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.
“We don’t mind what people want to call us, as long as they GET IT”.
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).
“Holy shit, that girl can sing” (Amanda Palmer)
“You two are AH-mazing” (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.
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http://www.youtube.com/bitterruin
http://bitterruin.bandcamp.com
Deficiency of You
Bitter Ruin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shaky and vision begin to blur
I find myself wanting to scream out loud
And spurt violent outbursts resulting in fear
The need to cry is so overwhelming
I'm vitally missing vitality here
I can feel my skin is drying
And I think that I am close to a place where my spirit is dying
Due to deficiency of you
I am electronically blowing a fuse
And if I was a piece of machinery my cogs refuse to move
And Billy has lassoed my horses
Their pins are bowled by thread
And everyone knows that a cure for a horse
With a broken leg is a shot to the head
I can feel my skin is drying
And my heart has slowed the blood that it should be supplying
And I think that I am close to a place where my spirit is dying
Due to deficiency of you
Come home to me
Bring back the world
Take hold of me
Before I am cold
I can feel my skin is drying
And my heart has slowed the blood that it should be supplying
And I think that I am close to a place where my spirit is dying
Due to deficiency of you
The lyrics of Bitter Ruin's song "Deficiency of You" express intense emotions of withdrawal, pain and desperation that arise due to missing someone deeply. The opening lines talk about the beginning of withdrawal symptoms such as shakiness and blurred vision that make the singer want to scream out loud, leading to violent outbursts that scare them. They also mention the overwhelming need to cry, which shows how much they are affected by the absence of the person they are missing.
The next verse talks about the physical damage caused by emotional pain. The singer's skin feels dry, and their heart has slowed down, affecting the blood supply to the body. This devastation leads to a feeling of spiritual dying caused by the "deficiency of you." The following verse uses a metaphor of being an electronic device that blows a fuse to show how deeply the singer is affected by the absence of the person they need. The metaphorical reference to Billy lassoing the horses, and the cure for a broken leg being a shot to the head, emphasizes the singer's desperation and hopelessness.
The chorus repeats the refrain of feeling the skin drying and the heart slowing down, along with the emotional pain of feeling that their spirit is dying. The plea to "come home to me" and "bring back the world" shows the singer's need for the person they are missing. The last line, "Before I am cold," emphasizes the urgency of their need, revealing the fear of losing themselves entirely.
Line by Line Meaning
Withdrawal symptoms begin to occur
I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms which indicate a physical and emotional dependence on your presence
Shaky and vision begin to blur
The withdrawal is causing physical symptoms like trembling and impaired vision
I find myself wanting to scream out loud
The intensity of my emotions is making me want to release it through loud outbursts
And spurt violent outbursts resulting in fear
But the violent outbursts, though just a release of pent-up emotions, are causing fear in others
The need to cry is so overwhelming
I feel the urge to cry uncontrollably because I miss you so much
I'm vitally missing vitality here
My life feels lacking in vitality and energy without you in it
I can feel my skin is drying
My body feels dry and dehydrated, perhaps due to the lack of emotional support
And my heart has slowed the blood that it should be supplying
My heart is affected too, pumping less blood than it should, which may signify depression or anxiety
And I think that I am close to a place where my spirit is dying
The emotional deficiency is taking a toll on my spirit, making me feel dead or slowly losing the will to live
Due to deficiency of you
Because you're not here, I'm experiencing this emotional and physical deficiency
I am electronically blowing a fuse
Metaphorically, I feel like a machine that's about to break down due to an overload or malfunction
And if I was a piece of machinery my cogs refuse to move
Continuing the metaphor, I feel like the internal parts of me that used to work smoothly together are now jammed and not functioning properly
And Billy has lassoed my horses
Another metaphor, where Billy represents the external factor that's hindering me from moving forward with my life
Their pins are bowled by thread
The horses' legs, or perhaps my own legs, feel weak and unable to support my weight, like they're held together by a flimsy thread
And everyone knows that a cure for a horse with a broken leg is a shot to the head
The metaphor implies that the people around me probably think the 'cure' for my emotional brokenness is a quick fix or avoidance, which is not helpful
Come home to me
I want and need you to come back to me
Bring back the world
Your presence creates a whole new world of possibilities and happiness for me
Take hold of me
Physically and emotionally take me in your arms and hold me tight
Before I am cold
Do it soon, because I feel like I'm slowly losing my warmth, happiness, and spark of life
Contributed by Charlotte F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.