Chavez were/are a Math Rock/Indie band from New York fronted by guitarist/v… Read Full Bio ↴Chavez were/are a Math Rock/Indie band from New York fronted by guitarist/vocalist Matt Sweeney. Theirs is a relatively poppy style with 4-minute songs usually in a recognisable verse/chorus structure. This poppiness is augmented with complex rhythm/vocal interplay and novel, sometimes uncomfortable guitar sounds.

The band formed iteratively around Sweeney between '92-'94. They released Gone Glimmering in '95 followed by Ride The Fader in '96, both on Matador.

Sweeney, a longtime friend of Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, has also played in Corgan's side-project, Zwan, and more recently in a duo with Will Oldham on their Superwolf album.

Pitchfork recently reviewed the new Chavez compilation which also contains some nice observations about their sound and its context.

After a lengthy hiatus between 1999 and 2006 they have recently begun playing extensively around the New York area.

The Ghost by the Sea
Chavez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pack in tight and breath in more
We have reached the solid core
Well beyond the gore
All aglow and reaching for
The chalice that I pissed into
Cover up your sores
And turn in your rewards
And find out where your ride went

If I can't leave
Tight Up high across the cold lips
You're all routed on the same trip
I get paid to wreck the good ship
How could I name?
How could I name you all?
You got passed through all the filters
You get it put down on the same lists
I get paid to wreck the good ships

How could I name?
How could I name you all?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Chavez's song "The Ghost by the Sea" are somewhat cryptic and mysterious. The opening lines "Pack in tight and breath in more / We have reached the solid core" suggest a sense of urgency and intensity, as if the singer and their companions have just discovered something crucial or arrived at some kind of milestone. The following lines, "Well beyond the gore / All aglow and reaching for / The chalice that I pissed into," further perpetuate this sense of mystery and intrigue, as it is unclear what the chalice represents or what precisely the singer has accomplished or contributed.

The lines "Cover up your sores / And turn in your rewards / And find out where your ride went" suggest a sense of weariness and resignation, as if the singer is urging their companions to forget their past achievements and focus on the future, where their next journey may lead. The repetition of the line "If I can't leave" throughout the song further underscores this sense of entrapment and frustration, as if the singer is struggling to break free from some kind of burden or cycle.

The chorus repeats the lines "How could I name? / How could I name you all?" as if the singer is grappling with some kind of identity crisis or self-doubt. The following lines "You got passed through all the filters / You get it put down on the same lists / I get paid to wreck the good ships" again suggest a sense of disillusionment or unease with the singer's role or position in society.

Overall, "The Ghost by the Sea" is a complex and layered song that explores themes of identity, disillusionment, and the search for meaning and purpose. The lyrics are open to interpretation and leave much to the listener's imagination.

Line by Line Meaning

Pack in tight and breath in more
Squeeze in closely and take deeper breaths

We have reached the solid core
We have arrived at the center

Well beyond the gore
Far away from the violence

All aglow and reaching for
Bright and aspiring for

The chalice that I pissed into
The drinking vessel that I urinated into

Cover up your sores
Conceal your wounds

And turn in your rewards
Surrender your accomplishments

And find out where your ride went
Discover where your journey has taken you

If I can't leave
If I am unable to depart

Tight up high across the cold lips
Tightly secured above the frigid mouth

You're all routed on the same trip
You are all traveling on the same path