Boilermaker was an indie rock/emo band from Encinitas, CA from 1993 until 2… Read Full Bio ↴Boilermaker was an indie rock/emo band from Encinitas, CA from 1993 until 2002, comprised of Terrin Durfey (bass/vocals), Rich Sanderson (guitar), and Timothy James Semple (drums); Mike Eginton played second guitar on some of their later tours, but only recorded two songs with the band. They released a handful of 7" singles and comp tracks, three LPs (Watercourse, In Wallace's Shadow, and an untitled LP) on the Goldenrod Records label, and a compilation of songs from these then out-of-print records entitled Leucadia on Better Looking Records. Members went on to play with Earthless, the Jade Shader, and Pinback.

On October 28 2008, singer/bassist Terrin Durfey passed away after battling skin cancer for 10+ years. He is survived by his wife and son.

www.myspace.com/boilermakermusic

Norman
Boilermaker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dug my head in a hole in the ground brought back the rain this time around
Turn my face away from the sun it doesn't take long to burn
Turn my back away from the sun it doesn't take long to burn
Bags of sand won't let the rain come in
Will you wait for me
When my time comes i'll be slow enough to stone
Will you carry out
Carry on with the orders you've been fed

All i know is what i was told when i was a kid
All i cared about is what i was told when i was a kid
Bags of sand won't let the rain come in
You turn till you come in
Turn my face away from the sun it doesn't take long to burn
Turn my back away from the sun it doesn't take long to burn

All i know is what i was told when i was a kid
All i cared about is what i was told when i was a kid

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Boilermaker's song "Norman" depict a character who is feeling disconnected from the world around them. The lines "Dug my head in a hole in the ground brought back the rain this time around" and "Bags of sand won't let the rain come in" suggest a struggle to connect with nature, perhaps due to a lack of emotional vulnerability. The character expresses a fear of being burned, both physically and metaphorically, by the sun. This fear is mirrored in the lines "When my time comes i'll be slow enough to stone" and "Carry on with the orders you've been fed", which suggest a resignation to a predetermined fate.

The repeated phrase "All I know is what I was told when I was a kid / All I cared about is what I was told when I was a kid" suggests that the character's sense of identity and understanding of the world may be limited by their upbringing. A sense of longing is expressed in the lines "Will you wait for me / You turn till you come in", which highlights a desire for someone to hold space for them and allow them to feel seen.

Line by Line Meaning

Dug my head in a hole in the ground brought back the rain this time around
I isolated myself from the world and now I'm ready to face the challenges that come my way

Turn my face away from the sun it doesn't take long to burn
It's important to protect oneself from harmful situations, as they can cause damage quickly

Turn my back away from the sun it doesn't take long to burn
I'm aware of the dangers and consequences of facing problems head-on and choose to avoid them

Bags of sand won't let the rain come in
I've built a strong defense to protect myself from external influences, but it may also prevent positive changes from entering my life

Will you wait for me
In times of need, I hope to find people who are willing to support and stand by me

When my time comes i'll be slow enough to stone
I may become so rigid and stubborn that I won't be able to adapt to new situations or perspectives

Will you carry out
I hope that the people around me will fulfill their obligations and follow through with their promises

Carry on with the orders you've been fed
Sometimes, we follow tradition or societal expectations mindlessly without questioning their impact or validity

All i know is what i was told when i was a kid
Our childhood experiences and teachings shape our beliefs and values that we carry throughout our lives

All i cared about is what i was told when i was a kid
When we are young, we often place more importance on external validation and authority figures instead of developing our own sense of self and priorities

You turn till you come in
It's easy to feel lost and disoriented when we're searching for our place in the world, but eventually, we'll find our way

Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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