Circulatory System, founded by Will Cullen Hart, John Fernandes, and Peter … Read Full Bio ↴Circulatory System, founded by Will Cullen Hart, John Fernandes, and Peter Erchick after the 1999 break-up of The Olivia Tremor Control, make dense, psychedelic noise pop rife with harmony. Other contributors include Heather McIntosh of The Instruments, Hannah Jones of The New Sound of Numbers, Alexis Daglis and Jeff Tobias of Bomb the Music Industry! and of Montreal, Robbee Cucchiaro of Nana Grizol and The Music Tapes, Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel, Eric Harris of Elf Power, and Derek Almstead of M Coast.

Outside Blasts
Circulatory System Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

over the leaves, past the church (and bells)
you'll hear ancient voices singing
walk past the leaves
nevertheless here we go
if you want to talk about symbols
we are often symbols, definitions, tables
hardware in a circular time
we just want to fly (away)

if you're given the chance (you are)
would you walk up and down
the things inside of you?
hear the message we send
there's no more waiting because
everything's always been, and will be
we just want to fly away
we don't have much time
there's no time, for coming apart at the...
seems like an ornament blue air raid
are you sad about your mountain?
was this a continent you liked?
there's no sound, just circular beaches
accepting your part of it

seems like a clock (poor old clock)
the country clock is invisible

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Circulatory System's song Outside Blasts are a poetic juxtaposition of the natural world and human-made symbols and systems. The beginning of the song describes a journey through nature, hearing ancient voices singing and passing by a church with bells. The lyric "over the leaves, past the church (and bells)" creates a sense of movement and establishes the setting. The next line, "walk past the leaves," implies a continuation of this journey, and the phrase "nevertheless here we go" suggests a determination to keep moving forward, despite any obstacles that may arise.

The lyrics then shift to a reflection on human symbols and systems: "if you want to talk about symbols / we are often symbols, definitions, tables / hardware in a circular time." This line sees humans themselves as symbols, defined by their place within systems of meaning and time. The lyrics then express a desire to "fly away" – a longing for escape from these systems – but this desire is tempered with the realization that time is limited. The final lines describe a clock that is "invisible" and circular beaches that seem to go on indefinitely, suggesting a sense of cyclical time that humans are unable to escape.

Overall, the lyrics to Outside Blasts create a dreamlike atmosphere, using vivid imagery and a mix of natural and artificial elements to convey a sense of longing and escapism. The lyrics suggest that humans are both shaped by and trapped within systems of meaning and time, but also hint at the possibility of transcendence.

Line by Line Meaning

over the leaves, past the church (and bells)
We are moving away from something familiar and into an older, more spiritual world.

you'll hear ancient voices singing
We are entering an ancient, mystical world where the voices of those who came before us can still be heard.

walk past the leaves
We are leaving the natural world behind as we venture into the unknown.

nevertheless here we go
Despite our uncertainties, we are moving forward on this journey.

if you want to talk about symbols
If you want to examine deeper meanings and truths, we can discuss the power of symbols.

we are often symbols, definitions, tables
As humans, we represent and define concepts and ideas in the world, like symbols in a table of knowledge.

hardware in a circular time
Our bodies anchor us in the physical realm, participating in the cycles of time.

we just want to fly (away)
We yearn to escape our current reality, maybe to find something better.

if you're given the chance (you are)
We all have choices and opportunities, and are responsible for taking advantage of them.

would you walk up and down the things inside of you?
If you had the chance to explore your inner self, would you do it?

hear the message we send
Pay attention to the message we are trying to convey.

there's no more waiting because
There is no time to waste when it comes to pursuing our dreams.

everything's always been, and will be
The universe operates on an eternal cycle, and we are just a small part of that bigger picture.

we just want to fly away
We desire freedom and liberation from our current state of existence.

we don't have much time
Our time on this planet is limited and fleeting.

there's no time, for coming apart at the...
We cannot afford to fall apart or waste our time on trifles if we want to achieve our goals.

seems like an ornament blue air raid
The world around us can seem chaotic and unpredictable, like a glittering but ultimately empty ornament.

are you sad about your mountain?
Do you feel a sense of loss or regret for something you had in the past that is no longer there?

was this a continent you liked?
Did you feel comfortable and happy in the past, or are you now faced with a new and unfamiliar landscape?

there's no sound, just circular beaches
The world around us can seem serene and unchanging, like a timeless shoreline that remains the same despite the passage of time.

accepting your part of it
We must come to terms with our place in the world and our role in shaping it.

seems like a clock (poor old clock)
Life can seem monotonous and regulated, like the hands of a clock moving inexorably forward.

the country clock is invisible
The forces that guide our lives can be hidden and mysterious, just like an unseen clock that ticks away in the shadows.

Contributed by Noah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS