Orillia, Ontario's Bleeker Ridge had a good seven years of dedicated rehear… Read Full Bio ↴Orillia, Ontario's Bleeker Ridge had a good seven years of dedicated rehearsals, songwriting and gigs before landing a dream record deal with Roadrunner Records Canada and cutting an album, Small Town Dead, with legendary producer Bob Marlette (Shinedown, Default, Seether, Airbourne), chockfull of hooky hard rock anthems. That kind of woodshedding might not seem unusual, except the band formed when they were kids.

The melodic hard rock quartet is comprised of two sets of brothers — lead singer Taylor Perkins 21; guitarist Cole Perkins, 19; guitarist Dan Steinke, 19; and drummer Dustin Steinke, 20 — who met in 2003 at a local jam night in Lagoon City (pop. 3000). They went from playing Joe Walsh and Jimi Hendrix covers to writing originals, which they released on two independent CDs.

But the songs on their label debut, Small Town Dead, recorded at Henson Studios in Hollywood and Bob's home studio in Woodland Hills, California, shows a band whose musicianship and songwriting skills belie their years. Radio and arena ready, they include the riffy soulful title-track; confrontational opener "Easier Today;" heavier groove, "Sixteen Hours;" searing power ballad, "In Our Hands;" and sentimental stunner, "You Would've Liked It." "We've always been more into songwriting than anything else, even when we were 13," says Taylor. "When we're writing songs, we're always looking to say, 'That's cool,' and making the songs huge. We're all about trying to come up with rock 'n' roll songs that can still be melodic and heavy and touch people with the lyrics."

All 12 songs on Small Town Dead were penned by Bleeker Ridge, including four co-writes that started with the band, "In Our Hands;" "Pick Me Up;" and gentler "Still Standing" with Dave Bassett (Shinedown, Sevendust); and southern-styled kicker, "Sick of You," with Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman.

"Three years ago, we decided to write a song that we think we can hear on the radio," recalls Dan. "That song, 'In Our Hands,' took a shape that we'd never thought about doing before. We sent it to Dave and he was like, 'Holy shit.' We had like 16 different versions, but that was the song that changed the whole perspective of writing for us."

"Small Town Dead," is the album's first single and is a particularly personal lyric for Bleeker Ridge that resonates for anyone who grew up outside a big city. "From talking with friends and kids I meet, I find that being in a small town like mine, everyone has the same outlook — there's never anything to do," Taylor explains. "You can go watch a movie, then go break things [laughs]." ,,

There's also a song for all those kids who have finally left school behind and aren't looking forward to growing up and getting out in the real world. "Trust the words I am speaking / Don't let it bring you down / 'cause now we're falling forward / Everyone tells me that the party's over," Taylor sings in the inspirational anthem "From Now On." He also wrote some beautiful words in "You Would Have Liked It," lamenting the loss of a girlfriend, wife or loved one who is unable to share in life's defining moments, a theme quite advanced for a 21-year-old that can definitely tug at people twice his age.

With these new songwriting skills — something many people in the music industry were waiting for them to develop before they were willing to commit to the band — Bob Marlette was excited to work with them. He had first seen Bleeker Ridge six years ago at a showcase in Toronto, but felt they needed to mature. Later, by sheer coincidence, he was producing a band whose management mentioned the new act on its roster — Bleeker Ridge. He couldn't believe it.

"Bob's a legend," says Dan. "Everything I've ever grown up listening to this guy's had a part in doing. Just being around him makes you want to be a better musician." Now Bleeker Ridge is itching to get out on the road, the obvious next step for four guys who made the most of small town dead and curbed the boredom by playing in a rock band. "It's been five or six years of writing songs and it's all been leading up to this moment of getting on the bus and just going for it," says Dan. "That's what we live for – playing shows."

what it is
Bleeker Ridge Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[VERSE]
For you I'd take a bullet to my head
You stop, you stare, and leave me to die there

[BRIDGE]
I'm trying to leave, but you bring me to my knees
I just can't figure out

[CHORUS]
What it is, what it is
With or without you I'm always the loser
What it is, what it is
There's something about you, yeah you're just a user

[VERSE]
You cheat, you lie

And looking in those eyes
I don't realize just who you really are

[BRIDGE]
[CHORUS]

I'm not the one, I'm not the one
I'm not the one to break down (break down)
You're not the one, you're not the one
You're not the one to break me (break me yaaaah)

I'm trying to leave
[CHORUS x2]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bleeker Ridge's song "What It Is" express the painful emotions one might feel when they are in love with someone who continuously mistreats them. The verse "For you, I'd take a bullet to my head" shows the extreme lengths that the singer is willing to go for this person they love, even if it means sacrificing their own life. However, the following line "you stop, you stare, and leave me to die there" shows the harsh reality that this person is not worth that sacrifice and instead leaves the singer alone to suffer.

The bridge "I'm trying to leave, but you bring me to my knees, I just can't figure out" demonstrates the internal struggle of the singer trying to leave the toxic relationship, but being drawn back in by their love and inability to fully comprehend why they are so attached. The chorus "What it is, what it is, with or without you I'm always the loser, what it is, what it is, there's something about you, yeah you're just a user" sums up the main idea of the song. The singer recognizes that no matter what they do or how hard they try, they are always the one who ends up hurt because this person uses and mistreats them.

Overall, "What It Is" is a powerful song that captures the emotional turmoil one experiences when they are in love with someone who is not worthy of their love.

Line by Line Meaning

For you I'd take a bullet to my head
I care about you so much that I am willing to sacrifice my life for you

You stop, you stare, and leave me to die there
You don't reciprocate my feelings and instead leave me to suffer alone

I'm trying to leave, but you bring me to my knees
I attempt to distance myself from you, but your hold on me is too strong

I just can't figure out
I am struggling to understand why I am drawn to you despite the pain you cause me

What it is, what it is
I am unsure about the nature of our relationship

With or without you I'm always the loser
Whether we are together or not, I always end up feeling defeated

There's something about you, yeah you're just a user
I am starting to realize that you manipulate me for your own benefit

You cheat, you lie
You are untrustworthy and dishonest in our relationship

And looking in those eyes
When I peer into your gaze

I don't realize just who you really are
I am blinded to your true character, which is not what I thought it was

I'm not the one, I'm not the one
I am not the person who will cave in or be brought down easily

You're not the one, you're not the one
You are not the person who will defeat and control me

You're not the one to break me (break me yaaaah)
You cannot shatter me and my sense of self-worth

I'm trying to leave
I am attempting to end the toxic relationship we share

What it is, what it is
I am still uncertain about what we truly have together

[CHORUS x2]
Refrain from the chorus of the song

Contributed by Declan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

stacy babalis

10y

i saw these guys when they were little kids and a tiny bar in orillia years ago. i couldnt beleive how talented they were at their young ages! They have come a long way! good job guys!