After going back to his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA in 2004 for a dental appointment, Anthony Green went back to the airport to return to California and his Saosin mates. However, he suddenly had an epiphany - that despite the fact that Saosin was close to breaking out, he knew he would be miserable if he returned. To him, Saosin was "a girl that you had great sex with, yet had little in common with," as Green himself affectionately said. He returned to Colin Frangicetto, a friend who he had "jammed" with during his stay, and they decided to begin recording and recruiting. Thus, Circa Survive was born.
Colin Frangicetto and Anthony Green, with full support from Equal Vision Records, then recruited Brendan Ekstrom. Ekstrom had been Frangicetto's bandmate in This Day Forward. Both Ekstrom and Frangicetto had toured with Taken during their This Day Forward days, and procured Nick Beard, previous bassist of Taken, as Circa Survive's next member. The band met Steve Clifford through Vadim Taver of the band Marigold; "[Steve] jammed with us for a week and from there it was on," says Frangicetto.
To date, Circa Survive has released two versions of the song "Handshakes at Sunrise" on two different 2004 sampler discs from Equal Vision Records, as well as a 2005 limited edition tour EP called The Inuit Sessions. A full length album Juturna was released April 19th, 2005.
Circa Survive now has many national tours under their belt, including a co-headlining tour that took place in summer 2005. Circa Survive has also opened for Mae and Dredg on each of their headlining runs. Circa Survive played The Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey in 2005, and then played every year until 2008. They also played a few dates on The Van's Warped Tour in 2005 and completed a European tour with Coheed and Cambria and Thrice in 2006. Circa Survive has also toured with Thursday, Rise Against, Billy Talent, My Chemical Romance, Saves the Day and Moneen.
Circa Survive's first major headlining tour occured during the summer of 2006, with The Receiving End of Sirens, YouInSeries, and Days Away on the first leg of this tour. These bands dropped off on July 23rd. On July 25th, Portugal. The Man, and Keating joined the tour.
On Letting Go is the band's second album. It was released on May 29, 2007 by Equal Vision Records, the album debuted at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 24,000 copies in its first week. The band headlined the Alternative Press Tour in Spring 2007, with, Cute Is What We Aim For, Envy on the Coast, and As Tall As Lions, headlined the 2007 Warped Tour, and did a headlining tour with Ours, Fear Before the March of Flames, and Dear and the Headlights in the fall.
After supporting Thrice and Pelican for their Spring 2008 tour, Circa Survive returned home to Philadelphia to write for the follow up record to On Letting Go. The band announced in August of 2009, after over a year of writing, that they were beginning the recording process, and that they had signed with Atlantic Records. The band frequently spoke of the new material as a brand new direction and, as Colin said, "our growth is evident in every note and rhythm I hear."
On February 16, 2010 they announced their new album would be titled "Blue Sky Noise", and would be released on April 20, 2010. The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on the Alternative Albums Chart.
Circa Survive's second EP, Appendage, was released on November 30, 2010. It contains five tracks: "Sleep Underground" (Demo), "Stare Like You'll Stay", "Everyway", "Backmask" and "Lazarus".
Circa Survive is planning to record their fourth LP between mid-March and May 2012 in California with former Failure frontman Ken Andrews (Mae, Pete Yorn) as producer. It is tentatively scheduled for release in late summer or early fall 2012 on Atlantic Records, with a U.S. tour to coincide with its release.
On April 16, 2012, Circa Survive began recording their fourth record. On March 5, 2012, Absolute Punk stated it would be titled "Violent Waves". On June 25th, 2012, Circa launched the Violent Waves Pre-Order webpage, officially announcing the album's title and release date, August 28th, 2012, along with a new song titled "Suitcase". The band also confirmed that the CD would be self-released.
Kicking Your Crosses Down
Circa Survive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't pull it closer
The damage revealed the cost
But it wasn't worth it
Oh, but they'll never know
To keep in mind the line that separates idols
If the world is a dream
And nothing is worth it
But we won't be saved
We'll live as slaves to love
What God takes away
Let's refill all the holes with mud
Purchase your ticket; I'm kicking your crosses down
In case it gets away from us
Don't pull it close
The damage revealed the cost
And it wasn't worth it
We're all going to hell
But we won't be saved
We'll live as slaves to love
What God takes away
Let's refill all the holes with mud
Purchase your ticket; I'm kicking your crosses down
And all the voices sound just like you
I'll be there, I'll be there
Breathe in, breathe in
It's been so long
I've felt so wrong again
I fixed myself up nice but you never came
The words rolled off our backs and sound the same
I'll be waiting
I'll be waiting
I'll be waiting
I'll be waiting
I hope that it's worth it, but I'll never know
The lyrics to Circa Survive's "Kicking Your Crosses Down" present a complex and multilayered commentary on religion, love, and personal agency. The opening lines, "In case it gets away from us / Don't pull it closer," suggest a sense of hesitation or caution, perhaps regarding a potentially dangerous or all-consuming relationship. The lyrics then pivot to a reflection on the costs and benefits of belief: "The damage revealed the cost / But it wasn't worth it / Oh, but they'll never know / To keep in mind the line that separates idols / If the world is a dream / And nothing is worth it / Unless you have a god." Here, we see a tension between the desire for a higher power to give life meaning and the recognition that such beliefs can be damaging or misguided. The chorus similarly subverts traditional religious imagery with the lines "We'll live as slaves to love / What God takes away / Let's refill all the holes with mud / Purchase your ticket; I'm kicking your crosses down." The image of a cross, typically revered as a symbol of sacrifice and salvation, is instead rejected as something to be torn down, replaced by earthly pleasures and human connection.
The bridge section of the song introduces a sense of longing and nostalgia, with the singer expressing a desire for connection and redemption: "And all the voices sound just like you / I'll be there, I'll be there / Breathe in, breathe in / It's been so long / I've felt so wrong again." Yet the song ends on a note of ambiguity and resignation: "I fixed myself up nice but you never came / The words rolled off our backs and sound the same / I'll be waiting / I'll be waiting / I'll be waiting / I'll be waiting / I hope that it's worth it, but I'll never know." Here, the singer acknowledges the futility of pursuit without clear answers or guarantees, but retains a sense of faith or perseverance in the face of uncertainty.
Overall, "Kicking Your Crosses Down" presents an intriguing meditation on the relationships between love, religion, and personal autonomy. By subverting traditional Christian imagery and questioning the best ways to find meaning and fulfillment in life, the song offers a unique and thought-provoking perspective on these complex topics.
Line by Line Meaning
In case it gets away from us
If things start to go wrong and we lose control of the situation,
Don't pull it closer
Don't try to hold onto something that is slipping away from us,
The damage revealed the cost
The harm caused by our actions has become apparent, and we are paying the price for it,
But it wasn't worth it
Despite the cost, the outcome of our actions was not worth it,
Oh, but they'll never know
Despite what others may think or say, they will never truly understand what we've been through,
To keep in mind the line that separates idols
We need to remember the distinction between worship and obsession,
If the world is a dream
If everything we know and experience is just an illusion,
And nothing is worth it
And there is no point to anything we do or achieve,
Unless you have a god
Unless we have something to believe in and have faith towards,
But we won't be saved
We won't be rescued or spared,
We'll live as slaves to love
We will continue to be controlled and consumed by our emotions and desires,
What God takes away
What we lose due to higher powers,
Let's refill all the holes with mud
We'll try to fill the gaps and voids in our lives with empty substitutes and superficial distractions,
Purchase your ticket; I'm kicking your crosses down
Prepare to face the consequences of your actions, because I'm going to challenge your beliefs and question your motives.
And all the voices sound just like you
All the opinions and advice we receive seem to be coming from you,
I'll be there, I'll be there
I will keep on waiting and hoping for you to show up and be there for me,
Breathe in, breathe in
Take a deep breath and try to relax for a moment,
It's been so long
It's been a while since we've had peace and happiness,
I've felt so wrong again
I've been struggling with the same issues and mistakes all over again,
I fixed myself up nice but you never came
I tried to improve and impress you, but you never showed any appreciation or recognition for it,
The words rolled off our backs and sound the same
We've been through this before, and the same arguments and excuses keep resurfacing,
I'll be waiting
Despite everything, I will continue to wait and hope for a better future,
I hope that it's worth it, but I'll never know
I wish that all the struggles and sacrifices we've made will have a meaningful outcome, but in the end, it will always be uncertain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GeneralArmorus
In case it gets away from us
Don't pull it closer
The damage revealed the cost
And it wasn't worth it, oh but they'll never know
To keep in mind the line, that separates idols
If the world is a dream and nothing is worth it
Unless you have a god
But we won't be saved, we'll live as slaves to love
What god takes away, let's refill all the holes with mud
Purchase your ticket; I'm kicking your crosses down
In case it gets away from us
Don't pull it close
The damage revealed the cost
And it wasn't worth it, we're all going to hell
[Chorus again]
And all the voices sound just like you
I'll be there, I'll be there
Breathe in, breathe in
It's been so long, I've felt so wrong again
I fixed myself up nice but you never came
The words rolled off our backs and sound the same
I'll be waiting, I'll be waiting
I'll be waiting, I'll be waiting
I hope that it's worth it but I'll never know
childofbhaal
This whole album is like the anthem of my teenage years letting go of my catholic upbringing. Every time I hear these songs I want to just break down and cry thinking about how freeing it was to become agnostic and get away from my abusive violent parents.
topcat3355
I feel that. Parents are a hard one to process/figure out when they're all you've known for so many years
Kylan Wishart
Thank you Equal Vision. You guys were the best label when I was a teenager with bands like Fall of Troy, Chiodos, and Circa. Thank you for the incredible music you helped to put out. You guys are the shit! 🙏
Brandon Monroe
That harmony part at around 2:18 where Anthony says, "& all the voices sound, just like you" is possibly the most beautiful vocal display I've ever heard in my life. That right there is why Circa is amazing. You can't get shit like that anywhere else.
Michelle Bonardo
This album saved countless lives.
tianna russo
I fixed myself up nice but you never came . The words rolled off our backs and sound the same.
always my fave circa line
CyberSourCatMGK
2020 the album still gold
Eduardo Estrada
2022 even golder
Marco Barrientos
01:25 - 02:27 What beautiful and scary lyrics.
strange terrain🍄
That's why this bad rules. Life is scary and beautiful