Cemetery Sun is a Northern Californian band, playing since 2003. They blend… Read Full Bio ↴Cemetery Sun is a Northern Californian band, playing since 2003. They blend pop-punk, alt-rock and electro-R&B in their music.

Based out of Sacramento and featuring the talents of Josh Doty (vocals), Austen Butler (drums), Elliot Polokoff (guitar/producer) and Jesse Mancillas (lead guitar), the quartet came together in 2003, but instead of hitting the road, they honed their chops in the studio, amassing a huge arsenal of songs. In early 2016 the band's single "Fake Love" caught the attention of Mikey Flom, the son of Lava founder Jason Flom, resulting in a record deal with the Universal Music Group imprint. The band's eponymous debut EP dropped later that year.

Upside Down
Cemetery Sun Lyrics

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Make your mark
Call it what you want
It's all a game of hide and seek
So you risk it all, all for the cause
Incinerate material things

Feels so wrong
Is it everything you wanted to see?

Can you feel it in the air, so cold?
Are you everything you wanted to be?

Here and now, picking up the pieces
Don't know how, when every little thing feels upside down
This time around, feeling like you're six feet underground
'Cause every little thing is upside down

You left your mark, hiding in the dark
Fix the nature of the beast
Oh, the rise and fall, final curtain call
It's meant to get you up and off of your feet

Yet it feels so wrong
Is it everything they wanted to see?
When you look into their eyes, so cold
Are you everything they want you to be?

Here and now, picking up the pieces
Don't know how, when every little thing feels upside down
This time around, feeling like you're six feet underground
'Cause every little thing is upside down

The light drops low, without a sound
That's how it goes when you're upside down
When no one knows that you're lost, not found
From the inside out

Here and now, picking up the pieces
Don't know how, when every little thing feels upside down
This time around, feeling like you're six feet underground
'Cause every little thing is upside down

When every little thing feels upside down
Every little thing is upside down

When every little thing feels upside down
Every little thing is upside down

Overall Meaning

Cemetery Sun's song Upside Down seems to revolve around the concept of identity, the pressure of conformity, and the consequences of actions, by means of poignant lyrics and vocals backed by heavily electrified instrumentation. In the first stanza, the singer lends the idea of individuals only trying to play games to come out on top, with value being placed on marking oneself, risking it all for a cause, over tangible things, symbolized by material possessions. But, it feels wrong, as they contemplate whether searching for the perfect image of oneself is enough to feel fulfilled. They voice that coldness seems to prevail in the air and in other people's eyes, leading to doubt whether they have even achieved what society wanted them to.

The second stanza furthers this idea that everything is fleeting and the struggle to find one's place in it, while acknowledging the possibility of feeling lost and left behind in the process. The lines, "fix the nature of the beast" and "the rise and fall, final curtain call / It's meant to get you up and off of your feet," could simultaneously be interpreted as a reference to either the self or society, both with valid interpretations. Within these lyrics, perhaps the risk or pressure of putting yourself out there is what builds confidence, but that same risk requires significant sacrifice which can lead to eventual burn-out. The lyrics, "when you're upside down / When no one knows that you're lost, not found / From the inside out," provide a disorienting and lonely portrayal, pointing out that sometimes everything feels upside down and nobody is aware you feel lost.

Line by Line Meaning

Make your mark
Leave your impact on the world

Call it what you want
Label your impact as you wish

It's all a game of hide and seek
Life is a never-ending search for meaning

So you risk it all, all for the cause
You take major chances to achieve your dreams

Incinerate material things
Value experiences over possessions

Feels so wrong
Something does not sit right

Is it everything you wanted to see?
Does your reality match your expectations?

Can you feel it in the air, so cold?
Do you feel a negative energy around you?

Are you everything you wanted to be?
Are you living up to your full potential?

Here and now, picking up the pieces
Dealing with the aftermath of difficult times

Don't know how, when every little thing feels upside down
Finding it hard to cope when everything goes wrong

This time around, feeling like you're six feet underground
Feeling buried by life's challenges

'Cause every little thing is upside down
Nothing seems to be going as planned

You left your mark, hiding in the dark
Your legacy is now unknown, obscure

Fix the nature of the beast
Resolve the issues that plague you

Oh, the rise and fall, final curtain call
The end of a cycle or opportunity

It's meant to get you up and off of your feet
Meant to motivate and inspire action

When you look into their eyes, so cold
When you observe their unfriendly stare

Are you everything they want you to be?
Are you conforming to their expectations?

The light drops low, without a sound
Surrounded by total darkness

That's how it goes when you're upside down
This is what happens when things go wrong

When no one knows that you're lost, not found
When no one knows you're struggling

From the inside out
Internally struggling with life's challenges

When every little thing feels upside down
When everything goes wrong

Every little thing is upside down
Nothing seems to be going as planned

When every little thing feels upside down
When everything goes wrong

Every little thing is upside down
Nothing seems to be going as planned

Writer(s): Elliot Polokoff, Joshua Doty, Matthew Scarpelli, Austen Butler, Jesse Mancillas

Contributed by Amelia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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