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.
The Waiting
Casey Stratton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Troops engaged for a pointless cause
Oil money covered in blood
Lies we believed like a god
Families, ripped at the seams
Losing all, for nothing
Mothers, with babies
Waiting
When darkness falls all is still
Terrified innocents wait for the sound
Of bombs to disrupt what was once
A beautiful land in the sun
Can we ever forget?
Can we ever move on?
Too many children are gone
Too many lives stolen
The lyrics for Casey Stratton's song The Waiting address the devastating impact of war on innocent victims and their families. The opening lines condemn the idea of fighting a war to earn money or for any other frivolous cause. The lyrics suggest that the terrible atrocities of war are often committed for the sake of profit and greed. The next couple of lines hint at the idea that wars are often justified with lies, which people believe in with unfettered faith.
The following lines speak of the personal tragedy faced by families who become unwittingly caught up in a war that tears apart the essential fabric of their lives. Mothers with their innocent babies, are caught in the midst of violent forces beyond their control, and left to starve in the wake of the devastation. The lyrics evoke a profound sense of despair and hopelessness as they outline the plight of those who must "wait" in the midst of war.
The final verses create a lasting impression of the sheer horror and terror experienced by innocent bystanders. The lyrics ask whether it is even possible for such victims of war to forget or move beyond the terrible events they have witnessed. This pointed question reveals the lasting impact of war on those who have lost everything, including their fundamental understanding of the human capacity for empathy, compassion, and love.
Line by Line Meaning
War for a paycheck is fought
People fighting in a war for money rather than true justice
Troops engaged for a pointless cause
Soldiers are fighting for a cause that has no true purpose
Oil money covered in blood
The gain of oil is causing loss of human lives
Lies we believed like a god
Falsehoods were accepted with a sense of religious faith
Families, ripped at the seams
Families have been torn apart due to the war
Losing all, for nothing
Everything has been lost for no apparent reason
Mothers, with babies
Mothers with young children are suffering due to the war
Starving
People are dying of hunger
Waiting
People are waiting for the situation to improve
When darkness falls all is still
In the darkness, everything is eerily quiet
Terrified innocents wait for the sound
Innocent people are waiting in terror for the next attack
Of bombs to disrupt what was once
Bombs are destroying what used to be a beautiful place
A beautiful land in the sun
A previously wonderful place is now distressed
Can we ever forget?
Is it possible to erase the memory of such destruction?
Can we ever move on?
Will we ever be able to recover from this?
Too many children are gone
Too many young lives have been lost
Too many lives stolen
Too many people have died for no true reason
Contributed by Max M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.