By any reckoning, Iranian native Kia has an extraordinary story to tell; he calls Ashes “music to lament to,” and he is only half-joking. As a small boy, he fled Tehran for London with his father, after witnessing up close the internecine violence of the Islamic Revolution. In the U.K., he was reintroduced to the mother he’d virtually never known, since she’d left Iran years before him, and he found himself placed in the strange, regimented environment of a British military school. As he grew up, the feelings that Kia was unable to articulate in words alone found expression in songs. He was so intuitively skilled at this creative channeling that he attracted the interest of a major London music publisher. As Kia built a repertoire, he decided to go to the United States in pursuit of his first record deal.
After making the rounds in New York City and Los Angeles, he signed a deal with Interscope Records. So far so good, but it wasn’t long before he discovered that the industry was more interested in molding him to suit the tastes of the moment than in exploring what he might really have to offer in his own right. One can understand why: Kia has an impressive, elastic vocal range, able to perform hushed ballads as eloquently as anthemic rockers.
As the powers that be tried to figure out how they wanted to present their find, Kia decided he would prefer to do it his own way. So he jettisoned the cadre of producers, mixers and constantly gear-shifting executives who surrounded him. He chose a tougher, more D.I.Y. approach to his fledgling career, touring relentlessly as a solo artist, opening for better-known acts. After meeting and working with bassist Toby Evers and Guitarist Simon Gibson, the trio began touring at an unrelenting pace, playing over 400 shows in less than two years. “It was on the road, in the crammed space of the tour van, that our new sound was formed and Buddahead was reinvented as a band”, says Gibson.
Their 2004 debut, Crossing The Invisible Line, showcased a prodigious talent with the vocal prowess of Thom Yorke and a band so skilled at arranging that it recalled vintage U2 or contemporary Coldplay. But these artful tracks barely hinted at the roiling emotions lying beneath their sleek surface and the truly dramatic stories Kia had yet to tell. Ashes changes all that. Surrounded by the darker musical influences of Gibson and Evers, Ashes are Kia’s stories as he wants to – has to – be heard. “Urgent but less desperate, Ashes is the amalgamation of a band that is growing up.”
Ashes has its origins in some of the darker moments of a few far-flung lives, yet these real-life scenarios connect in many tangible ways to our collective cultural and political history, and that makes them all the more powerful. In his lyrics, Kia doesn’t offer answers to the dilemmas he presents, yet in the very act of creating these songs, articulating these emotions, Kia makes Ashes an uplifting experience. His catharsis becomes our own. Gazing into the ashes of torched relationships, Kia discovers a spark of hope for us all.
When I Fall
Buddahead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was too afraid to be saved by the hands that held me.
I waited without hope.
Without you I lose myself.
I find it hard in cheap hotel with bleary eyes
And no one knows it.
You're the one I call.
When I fall, When I bleed,
The one I need,
You're the one I want,
The one I call.
Can't you hear the voices humming madly
Somewhere in my head?
But instead of trying I'm just hiding.
Lost in my regret.
Without you I lose myself.
I find it hard in cheap hotel with bleary eyes
And no one knows it.
When I fall, When I lose my head,
You're the one I call.
When I fall, When I bleed,
The one I need,
You're the one I want,
The one I call.
I've dragged the past into the light.
I want to leave it here.
I've dragged the past into the light.
Come take me away from here.
The above lyrics are from the song When I Fall by Buddahead. The song portrays the feeling of losing oneself and the need for someone to hold on to. The lyrics depict the singer's struggles with their emotions as they cry in silence, too afraid to seek salvation from the hands that once held them. They wait without hope and find it hard to cope in a cheap hotel with bleary eyes. The singer feels lost and seems to be drowning in their regret.
The song highlights how the singer feels when he is without the person he talks about in the chorus. He depicts his need for someone to hold on to as he hopes for comfort and healing from the pain he is facing. The chorus emphasizes the singer's trust in the person he calls when things get difficult. They are the one he needs and wants to hold on to when he falls or bleeds.
The song's verse depicts the inner turmoil of the singer as they hear voices humming madly somewhere in their head. They are unable to cope with these emotions and hide from the problems they face. The pain and struggle keep building as the singer feels lost in regret.
In conclusion, we can say that Buddahead's song When I Fall depicts the struggles of an individual dealing with emotional turmoil. The song highlights the need to have someone to hold on to when life gets tough. Its chorus emphasizes someone's trust in another person when things get difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you know that I cried in silence.
I suffered alone without anyone knowing, unable to express my pain.
I was too afraid to be saved by the hands that held me.
I feared being rescued by the same person who hurt me, so I never asked for help.
I waited without hope.
I passively hoped for a solution but deep down, I didn't believe things could get better.
Without you I lose myself.
You bring out the best in me, and without you, I feel lost and unable to be my true self.
I find it hard in cheap hotel with bleary eyes
And no one knows it.
I struggle to cope with my problems, feeling alone and invisible to others.
When I fall, When I lose my head,
You're the one I call.
In times of crisis, you're the only person I turn to for help and support.
When I fall, When I bleed,
The one I need,
You're the one I want,
The one I call.
Whether it's emotional or physical pain, you're the one I rely on and trust to help me get through it.
Can't you hear the voices humming madly
Somewhere in my head?
I'm tormented by my own thoughts and emotions, unable to escape the chaos in my mind.
But instead of trying I'm just hiding.
Lost in my regret.
I'm stuck in a cycle of self-doubt and guilt, unable to take action or move forward.
I've dragged the past into the light.
I want to leave it here.
I'm finally ready to face my past and confront the pain it has caused me, with the hope of moving on from it.
Come take me away from here.
I'm seeking a fresh start, free from the burdens of my past and present struggles.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brandi Clark
I only learned about these guys because of an ipod my grandma got from her works lost and found after it had been there for so long. Absolutely one of my favorite albums, it's so hard to find their music!!
Dustin Boyd
I love this song