother you're wrong that fucker's not gone
My mother thinks I have moved on from you, but she is mistaken, you still haunt me
He's here in my bed, dying
My feelings for you are still present, but they are not healthy ones, they are dying
Rotting away, just smell that decay
I can feel my heart slowly dying and becoming bitter, it is a painful and unpleasant process
While you're all asleep I'm crying
I am struggling to deal with my emotions and pain, and I am doing so alone
There's a little piece of you still catching on my ribbon
Even though I try to move on, I still find myself being reminded of you by small things in my life
Get it off, 'cause I simply don't love you
I want to let go of my feelings for you entirely, so I need to remove all reminders of you from my life
Not again, I'm not broken
I am determined to move on from you and not let your negative impact on my life break me
He has locked me up
My emotions and feelings for you have entrapped me, making it difficult for me to move on
Punched air holes in this box
I am trying to find a way out of my negative emotions, but it feels like I am trapped in a confined space
Left me in this cage
I feel helpless and stuck in my feelings for you
Left me here for days
I have been struggling to move on from you for a long time and it feels like it will never end
And I can't find signs for an exit
I am struggling to find a way out of my negative emotions and feelings for you
Collectively we find
Together, we come to the realization
A person can't survive
It is difficult for someone to live a fulfilling and happy life
Without an ounce of love
Without having love in their life, whether it be self-love or love from others
Without an ounce of woe
Without facing and overcoming the hardships and struggles in their life
Mother you're wrong that fucker's not gone
My mother is mistaken in thinking that I have moved on from you and my negative emotions towards you
He's here in my bed, dying
My feelings towards you are still present, but they are slowly fading and dying away, making it easier for me to move on
Rotting away, just smell that decay
Even though it is a painful process, I can feel myself healing and becoming a better version of myself
While you're all asleep I'm crying
I am still struggling with my emotions and pain, but I am slowly learning to deal with them and move on
Contributed by Mason F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Willow MaCGregor
Love this song π€
Sarah
I miss them so much. I think their split was nasty, though.
C-Virus
You think Georgia's ep was directed at Ben?
C-Virus
Jk New song's out! "caution to the wind"
Natalie
I hope they continue to collab for the music.. they bring out the best in each other
AngelaLuntian
@C-Virus i was thinking the same. I know... Bitter Ruin's songs have lyrically always been some kind of dispute between a couple of the opposite sexes. But Ben did leave their country and achieved a succesful music production career in Vietnam, found love (and became a father), which fits Georgia's "She knows you" and their "Rubble". In her livestreams, she states they havent collabed mainly because of the distance. So no, I think the songs were less about a romance and more about their partnership in their passion to make music as the band.
In my opinion she could have made new songs under Bitter Ruin with less contribution from Ben all these years. They collectively just chose not to until the latest BR EP. They still talk she says. I recall from a stream they both feel a bit guilty for the hiatus.
I think I'm missing something. They never declared the reason they semi-broke up in 2015/2016 right?
C-Virus
@AngelaLuntian Pretty sure there was never any sort of official announcement. If there was I missed it. I just noticed a Georgia Ep, but never anything of Ben's I had never looked at his other work I was ignorant to it until just now somehow.
Life is bizarre and so are these two and I will love them forever.
ππππππππ
2:02 ME WHEN I SEE A FUCKING ROACH IN MY ROOM
Shannon B
Hi em π²