Beginning violin lessons at the age of 8, Stratton followed quickly with cello lessons at 10, the piano at 11, and guitar at 16. It was through the piano that Stratton discovered a passion for writing and performing songs. After moving to Los Angeles in 1995, Casey signed with Magic Records. Work then began on the recordings that would eventually become his first full-length release, The Giver and the Grave Digger, which was released in 1996.
In 1997, after deciding not to renew his contract with Magic Records, Stratton began his first self-produced album, Lily Sleeps.
In the summer of 2000 Stratton moved to Chicago where he began a nearly two year hiatus from the record industry. He immersed himself in writing and recorded an independent album called The Winter Children. Many of these tracks would be re-recorded later and included on his Sony release Standing at the Edge.
Stratton's 6th studio album, "DIVIDE", was released in October 2005 on Stratton's independent label, Sleeping Pill Music. His next album, The Crossing, was released in April 2007. This was followed by Orbit, digitally released on February 5, 2008.
Memories and Photographs was released in September 2009, followed by A Winter Moon, an album of holiday music, in December 2009. Casey's next project, Myth & Stars, largely based on Greek Mythology, was released on September 21, 2010.
Hollow
Casey Stratton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walking along the edge
It won't be long now
Til I forget who I am
I am so afraid
To move forward
All these mistakes I've made
So I run away
I cannot face
What I'm throwing away
It's just as well
You could always tell
When I was hollow
I never asked for this
Happy just to breathe
But now what I've done here
Means nothing to me
I look inside and
I feel so small
I am never good enough
To become what you already are
So I run away
I cannot face
What I'm throwing away
It's just as well
You could always tell
When I was hollow
So once again
I have let you win
The game of giving me a voice
The pill has been swallowed
But I am still hollow
I look back upon my life
And see what's been denied
And I try to face it
But I can never seem to erase it
Casey Stratton's "Hollow" is a poignant and introspective song about struggling with self-doubt, fear, and a sense of emptiness. The lyrics convey a feeling of detachment and numbness, with the singer admitting to walking along the edge of something that feels like oblivion. The refrain "So I run away, I cannot face, what I'm throwing away" suggests a repeated pattern of avoidance, with the singer unable to confront their mistakes and shortcomings. The line "You could always tell when I was hollow" adds an extra layer of vulnerability, as it implies that someone else knows and perhaps sees through the facade.
The second verse explores the singer's feelings of inadequacy and envy towards someone who seems to have achieved something they cannot. The contrast between "Never good enough" and "what you already are" highlights the singer's sense of inferiority and the belief that they can never measure up. The final lines bring back the theme of avoidance and the difficulty of letting go of past regrets and missed opportunities. The metaphor of the pill being swallowed but the singer still feeling hollow suggests that the solution to their problems may not be as simple as taking a medicine or making a change.
Overall, "Hollow" creates a powerful atmosphere of melancholy and introspection, with its haunting melody and evocative lyrics. It is a song that many listeners can relate to, as it taps into universal themes of self-doubt, regret, and the search for meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
It's so quiet
The atmosphere is calm and peaceful.
Walking along the edge
Being on the borderline between two things.
It won't be long now
A state of anxiety accompanied with the intuition of something bad happening very soon.
Til I forget who I am
The idea of being lost and losing one's identity, becoming a stranger to oneself.
I am so afraid
Fear has taken over and is seemingly controlling one's actions.
To move forward
To progress in life and move away from the past.
All these mistakes I've made
Regret for all the wrong decisions made in the past.
Surround me
The feeling of having no way out and being trapped in one's own mistakes.
So I run away
Escaping from reality and avoiding the problems altogether.
I cannot face
Unable to confront the situation and deal with it.
What I'm throwing away
Wasting precious things in life due to fear and regret.
It's just as well
Accepting that the outcome would have been the same regardless of the actions.
You could always tell
The power of observation and understanding of others.
When I was hollow
Feeling empty and uncertain in life, with no sense of purpose.
I never asked for this
Feeling as though the burdens in life were not chosen, but rather forced upon.
Happy just to breathe
Being content with just living and having no expectations.
But now what I've done here
The realization that previous actions were not worth the consequences.
Means nothing to me
Feeling that prior accomplishments hold no value or satisfaction anymore.
I look inside and
Looking inward, introspecting and reflecting on one's self.
I feel so small
Feeling insignificant and unworthy compared to others.
I am never good enough
The constant feeling of self-doubt and inadequacy.
To become what you already are
Envy of others for something that they themselves already possess.
So once again
Repeating the same pattern or mistake again and again.
I have let you win
Giving up to someone else's victory, allowing them to have control.
The game of giving me a voice
Manipulation of one's vulnerability or naivety by someone else.
The pill has been swallowed
The decision has been made, and its effects cannot be reversed.
But I am still hollow
Even after all the events, still feeling internally empty.
I look back upon my life
Reflecting on one's past and the choices made.
And see what's been denied
The realization of missed opportunities or never achieving certain things in life.
And I try to face it
The attempt to confront the discomfort and pain that the realization brings.
But I can never seem to erase it
The constant reminder and inability to escape the past that haunts one's present.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CASEY P. STRATTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind