Raised in Connecticut, Pureka is said to have begun writing songs at the age of eight; by 16 they were playing the guitar. Following performances at local coffee houses and open mics, they began opening shows for such artists as Erin McKeown and Pamela Means while completing a degree in biology at Wesleyan University. After graduating, they worked in a microbiology research lab at Smith College in Northampton, eventually leaving to focus on their music full-time. In June 2001, they recorded a self-titled seven-song EP in preparation for a three-month nationwide tour with lesbian folk poet Alix Olson.
In 2004, Pureka released Driving North, their first full-length album, earning rave reviews from fans and fellow artists alike. In 2006, they released Dryland, and toured the US a second time as a headlining act. In May 2007, Pureka was a member of the month-long New American Songwriter Tour in New York City, Philadelphia, and Massachusetts. The tour also featured Krystle Warren, Jesse Harris and Ryan Scott. In July 2007, Pureka's song, "Swann Song" won 1st Place in the Acoustic competition on the independent music site OurStage.com.
In October 2007, Pureka was nominated for 2007's Outstanding Folk Act by the Boston Music Awards. They were also awarded an ASCAPLUS award in the summer of 2007.
Pureka is the founder of their label, Sad Rabbit Music. As well as their own releases, they have lent their vocals and guitar playing to several tracks by artists like Olson and Arjuna Greist; a notable track is "Checking My Pulse" with Olson, which went on to become a relative hit for Olson.
Pureka identifies as genderqueer and cultivates an androgynous appearance. They have received positive reviews in the long-running radical feminist publication off our backs and other magazines. Pureka's music does not deal explicitly with LGBT issues, focusing instead on emotional interactions between individuals.
On January 20, 2009, Pureka released a fourth album, an EP entitled Chimera. In April 2010, Pureka released their fifth album, How I Learned To See In The Dark
www.chrispureka.com
Damage Control
Chris Pureka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for some escape.
But all the bold letters they just say the same thing:
There's no way out of this…
We never believed you.
We never believed in you.
Just look what you've done.
Wearing your white gloves?
Can't you see what you've done…
Where's the safety net now,
Where's the damage control?
We were promised a whole set of balances.
You took the crookedest line to our door
And you left us with one million eyes closed…
Back at the homestead we're fighting our instinct
To run, run, run, run for the hills.
But with everyone leaning I think that it's tipping,
I just see over the edge…
So when you fall out of this chance,
There's no one to buy you back,
From all that you've done…
So go, get the fuck out of this house.
Just hurry alone now,
'cause there's work to be done…
Where's the safety now,
Where's the damage control?
We were promised a whole set of balances.
You took the crookedest line
To our door and you left us with one million backs turned.
Where's the safety now,
Where's the light at the end?
It was never enough to have everything.
You took the crookedest line to our door
And you left us with one million eyes closed…
The song "Damage Control" by Chris Pureka is a reflection of the damage done by someone who has betrayed the trust of those around them. The song is filled with metaphors and imagery that deliver a powerful message about the consequences of actions that hurt the people we care about. The lyrics describe a sense of desperation and anger towards the person who has caused the damage, and a feeling of helplessness that comes with being unable to undo the harm they've done.
The first verse describes the frustration of searching for a way out of a difficult situation, but being unable to find any answers. The lyrics "We're covered in fingerprints from thumbing the pages, Looking for some escape" paint a picture of someone desperately searching for a solution, but finding nothing but more evidence of their struggles. The chorus repeats the questions "Where's the safety net now, Where's the damage control?" highlighting the sense of betrayal and abandonment felt by those who have been hurt.
The second verse is more pointed, calling out the person responsible for the damage. The lyrics "We never believed you, We never believed in you" make it clear that the trust has been broken beyond repair. The line "Wearing your white gloves?" refers to the idea of someone pretending to be innocent or pure, while actually being responsible for the harm they've caused. The final line of the verse "Can't you see what you've done" brings home the emotional weight of the situation and the damage that's been done.
Overall, "Damage Control" is a powerful and emotional song that conveys a complex mix of emotions. From the desperate desire for a way out, to the anger at the person responsible for the harm, to the sense of helplessness in the face of damage that can't be undone. The song's lyrics beautifully capture these feelings, making it a must-listen for anyone who has faced betrayal or harm done by someone they care about.
Line by Line Meaning
We're covered in fingerprints from thumbing the pages,
We've been going through everything, searching for a way out
Looking for some escape.
Hoping to find something that will help us get away from this situation
But all the bold letters they just say the same thing:
No matter where we look, we only see the same message repeated
There's no way out of this…
There seems to be no solution or escape from this situation
We never believed you.
We never trusted you
We never believed in you.
We didn't have faith in you
Just look what you've done.
This is the result of your actions
And how, how could you go there,
Why did you do that
Wearing your white gloves?
When you were trying to hide what you were doing
Can't you see what you've done…
You're not even aware of the damage you've caused
Where's the safety net now,
There's no protection now
Where's the damage control?
No one is trying to fix things now
We were promised a whole set of balances.
Things were supposed to be fair and balanced
You took the crookedest line to our door
You took the worst route possible to reach us
And you left us with one million eyes closed…
You left us in the dark and unaware of what was going on
Back at the homestead we're fighting our instinct
At home, we're trying to resist our natural urge to run away
To run, run, run, run for the hills.
To escape to a safer place as quickly as possible
But with everyone leaning I think that it's tipping,
Everyone is trying to deal with this, and we're on the brink of things getting worse
I just see over the edge…
I can see things falling apart
So when you fall out of this chance,
When you lose this opportunity
There's no one to buy you back,
There's no one to save you
From all that you've done…
From the consequences of your actions
So go, get the fuck out of this house.
Leave this place immediately
Just hurry alone now,
Your move has to be swift and solitary
'cause there's work to be done…
There's a lot that needs to be fixed
Where's the light at the end?
Where's the hope of things getting better
It was never enough to have everything.
Even though we had everything, it wasn't enough to make up for what went wrong
Where's the crookedest line to our door
The worst possible way to reach us
And you left us with one million eyes closed…
You left us unaware of what was happening
Contributed by Jasmine R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.