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

Whitewash
Boilermaker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

immersed in a dream
you with me
under waves
held by the pitch
of the whitewash
there's no going back
what's done has been done
this shot to my arm

has drained me more
than anything before
whitewash
obsolete
another break in my bones
whitewash
if you hadn't been around
i don't know what i would have done
it was you
who fed me strength
when i needed it most
whitewash

obsolete
another break in my bones

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Whitewash" by Boilermaker provide an intense and poignant experience of being immersed in a powerful and unrelenting force. The song seems to convey the idea that once we are thrust into a situation, there is no turning back, and we must take it on with all we have. The opening lines of "immersed in a dream, you with me, under waves" sets the scene of a powerful and immersive experience. The use of water imagery continues with "held by the pitch of the whitewash," which appears to be a metaphor for being taken over by a force beyond our control.

The next lines of "there's no going back, what's done has been done" adds to the theme of being caught up in a situation that we cannot undo. The image of being shot in the arm adds a layer of physical pain and vulnerability to the situation. The chorus of "whitewash, obsolete, another break in my bones," hammers home the idea of being overwhelmed and weakened by a powerful force. The lines "if you hadn't been around, I don't know what I would have done, it was you who fed me strength when I needed it most," points towards the idea of finding strength and support in somebody else, which is often necessary in challenging situations.

Overall, "Whitewash" by Boilermaker is a powerful song that conveys the idea of being caught up in a force beyond our control and needing to find strength and support to overcome it.

Line by Line Meaning

immersed in a dream
Lost in thought, I found myself in a dreamlike state.

you with me
You were there with me in my dream.

under waves
We were submerged beneath the ocean's surface.

held by the pitch
We were held down by the force of the water crashing over us.

of the whitewash
Specifically, the white foam from the waves was crashing over us.

there's no going back
We were caught up in the moment and couldn't escape it.

what's done has been done
We can't change what has already happened in this moment.

this shot to my arm
Something has affected me deeply, physically and emotionally.

has drained me more
The experience has taken more out of me than I expected.

than anything before
I have never felt this way before.

whitewash obsolete
The white foam loses its power over us.