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.
Through the Desert Alone
Circa Survive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My shoulders are cold
I put it off for so long, I put it off
and know I’ve got to live with what I made
forever
What was stolen from us
now is forever lost
just because we’ll never pay the ransom
What was taken from me
I will never regain just because
We’ll never pay the ransom
I’ll become like the desert wind
and I’ll drink all the gin
Shriveled up under desert lights
eaten up in the night
I can’t keep this up much longer without
needing more from you
I need more
Wasted with the rhythm
angry at the melody
How did you stay so sweet?
Cause you were my ally once
You were my confidante
I need somebody close
to be close to
forever
What was stolen from us
now is forever lost
just because we’ll never pay the ransom
What was taken from me
I will never regain
just because we’ll never pay the ransom
just because we’ll never pay the ransom
In "Through The Desert Alone," Circa Survive’s frontman, Anthony Green, sings about his struggles with the consequences of his actions. He begins the song with a metaphor for his fragility and vulnerability: “Sadly, I walk around this place on the shells of eggs, my shoulders are cold.” He admits to putting something off for too long and now he must live with the consequences forever. The chorus speaks about something being taken from him and acknowledging that it will never be regained because the ransom will never be paid. The repetition of the line “just because we’ll never pay the ransom” emphasizes the idea that there are consequences to actions or choices made, and sometimes the price to fix or regain what was lost is too high.
Green then begins to describe how he copes with his situation. He likens himself to the desert wind and continues to talk about the desert imagery by stating that he will shrivel up and be eaten in the night. He cannot continue to go on without needing more from someone else. He then questions how someone he used to be close to, someone who was once his ally and confidante, can still remain sweet. He admits to being wasted, angry, and needing someone close to him. The chorus is repeated once again for emphasis.
Overall, the lyrics speak to the idea that actions have consequences and sometimes the price to regain what has been lost or stolen might never be paid. The desert imagery shows how a person can feel lost, empty, or drained. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the importance and severity of the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Sadly, I walk around this place on the shells of eggs
I feel fragile and vulnerable in this world and I am constantly walking on eggshells
My shoulders are cold
I feel alone and unsupported in my struggles
I put it off for so long, I put it off
I have been avoiding dealing with my problems for a long time
and know I’ve got to live with what I made
I am now facing the consequences of my previous choices and actions
forever
The effects of my choices will last a lifetime
What was stolen from us
now is forever lost
just because we’ll never pay the ransom
Something valuable was taken from us and it cannot be regained because we refuse to give in to the demands of those who took it
What was taken from me
I will never regain just because
We’ll never pay the ransom
I have lost something precious and I know I will never get it back because I refuse to give in to the demands of those who took it
I’ll become like the desert wind
and I’ll drink all the gin
Shriveled up under desert lights
eaten up in the night
I feel like I am fading away into nothingness, like a desert wind and I am trying to fill the void with alcohol but it only makes me feel worse
I can’t keep this up much longer without
needing more from you
I need more
I am at my breaking point and I need someone to rely on for support and comfort
Wasted with the rhythm
angry at the melody
How did you stay so sweet?
I feel like my life is out of sync and I am angry and bitter, while others seem to be happy and content even in the same circumstances
Cause you were my ally once
You were my confidante
I need somebody close
to be close to
forever
I miss having someone who was once close to me, someone I could trust and confide in, and I long for that connection again
just because we’ll never pay the ransom
The reason why we have lost something valuable is because we refuse to give in to the demands of those who took it
Contributed by Mason F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
nabilah
on Strange Terrain
just my opinion about the meaning:
It could probably talking about the band life. Where in many bands of this scene, members come and go, original member left, band disbanded and reunion.
"We made designs completely backwards" is talking about experimental or punk or emo-influenced lyrics usually written in obscure & interpretative wordings.
"Nobody knows if were even close to where we need to go" is how vary the song meaning could be, and everyone could have derivative art regarding the interpretation. This is what I interpret the song. and you might have different interpretation.
"To find out how it all works with so many artists/partners" this one is clearly talking about artist, the reason why I think the song is talking about band life.
"Who's the one pounding the gears avoiding the crowds keeping their ear to the ground" talking about the people behind the scene who helped making their song but never credited in the song creator (who's the one?). the people working during recording, editing, mixing, etc
"Oh I've made a mistake I never learned how to get back to the place" maybe talking about member and band reunion
"Where all our confidence kept is behind a shield only light can get through." talking about performing live or during recording