Chiodos was formed at the Flint Local 432, a small venue in downtown Flint, Michigan and Olde Jamestowne Hall in Saginaw, Michigan. The band is known for their on-stage performances which include controlled, high-pitched vocals from former lead singer, Craig Owens. Craig Owens has cited lead singer of Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, etc. fame, Mike Patton as one of his greatest influences saying, "I only wish I could be as good as him."
Their debut album, All's Well That Ends Well (Equal Vision Records) was released on July 26, 2005. It reached #3 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and #164 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. While their sophomore album, Bone Palace Ballet reached the number 5 spot on the Billboard 200. The band's albums and live performances have garnered praise from press outlets.
Chiodos headlined some shows on their own before joining Alternative Press's 2006 "Invisible Sideshow" tour, headlined by Armor for Sleep. Following that tour, they supported Matchbook Romance on the Sub City "Take Action" tour in Spring 2006. That summer, they toured with Fear Before the March of Flames, as well as appearing on the Warped Tour.In fall 2006, Chiodos appeared on Atreyu's World Championship Tour, alongside From First to Last and Every Time I Die, as well as 3 and 36 Crazyfists.
Chiodos has had several scuffs with those in the music industry, most notably Steven Smith of Steven's Untitled Rock Show, Andy Williams of Every Time I Die, and HORSE The Band.
In 2005, Chiodos independently made a video for the song "All Nereids Beware." The video consists of the band playing the rare pre-All's Well That Ends Well version of the song in a parking lot.
In 2006, Chiodos made videos for "One Day Women Will All Become Monsters" and "Baby, You Wouldn't Last a Minute on the Creek". The "Baby, You Wouldn't Last a Minute on the Creek" video was included on the 2006 re-issue of All's Well That Ends Well, which added a DVD and three acoustic tracks to the 2005 release.
A video for "Lexington (Joey Pea-Pot With A Monkey Face)" was made which premiered world wide on April 2, 2008 on the social network MySpace. This was the first single of their sophomore album, "Bone Palace Ballet". Chiodos' drummer, Derrick Frost has stated in an interview that the band was disappointed in the final result of the music video, saying
"Well, usually there are different people who throw out ideas and we go through them and add in our own suggestions but that video definitely didn’t turn out like we wanted it to turn out, like at all. We’re pretty disappointed with it. We never get a video where we’re all like “This is amazing!” And that’s what every band wants, to have an amazing video because that can push your career and your band so far. And we haven’t gotten that yet so it’s kind of frustrating. It’s just like so much money that we spent on this for no reason. No one’s going to play it; it’s not getting played at all."
On September 16, 2008, Chiodos teamed up with acclaimed director Darren Doane and The Crofoot Ballroom to shoot a video for "The Undertaker's Thirst For Revenge Is Unquenchable (The Final Battle)" in downtown Pontiac, MI. The video was released on December 20, 2008.
On September 24, 2010, it was announced that Craig Owens was no longer the singer of Chiodos.
On February 8, 2010, Brandon Bolmer (Yesterdays Rising) was confirmed as the new lead singer for Chiodos; he performed vocals on the band's third studio album, Illuminaudio.
Craig Owens later returned for the band's fourth studio album, Devil, but Chiodos disbanded before recording any more material.
I Didn't Say I Was Powerful I Said I Was a Wizard
Chiodos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The album started skipping
Goodbye to beauty, shared with the ones that you love
A shadow that has fallen over this town
A shadow that has fallen over this town
Attention, all of my worst critics
Who were once the best of friends
Into romantic speculations
Into romantic speculations
Sightings of shape shifting
Dissolved into the darkness
A final opinion is of less value
Than an appreciation of,
And tolerance for obscurity
Theatrics, all made up and pianos all playing at once through the dust
I found it difficult in my excitement to keep from floating off
To keep from floating off and off and off
Into romantic speculations
Into romantic speculations
Sightings of shape shifting
Dissolved into the darkness
A final opinion is of less value
Than an appreciation of,
And tolerance
A shadow that has fallen over this town [x6]
[In background:]
I'll rest on nets made by spiders fed on drug dosed flies
The spider sings alone
The spider sings alone
He paced the room with hurried steps
And placed his hands upon his head
As if he were afraid
His thoughts were bursting from his brain
Sightings of shape shifting
Dissolved into the darkness
A final opinion is of less value
Than an appreciation of,
And tolerance
Sightings of shape shifting
Dissolved into the darkness
A final opinion is of less value
Than an appreciation of
As if he were afraid!
"I Didn't Say I Was Powerful I Said I Was A Wizard" by Chiodos is a complex song that incorporates elements of alternative rock, post-hardcore, and emo, and tells a poignant story about lost love and betrayal. The first verse of the song sets the stage with the departure of someone important and the album skipping, representing the fragility of relationships and how easily they can be disrupted. The chorus is a direct message to the singer's former friends/critics, highlighting how they have become nothing more than "crows on power lines" and how certain romantic ideas and illusions have led to further complications.
The second verse introduces the idea of shape-shifting and how it can be hard to distinguish between reality and obscurity. Theatrics and a sense of dramatic romanticism come into play in this verse with lines like "pianos all playing at once through the dust" and "keep from floating off". The final verse features the spider as the singer's only confidant, representing the isolation and loneliness caused by losing love and trust. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, bringing a sense of unity to the themes revealed in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
And the moment that she left the room
The moment she left, everything started going wrong.
The album started skipping
Things started to feel disjointed and uncomfortable.
Goodbye to beauty, shared with the ones that you love
Leaving behind something meaningful and beautiful with those who matter most.
A shadow that has fallen over this town
A sense of darkness and negativity that has taken hold of the community.
Attention, all of my worst critics
Addressing those who criticize and judge harshly.
Who were once the best of friends
When critics used to be supportive and kind.
You're all just crows on the power lines
The critics are just making noise, without real substance or power.
Into romantic speculations
Diving into imaginative thoughts and theories.
Sightings of shape shifting
Possible sightings of transformations or changes happening.
Dissolved into the darkness
Fading or disappearing into obscurity or uncertainty.
A final opinion is of less value
One's last thought or judgement is not as important as being open to obscure ideas and perspectives.
Than an appreciation of,
Valuing and accepting even the unknown or seemingly strange.
And tolerance for obscurity
Being patient and accepting of things that are difficult to understand or unclear.
Theatrics, all made up and pianos all playing at once through the dust
Exaggerated drama and confusion that is happening all at once.
I found it difficult in my excitement to keep from floating off
Feeling overwhelmed and giddy in the midst of all the chaos.
To keep from floating off and off and off
Struggling to maintain control and focus in a chaotic situation.
I'll rest on nets made by spiders fed on drug dosed flies
Taking comfort in something that is unsettling or strange.
The spider sings alone
Finding beauty or enjoyment in something that is typically negative or scary.
He paced the room with hurried steps
Feeling anxious and restless while thinking deeply.
And placed his hands upon his head
Experiencing overwhelm or confusion.
As if he were afraid
Feeling scared or uncertain in the midst of chaos.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BRADLEY BELL, CRAIGERY OWENS, DERRICK FROST, JASON HALE, MATTHEW GODDARD, PATRICK MCMANAMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind