Following 3 albums on French indie record labels, Burning Heads (1992), Dive (1994), Super Modern World (1996) and two back-to-back albums on Epitaph Europe with some of the most memorable melodic punk hits, 1998's Be One With the Flames and 1999's Escape, les Burning – as they are referred to by their native fans – released their first dub album, Opposite (2001), finally putting to disc the musical bridge between two styles too many considered opposites, a bridge they'd been building live for 15 years.
2004 saw the release of the more introspective and excellent Taranto (Sony France / Yelen Musiques), followed by an electro-punk side project called Never Trust a Punk…, released in common with Alif Sound System under a shared name: BHASS Project, further proof if anyone needed it of their musical diversity.
Punk rock is never far with the Burning Heads, and Bad Time For Human Kind, and the band self-recorded and self-released their 2006 in a traditional DIY way, returning to full-throttle melodic punk rock with a firm hardcore backbone.
In 2007, they kept the dub fire going with Opposite 2, and in 2009 released Spread the Fire.
In 2009 the band dropped Hear This and in 2014 Choose Your Trap, all still self-released on their own label, Opposite Prod.
Absolute legends in the French punk scene, they have also toured with bands like NOFX, Propagandhi, Down By Law, Bad Religion and Ten Foot Pole all over the world, from Europe to North America.
The Burning Heads have an ability to get their melodic choruses stuck in your head while they pummel you with aggressive punk rock at the same time.
Out of time
Burning Heads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I watch it
Still after all these years
It's always there
Standing buy me through the silent night
(It hands keep knocking)
But the walls that stand are easy to cross
Don't make no sense to me
But it's still here
Close my eyes
To forget the time
Reality exhaust me
Soon I'll know that I can cope
So I keep the rhythm till I reach you
That's why I'm here...
I'll find another place
Where the rules are fine
I'll find another place
Where I just stop to run away and hide
I'll find another place left the clock behind
Out of time forget who I am ...
I'm on my way
The song Out of Time by Burning Heads has an underlying theme of running against the clock and trying to leave behind the monotonous routine of life to find a new place where rules are more relaxed. The lyrics show the singer's yearning to escape from the mundane existence, where time is always ticking away and life seems to be a constant race. The line "Racing against the clock" sets the tone of the song, and the lyrics go on to describe the feeling of being drained by the relentless pursuit of time.
The phrase "Forget where (who?) I am and why I'm here" indicates that the singer is feeling disoriented and disconnected from their surroundings. The line "Reality exhaust me" suggests that reality is too much to bear, and the singer needs to find a way out of the situation. However, the singer finds solace in the fact that they can keep the rhythm until they reach their destination. The lines "I'll find another place where the rules are fine" and "I'll find another place left the clock behind" depict the singer's desire to break free from the shackles of time and escape into a world where they can find meaning and purpose.
Overall, Burning Heads's song Out of Time portrays the universal feeling of being lost, disoriented, and confined by time. It speaks to the emotions of many individuals who are stuck in the rat race of life and are looking for a way out. The song's powerful and relatable lyrics have made it a popular track among audiences worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Racing against the clock
Trying to finish something before the given deadline.
And I watch it
Continuously keeping an eye on the clock to avoid being late.
Still after all these years
Despite the passage of time, the pressure of time remains unchanging.
It's always there
The pressure of time never disappears, it is always present in one form or another.
Standing buy me through the silent night
The pressure of time is present even during silent or calm moments at night.
(It hands keep knocking)
The ticking of the clock and its hands never stop, which keeps reminding the singer of the time pressure.
But the walls that stand are easy to cross
The obstacles present to finish the task within the given time frame are not insurmountable.
Forget where (who?) I am and why I'm here what I see
The pressure of time makes the singer forget their own identity and the purpose for which they are doing the task, and everything seems confusing.
Don't make no sense to me
Due to excessive time pressure and exhaustion, things are no longer making sense to the singer.
But it's still here
Despite the singer's efforts to ignore the time pressure, it continues to exist and be felt.
Close my eyes
To avoid the visual distraction of the clock, the singer tries to close his eyes and focus on the task at hand.
To forget the time
The singer wants to forget about the time obligation and just concentrate on finishing the task.
Reality exhaust me
The combination of time pressure and other factors have burned the singer out.
Soon I'll know that I can cope
The singer feels that he/she has no choice but to learn how to cope with time pressure to finish the task successfully.
So I keep the rhythm till I reach you
The singer maintains the pace of work to complete the task within the given time frame.
That's why I'm here...
The ultimate purpose of being in the current situation is to complete the task within the given time frame.
I'll find another place
The singer is considering changing their current situation.
Where the rules are fine
The singer wants to be in a situation where there is less pressure of following strict rules and time frames.
Where I just stop to run away and hide
The singer wants to escape from the current situation completely to take a break from the exhaustion and operating under time pressure.
I'll find another place left the clock behind
The singer wants to be in a place where time pressure will not exist or have no impact.
Out of time forget who I am ...
The singer feels like they have run out of time to successfully finish the task, and they are no longer connected with their own identity.
I'm on my way
The singer is heading towards a new destination, maybe to escape from the time pressure.
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.