Candlebox is a rock band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in December 1991,… Read Full Bio ↴Candlebox is a rock band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in December 1991, they originally named the band Uncle Duke and later changed it as a tribute to a song by Midnight Oil. They were sometimes looked down upon by grunge fans for their style, which was considered by many to be a derivative version of true grunge, and their commercial success suffered as a result. Despite this, the band played the Seattle club circuit during the early 1990s to the many of the same fans who had supported many of the bands that had come immediately before them. The members did not consider Candlebox to be a grunge band however; they viewed themselves as a rock and roll band more than anything. Nevertheless, Candlebox had sold more than 4 million copies of their self-titled debut which, after many months of gaining momentum, peaked at number 7 on Billboard's album charts. Their follow up album, Lucy, was certified as platinum. Their third and last album was Happy Pills, which was released in 1998. Candlebox was the first successful act on Madonna's Maverick Records, which went on to sign Alanis Morissette, Deftones, and Prodigy.

Candlebox was known for an explosive live show and throughout their 8 year career, they toured with such bands as Living Colour, The Flaming Lips, Our Lady Peace, Rush, Henry Rollins, and Metallica. They were also a featured band on the main-stage at Woodstock '94 and made repeat live performances on the David Letterman show.

They are best known for the singles "Change", "You", "Far Behind" and "Simple Lessons". "Far Behind" entered Billboard's Top 20 in July of 1993 and didn't drop off the charts until January of 1994. The videos for "Far Behind" and "You" were in seemingly perpetual rotation on MTV and became two of the most requested videos of 1993.

Drummer Scott Mercado left the band in 1997 and was replaced by former Pearl Jam member Dave Krusen. Krusen later left the band in 1999 and was replaced by Shannon Larkin of Ugly Kid Joe. Bardi Martin also left the band that year, and was replaced by Rob Reddick (formerly of Dig). The band split in year 2000.

As of 2005, singer Kevin Martin is currently recording and performing as the leader of The Hiwatts. Peter Klett is currently recording and performing as the leader of redlightmusic.

In 2006, Candlebox has reunited with their original line-up. They went on a three-month North American tour beginning on July 1st of the same year. This marks their first collaboration since 1996.

In 2008, Candlebox released their fourth studio album called "Into the sun". This meant their return since 1998's Happy Pills. Also, they released a Live album called "Alive in Seattle" which includes tracks from all their past albums.

In 2009, Kevin Martin (along with Sean Hennesy, Candlebox's guitarist) helped form the super-group The Gracious Few with three of the members of the band LIVE. Functioning as lead singer, the band went on to release a self-titled album which accompanied an extensive tour. Though LIVE has reformed with a new lead singer, more material from The Gracious Few is said to be released in the future

Underneath It All
Candlebox Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh my dying hands deny
As seasons dance around
I am but one amongst the losing race
The massive fear resounds
I come before the greater good of men
My lessons learned to lie
I am a son of war, my father's son

I've amassed a forced ally
Who travels on? Who travels on?

These empty souls charade
As colors fade then fold
I've begun to spin
The hands of time my love
Desperate men are sold
I come before the greater good of men
My lessons learned to lie

You're hanging on by the threads of your lesser sins
At the expense of your decline

Who travels on? Who travels on?

And I come from near and far
And I come from face to face
And I come to carry on
Underneath it all,
Oh underneath it all

Oh underneath it all

I come to carry on
Underneath it all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Candlebox's song "Underneath It All" speak to themes of struggle and perseverance. The first stanza describes the singer's sense of helplessness in the face of the world's problems - they feel like just one small person among a "losing race" and the weight of the world's struggles (represented by the "massive fear resounding") is too much to bear. The singer characterizes themselves as a soldier, whose whole life has been shaped by war and its aftermath.

The second stanza turns more introspective, as the singer reflects on their own flaws ("lesser sins") and the ways in which they've had to deceive themselves and others in order to survive. The image of spinning "the hands of time" suggests a desire to change the past, to remake the world in a better image. However, the final stanza suggests that in the end, the singer is determined to continue forward despite the odds, traveling "from near and far" and facing whatever challenges may come. This message of resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity is a powerful one, and one which resonates with many listeners.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh my dying hands deny
The singer is so weak that even their hands are giving up on them.

As seasons dance around
The passage of time is happening regardless of the singer's struggles.

I am but one amongst the losing race
The singer feels hopeless because they are surrounded by others who have lost as well.

The massive fear resounds
The fear is so intense that it seems to echo.

I come before the greater good of men
The artist is willing to put others before themselves.

My lessons learned to lie
The singer has learned that sometimes lying is necessary to survive.

I am a son of war, my father's son
The singer comes from a lineage of conflict and strife.

I've amassed a forced ally
The artist has gathered support from someone who is only there because they have to be.

Who travels on? Who travels on?
The artist questions who is left to keep going in difficult times.

These empty souls charade
The people around the artist are pretending to be something they're not.

As colors fade then fold
The vibrancy of life is fading away.

I've begun to spin
The artist is losing control of their situation.

The hands of time my love
Time progresses without regard for the singer's emotions.

Desperate men are sold
Those who are struggling will do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means being 'sold out' by others.

You're hanging on by the threads of your lesser sins
The singer warns that holding onto past mistakes can lead to one's downfall.

At the expense of your decline
Holding onto negative aspects of one's self can result in their own demise.

And I come from near and far
The artist has faced struggles from many different sources.

And I come from face to face
The singer has faced their difficulties head-on.

And I come to carry on
Despite the struggles, the singer is determined to persevere.

Underneath it all
The artist is going through a difficult time, but they are still there, persevering.

Oh underneath it all
Despite the subtext of pain, the artist is determined to continue fighting.

I come to carry on
The artist continues despite the odds stacked against them.

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gwen Stefani, Dave Stewart

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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