The band formed in 2006 with members from both Portsmouth and Southampton with bassist Davyd and Daniel both being brothers. Shortly after their formation they released a debut extended play The Sleep of the Innocents.
Their debut album Portraits was released through Basick Records in Britain on October 2009. Two music videos were shot to support the release of the album but only one, You & I was broadcasted on music channels. You & I's music video was recorded at Southampton Solent University and featured Bury Tomorrow performing to 200 fans. The video was shot over the course of two days, with the second day focusing on the band performing. You & I was broadcast on MTV2 in the United States, Scuzz in the United Kingdom and on Much Music in Canada. Portraits was then released through Artery Recordings on March 2010 in Japan and the United States. Bury Tomorrow toured continuously over the course of 2010, touring across the United States, Europe and Japan.
Bury Tomorrow released the first single from their second album titled Lionheart it was released on 8 September, as well as being accompanied by a music video released on 13 September 2011. Bury Tomorrow supported British Metalcore band While She Sleeps in October and did a headline tour in the United Kingdom across December. On 8th December, the day they started the headline tour, a video was released a couple days earlier on the 6th for their single Royal Blood which was directed by Thomas Welsh.
The band has a large tour schedule to support the release of their second album in 2012. Starting on 18 March, as a headline act at Southampton’s Take down Festival, The band is also supporting Of Mice & Men and featuring at Hit The Deck Festival in April as well as appearing at Greenfield Festival on 17 June and playing at Ghostfest on 30 June in Leeds.
The Agonist
Bury Tomorrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your back on the ground
Your soul is bound
Time misspent for a life in agony
Hail the sound
With your back on the ground
Your soul is bound
Time misspent for a life of tragedy
We didn't feel it as it started to shift
Now the world stands still and we're the cause of it
This isn't a parlour trick
And we played with fire now we're burning this
We're not ready for what comes next
The smoke is rising, we will live for death
We will raise our arms to the sky
Hope someone hears this time
Pray
That the flame doesn't burn
Beg
That the axe doesn't swing
Ask
For your end to come quick
One last time the matches lit
Pray
That the flame doesn't burn
Beg
That the axe doesn't swing
Ask
For your end to come quick
One last time, matches lit
I've lost the will to breathe, is it over?
Is it over for me tonight?
It's taken all my life to discover
It's not over until we die
Hail the sound
With your back on the ground
Your soul is bound
Time misspent for a life in agony
Hail the sound
With your back on the ground
Your soul is bound
Time misspent for a life of tragedy
Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
Our backs are broken from the years of the whip
Tired of living inside of your grip
What are we made for?
Can you tell me?
Is it to suffer or for us to endure?
Pray
That the flame doesn't burn
Beg
That the axe doesn't swing
Ask
For your end to come quick
One last time the matches lit
Pray
That the flame doesn't burn
Beg
That the axe doesn't swing
Ask
For your end to come quick
One last time, matches lit
I've lost the will to breathe, is it over?
Is it over for me tonight?
It's taken all my life to discover
It's not over until we die
We spent our whole lives searching
For one chance to be free
I can't stop, always listening
The agonist in me
The song "The Agonist" by Bury Tomorrow is a powerful commentary on the pain and tragedy of life. The lyrics touch on themes of suffering, struggle, and the search for freedom. The first verse describes a person whose soul is bound, trapped in a life of agony and tragedy. They are surrounded by the sound of their own suffering, with their back on the ground.
The second verse suggests that we are responsible for the suffering in the world. We played with fire and now we are burning. We weren't ready for what comes next, and the smoke is rising as we live for death. The chorus repeats the refrain to "pray that the flame doesn't burn" and "beg that the axe doesn't swing," asking for the end to come quick.
The bridge expresses a feeling of hopelessness and despair, as the singer has lost the will to breathe. They wonder if it's over for them tonight, but then realize that it's not over until we die. The final verse asks the question, "what are we made for?" and wonders if we are meant to suffer or endure.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Agonist" are a powerful statement on the human condition. The song speaks to the pain and suffering that we all experience in life, while also acknowledging our responsibility for our own suffering and the suffering of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Hail the sound
Celebrate the noise and commotion
With your back on the ground
Feeling defeated and powerless
Your soul is bound
Unable to move on or break free from something
Time misspent for a life in agony
Wasted time that led to a life full of pain and suffering
Time misspent for a life of tragedy
Wasted time that led to a life full of misfortune and sadness
We didn't feel it as it started to shift
We were oblivious to the changes happening around us
Now the world stands still and we're the cause of it
Our actions have caused the world to come to a halt
This isn't a parlour trick
This is not something that can be easily fixed or dismissed
And we played with fire now we're burning this
We toyed with danger and are now facing the consequences
We're not ready for what comes next
We are unprepared for the future
The smoke is rising, we will live for death
The situation is getting worse and we are headed towards death
We will raise our arms to the sky
We will pray and plead for help
Hope someone hears this time
We hope that our cries for help will finally be heard
Pray
Beg for mercy or help from a higher power
That the flame doesn't burn
Hoping that something won't cause more destruction
Beg
Plead for something
That the axe doesn't swing
Hoping to avoid harm or punishment
Ask
Make a request
For your end to come quick
Wishing for death to come soon and end the suffering
One last time the matches lit
Trying one more time despite the odds being against us
I've lost the will to breathe, is it over?
Feeling hopeless and defeated, wondering if life will end soon
Is it over for me tonight?
Questioning whether or not life will end tonight
It's taken all my life to discover
It has taken a long time to realize
It's not over until we die
There is still hope as long as we are alive
Can you feel it?
Do you sense what we are going through?
Our backs are broken from the years of the whip
We have been oppressed and abused for far too long
Tired of living inside of your grip
Sick of being controlled by someone or something
What are we made for?
What is our purpose in life?
Can you tell me?
Can you provide an answer?
Is it to suffer or for us to endure?
Wondering if life is meant to be full of pain or if we are meant to persevere
We spent our whole lives searching
We have been looking for something our entire lives
For one chance to be free
Hoping to break free from something that has been holding us back
I can't stop, always listening
Unable to ignore what is happening
The agonist in me
The part of me that struggles and fights against adversity
Writer(s): Adam Jackson, Jason Cameron, Daniel Winter Bates, Kristan Dawson, David Winter Bates
Contributed by Alexandra C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.