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.
http://www.bitterruin.com
https://www.facebook.com/bitterruin
https://twitter.com/BitterRuin
http://www.youtube.com/bitterruin
http://bitterruin.bandcamp.com
Stand to Attention
Bitter Ruin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into an urn full of life
Full of passion of the wrong kind
And my only option was fight
“Go, you will march” I was told, I was laden with a gun
And I knew of a plan
And I knew my point of contact
And empty handed I can't come back
I had no where I could run to
So I'd hide behind enemy lines
And though I was free to leave whenever
I knew that if I endeavored
Through the fences I'd be caught defenseless
They are only human
Like you and I
So who are they to tell us who to be?
And why do we follow them
And cry when we stand to attention?
I should have screamed
Should have clawed
Had I not been in the midst of a fight, of a war
Had I not been in the searchlight
Had the smog not blurred my eyesight
And I had a bullet had a gun
But victimized my courage gone
And had I made it out the other side I wouldn't have a place to hide
They are only human
Like you and I
So who are they to tell us who to be?
And why do we follow them
And cry when we stand to attention?
And I shot and I hit and things I can't live with
Are pushing me harder to grow
But had I not been through this
I wouldn't be witness
To a strength many can't claim to know
They are only human
Like you and I
So who are they to tell us who to be?
And why do we follow them
And cry when we stand to attention?
The lyrics of Bitter Ruin's song, "Stand to Attention," are about one's struggle with conformity, resulting in an inner conflict while witnessing war. The first verse tells the story of a person who feels sick from the smell of fire, and they have disintegrated into an urn full of life, passion, and wrong kind. They are told to march and are given a gun without any other option but to fight. The person hides behind enemy lines, knowing that if they leave, they will be caught without any defense. They are consumed by their mind, unable to run away or escape.
The second verse expresses regret, as the person wished they had screamed and fought back or had better eyesight. Although they had a gun and a bullet, they were too scared to use them, and their courage was gone. The chorus repeats that both the people in power and those under them are only human, asking why we should follow them and cry when we stand to attention. Finally, the last verse reveals that the conflict has changed the person and although witnessing such things, they have grown stronger.
The song reflects the message that people who are in power, such as those who send soldiers to war or create policies, are only human and shouldn't decide who we should be. It highlights the struggle of conformity and the inner turmoil that can happen in accepting an authority's command, sometimes resulting in one's regret and guilt later on.
Line by Line Meaning
Sick from the smell of the fire I disintegrated
Overwhelmed by the stench of war, I felt myself falling apart
Into an urn full of life
I was tossed into the chaos and vitality of battle
Full of passion of the wrong kind
My emotions were consumed by the brutality of the conflict
And my only option was fight
The only way out was to take up arms and join the struggle
“Go, you will march” I was told, I was laden with a gun
I was ordered to advance, armed and ready
And I knew of a plan
I had a strategy in mind
And I knew my point of contact
I had a specific target in sight
And empty handed I can't come back
I knew that failure was not an option
And though I knew my mind was consumed
Despite my mental anguish and confusion
I had no where I could run to
I was trapped with no escape route
So I'd hide behind enemy lines
To survive, I had to use guerilla tactics and blend in with the enemy
And though I was free to leave whenever
Even though I could leave at any time
I knew that if I endeavored
I was aware that attempting to flee was a risk
Through the fences I'd be caught defenseless
If they ever caught me trying to escape, I'd have no way to defend myself
They are only human
The people in charge are no different than us
Like you and I
They are just as flawed and vulnerable
So who are they to tell us who to be?
Why should we listen to their commands and follow their lead?
And why do we follow them
Despite their inadequacies, why do we submit to their authority?
And cry when we stand to attention?
Why do we feel such strong emotions when we salute and obey them?
I should have screamed
I wish I had expressed how I truly felt
Should have clawed
I should have fought with everything I had
Had I not been in the midst of a fight, of a war
If I wasn't in the chaos of battle
Had I not been in the searchlight
If I wasn't in the public eye
Had the smog not blurred my eyesight
If it wasn't for the smoke and fog of battle clouding my vision
And I had a bullet had a gun
Even though I was armed and had the ability to fight back
But victimized my courage gone
I was too scared and overwhelmed to act
And had I made it out the other side I wouldn't have a place to hide
Even if I survived the war, my trauma would never allow me to find peace
And I shot and I hit and things I can't live with
In the heat of battle, I caused harm that still haunts me
Are pushing me harder to grow
These experiences are motivating me to improve and become better
But had I not been through this
If I never experienced this war
I wouldn't be witness
I wouldn't be able to bear witness to the strength that comes from struggle
To a strength many can't claim to know
This kind of resilience is only possible through adversity
Contributed by Joseph L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.