Borland states that Black Light Burns is the culmination of the various projects he has been working on ever since he quit Limp Bizkit in 2001. Things began with Big Dumb Face, a solo project that Borland had worked on during his time with Limp Bizkit. Borland didn't take the project too seriously, and used it to basically test the waters, and see how hard it would be to do something serious on his own, without the aid of his band mates. After he quit the band, he began working on several different projects. The first of which was supposed to be an instrumental album one could listen to and simply relax. Simultaneously, he began Eat The Day. With this project, he became cocky, and thought because of his previous success with Limp Bizkit, duplicating that success with a new band would be simple. Borland soon found out this wasn't the case. Eat The Day eventually unravelled itself, as, in Borland's words, "I think everybody involved in that project had different ideas about the direction that it should go". Borland became self-absorbed, and along with continuous pressure from the label, and struggles finding a lead singer for the band, the project eventually disbanded.
In terms of their lineup, the band is somewhat of a successor to the brief project The Damning Well, which consisted of mostly the same members. The main difference this time around being that Borland has taken vocals into his own hands, after many attempts to find a proper vocalist in various projects.
After the 'failure' of Borland's various projects, he returned to Limp Bizkit once again, turning down the spot as Nine Inch Nails touring guitar player. According to vocalist Fred Durst, Borland only agreed to return to the band on the condition that their label, Geffen, agreed to support his solo project, Black Light Burns.
It began only as a side project, with Borland writing many of the songs during his time off from Limp Bizkit, but soon things in Limp Bizkit became very quiet, and Borland himself stated that Black Light Burns was now his main project, and anything else he did, including Limp Bizkit, was a side project. Eventually arguments broke out on MySpace between Borland and Durst, and Borland left Limp Bizkit once again, although according to him, the band members had already gone their separate ways, he simply decided not to return.
The Black Light Burns song titled "I Have a Need" was instrumentally written to be included on the Limp Bizkit release The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) in 2005, but was cut in order for the EP to remain mostly metal oriented. It features Limp Bizkit's bassist Sam Rivers on the track, and Wes was allowed to use the song for Black Light Burns when the song was turned down for use by Limp Bizkit.
On June 16, Borland announced that the band and Geffen Records had parted ways. There was little word in the following months over the situation regarding a new label, though as of October 25, the band is in negotiations with a label, and are hoping to release their debut album early 2007.
Borland has stated that he is the only constant in Black Light Burns, as the other members of the studio lineup are expected to be mostly unable to participate in touring with Black Light Burns, such as the notoriously busy Josh Freese.
The initial touring lineup of Black Light Burns includes Nick Annis (previously in Open Hand, Turn of the Screw) as a guitarist and Marshall Kilpatric (previously in The Esoteric) on drums, as well as Wes Borland himself.
Black Light Burns' first tour was previously set to begin in fall of 2006 with From First to Last, who Borland also plays bass for on and off. This tour was to feature Borland doing double duty as the singer/guitarist for Black Light Burns and then bassist for From First to Last afterwards. However, Sonny Moore (singer of FFTL) developed a node on his right vocal chord and has to get surgery, thus ending Wes Borland's current touring stint with From First To Last.
In late 2007-early 2008, after a scheduled break from touring for the their label to secure an overseas release of Cruel Melody, Black Light Burns announced plans for a covers album that also includes remixes and b-sides from Cruel Melody, and a DVD containing live and behind the scenes footage of the band. Artists PJ Harvey, INXS, The Jesus Lizard, Love and Rockets, The Swans, Fiona Apple, Lard, and Borland's own old side project Big Dumb Face will be covered for the release. The two discs will be released together in spring of 2008.
On March 30, 2008 Wes Borland made a post on the band's MySpace about how he filled in for the band X Japan and was "looking forward to coming home and getting back to work on the next BLB album", by which he means the second full length Black Light Burns album, due to the fact that their cover song album was already complete by that point in time.
As of August 2008, at the ETP Conference, it was announced that Borland is now the current Marilyn Manson tour guitarist.
Also Two new songs have appeared on http://www.myspace.com/wesleyborland. They are entitled Cats and Cats And Cats, B4Lf3r
Much like Nine Inch Nails, Black Light Burns consists of two entities, the studio band, and the live band. Some members of the band that recorded in the studio may not be able to tour with the band, and future live members might contribute to future CD releases, therefore lineup changes could occur. Borland did all of the vocals, guitar, and bass on the album.
Studio Line-up
1. Wes Borland - (previously in Limp Bizkit, Eat The Day, Big Dumb Face)
2. Danny Lohner - (previously in Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle)
3. Josh Freese - (The Vandals, Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, many more)
4. Josh Eustis - (Telefon Tel Aviv)
When asked on Black Light Burns's MySpace if the studio band listed above would return for the band's second record, Wes Borland replied "Probably not. Marshall is the full time drummer for BLB now, but Danny Lohner may be returning for some input on the next record."
Live Line-up
1. Wes Borland - Vocals, Guitar
2. Marshall Kilpatric - Drums (previously in The Esoteric, Today is the Day)
3. Nick Annis - Guitar (previously in Open Hand, Turn Of The Screw, shortly played for Seether while on tour in Ozzfest)
4. Dennis Sanders Jr.-Bass
Wes Borland's MacBook Pro will be playing the keyboard or loops that the four above bandmembers can't/won't be playing live. According to Borland, Josh Eustis, who played keyboards and sound design on Cruel Melody, was supposed to join the live lineup, but opted to do production instead, leaving Borland to use his laptop to reproduce samples and keyboards live.
Mesopotamia
Black Light Burns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You fucking give me the creeps
You fucking give me the creeps
Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia
You fucking give me the creeps
You fucking give me the creeps
I've never known another city to burn
Face down in the bottom of a river
Swimming with the dead makes me wanna shiver
If you really wanna know, I'd rather just drown alone
Clay fingers reaching for the ceiling
Once numb, now tingling with feeling
And you'll see in the end that nothing really gets away
And I'd give it all up just to be with you
And I'd give it all up just to be with you
And I'd give it all up just to be with you
And I'd give it all up just to be with you
Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia
You fucking give me the creeps
You fucking give me the creeps
Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia
You fucking give me the creeps
You fucking give me the creeps
I've never known another city to burn
You took back the mud from which you're made
And threw it at me like a fucking grenade
You keep cutting my throat, then you ask me if I'm feeling okay
This city is just like any other
They keep blowing it up, then building up another
If you look in the hole, you'll see it ain't going away
And I'd give it all up to just to be with you
And I'd give it all up to just to be with you
And I'd give it all up to just to be with you
And I'd give it all up to just to be with you
Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia
You fucking give me the creeps
You fucking give me the creeps
Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia
You fucking give me the creeps
You fucking give me the creeps
I've never known another city to burn
I've never known another city to burn
(City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn)
The lyrics of Black Light Burns's song "Mesopotamia" seem to be a commentary on the never-ending cycle of violence and destruction in the ancient city that gives the song its name. The singer describes the city as giving them the creeps and implies that it is a place where people and civilizations go to die. The imagery of the city burning suggests that it has been destroyed many times over, yet continues to rise from the ashes, only to be destroyed again. The second verse describes someone swimming in the river with dead bodies, implying that death is an ever-present part of life in Mesopotamia. The singer seems to be saying that they would rather drown alone than continue to live in the city and be subjected to the constant cycle of violence and destruction.
The chorus "And I'd give it all up just to be with you" seems to suggest that the singer is conflicted about the city. On the one hand, it gives them the creeps and they would rather be alone, but on the other hand, they would give everything up just to be with it. This could be interpreted as the singer's love-hate relationship with the city, acknowledging its flaws but accepting it nonetheless.
Overall, "Mesopotamia" seems to be a song about the cycle of destruction and rebirth that characterizes the ancient city, and the complicated feelings that people have about it.
Line by Line Meaning
Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia
The singer addresses the ancient city of Mesopotamia, known for its complex civilizations and wars, which gives them an eerie feeling.
You fucking give me the creeps
The singer finds Mesopotamia unsettling and creepy.
You fucking give me the creeps
The singer repeats their feeling of unease and discomfort with Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia
The artist once again addresses Mesopotamia.
You fucking give me the creeps
The artist reiterates their sense of unease when it comes to Mesopotamia.
You fucking give me the creeps
The singer again expresses their discomfort with Mesopotamia.
I've never known another city to burn
The singer observes that Mesopotamia is a city with a history of being destroyed by wars and violence unlike any other.
Face down in the bottom of a river
The artist is in a very uncomfortable position, lying face down at the bottom of a river.
Swimming with the dead makes me wanna shiver
The artist is horrified by the fact that they are surrounded by dead bodies and it gives them chills.
If you really wanna know, I'd rather just drown alone
The artist would rather die alone than be in a situation where they are forced to swim with the dead.
Clay fingers reaching for the ceiling
The singer describes clay fingers that seem to be stretching towards the sky.
Once numb, now tingling with feeling
The artist describes their body parts that were once numb and are now tingling with sensation.
And you'll see in the end that nothing really gets away
The singer is saying that nothing lasts forever and everything is fleeting.
And I'd give it all up just to be with you
The singer would sacrifice everything to be with Mesopotamia, despite their discomfort with it.
And I'd give it all up just to be with you
The singer repeats the sentiment that they would give everything up to be with Mesopotamia.
And I'd give it all up just to be with you
The artist again expresses their willingness to give up everything to be with Mesopotamia.
And I'd give it all up just to be with you
The artist repeats once more that they are willing to give everything up to be with Mesopotamia.
You took back the mud from which you're made
The singer is referring to how Mesopotamia was built from clay and mud, and their actions are in reference to this fact.
And threw it at me like a fucking grenade
The singer describes how Mesopotamia has responded to their love by throwing the mud and clay of its origin at them like a grenade - destructive and painful.
You keep cutting my throat, then you ask me if I'm feeling okay
The artist is saying that Mesopotamia is causing them pain and harm, yet it continues to ask if they are okay.
This city is just like any other
The artist is making the point that despite its history and reputation, Mesopotamia is really just like any other city.
They keep blowing it up, then building up another
The artist is referencing the wars and destruction that Mesopotamia has faced and how it has been rebuilt many times.
If you look in the hole, you'll see it ain't going away
The singer is saying that despite the many times it has been destroyed, Mesopotamia has always been rebuilt and is still there.
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
The artist repeats the phrase 'city to burn' to emphasize the idea that Mesopotamia has a history of being destroyed.
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
The singer repeats the phrase 'city to burn' again.
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
The singer repeats the phrase 'city to burn' once more.
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
The singer repeats the phrase 'city to burn' to drive home the idea that Mesopotamia is a city with a history of violence and destruction.
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
The artist repeats the phrase 'city to burn' again for emphasis.
City to burn, city to burn, city to burn
The artist repeats the phrase 'city to burn' to drive home the idea that Mesopotamia is a city with a violent history that has been destroyed many times.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
QueaZy McMuffin
Sounds like "queens of the stone Age" Go Wes U da man, I've been listening for over 20 years now and it never gets old
Hoonamir
I think it's got a lot more Eagles of death metal to it, but yeah hear the QOTSA too
Serhiiko
What a legendary album... treasure
Blackgold1155
To this day, every time I hear or say Mesopotamia I think of it as Wes sings it here.
HyooNoot
MESSUHPUHTAMEEUH!!!
ARD
Same
Stephanie Durnell
Great guys in person...awesome energy on stage. Love me some, Wes Borland.
Felix Dives
Well.. There was a time when this song and the album "Cruel Melody" inspired me for my own creative work... THANK YOU GUYS
Terry Thompson
That drummer....what a power house. This song is so original! It's kind of haunting. Can't watch just once
kenn k
i see you put a lot of time and effort into this music and the videos, wes. all i have to say is, "cool."