Brandtson was an indie rock band that formed in 1996 in Cleveland, Ohio and… Read Full Bio ↴Brandtson was an indie rock band that formed in 1996 in Cleveland, Ohio and disbanded in 2008. It was originally a side project for Myk Porter, the vocalist of the hardcore band, Six Feet Deep. Porter got his friend Jared Jolley to play drums in the band. Soon thereafter, Six Feet Deep broke up and Brandtson became a full-time band with the addition of Matt Traxler, also of Six Feet Deep, on guitar and John Sayre on bass. Their first release was on Traxler's indie label, Steadfast Records and was entitled, Letterbox. A year later it was re-released by Deep Elm Records. The band went on to release the Let's Call It A Day seven inch on Velvet Blue Music and also had a song on Volume Two of the Emo Diaries compilation. In 1999 Deep Elm put out Fallen Star Collection and it was followed by the Trying to Figure Each Other Out EP in 2000. Deep Elm also put out the "Dial in Sounds" album in 2002 and the "Death and Taxes" EP in 2003. In 2004, the band switched to The Militia Group for the release of "Send us a Signal". Over the course of these years, the band toured North America, Europe, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Sayre left the band in 2005 and was replaced by Furnace St.'s Adam Boose, who also added in some electronic manipulation of their sound. Their latest release, "Hello, Control" was released in May of 2006.

In 2007 Myk shared new music from his solo project entitled May This House Be Safe From Tigers on MySpace. Since breaking up, Porter, Traxler, Boose, and Sayre have resurfaced in a new band called Swarm of Bats

January
Brandtson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can't feel my fingers as I hold on for my life.
Quiet as this blanket hurts to breathe hurts to try.
I have defined January.
The end of another new beginning draws me out to white.
The cold of what I came for chokes the shine.

I have defined January in my life.
I think they call this winter.

Dead like everything.

Harsh as it's silence and the pain that it brings.
I can survive January in my life.

Overall Meaning

In the song January by Brandtson, the lyrics depict a sense of melancholy and despair that blankets the singer's perspective of the month of January. The opening line "I can't feel my fingers as I hold on for my life" sets the tone in a literal sense of the biting cold that comes with winter. However, as the lyrics continue, it becomes clear that the singer is not just describing the physical discomfort of winter, but the emotional weight that seems to come with it.

As the song continues, the lyrics "Quiet as this blanket hurts to breathe hurts to try" demonstrate the mental and emotional toll that can come with the isolation of winter. The cold, harsh environment of winter can lead to feelings of loneliness, and the struggle to persist through it can feel suffocating.

The chorus of the song, "I have defined January in my life" portrays the sense that the singer has internalized the pain of the winter season and made it a part of their identity. The lyrics continue with "Dead like everything” and "harsh as its silence and pain that it brings", which gives an impression of hopelessness and despair.

Overall, the lyrics portray a sense of bleakness and despair that characterize the singer's experience of the month of January. The song speaks to the common feelings of loneliness and depression that can come with the isolation of winter, particularly in areas that have brutally cold temperatures.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't feel my fingers as I hold on for my life.
I'm in a state of peril, grasping for dear life; the cold weather is so intense that my extremities are numb and unresponsive.

Quiet as this blanket hurts to breathe hurts to try.
The environment is so still and hushed that it's suffocating, making it difficult to even take a breath.

I have defined January.
January represents a turning point in my life, a symbol of change.

The end of another new beginning draws me out to white.
With the new year comes another opportunity for fresh starts, but the harsh winter climate outside forces me to confront the reality that these beginnings can be difficult and painful.

The cold of what I came for chokes the shine.
The promises and hopes that I've made for myself in the new year start to feel suffocated and dampened by the severity of winter.

Dead like everything.
The world around me is barren and lifeless, mirroring my own feelings of emptiness and despair.

Harsh as it's silence and the pain that it brings.
The quiet of winter is deafening, amplifying the pain and sadness that accompanies this time of year.

I can survive January in my life.
Despite the challenges that January represents, I know that I have the strength and resilience to pull through and make it to the other side.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID PATON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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