Draughon and Marlow were no perfect strangers to partnering in bands. Both had shared the stage in an early melodic-punk incarnation, but had been separated for two and recorded and released an EP dubbed "It's Been Business Doing Pleasure With You". The band quickly began gaining attention while playing with everyone from Puddle of Mudd and Orgy to Taking Back Sunday and The Used, showing their duality and holding their own with audiences regardless of the confines of genre.
In 2004, original drummer Stephan Linde, was replaced by his longtime friend and fellow Long Islander, Durijah Lang (Glassjaw, The Stryder). After several months of touring and writing, the band delved into a Manhattan recording studio for 3 months to record their debut full-length, Dress to Depress. Echoes of early-90's, post-hardcore bands Helmet and Quicksand, as well as 80's icons U2 and The Police, reverberate throughout.
Classic Case spent 2005 with the addition of former Beloved vocalist/guitarist Josh Moore being brought into the fold, and the band packing up and returning to its birthplace in North Carolina. Dress to Depress was released October 18, 2005, on Help/Fiddler Records. The band has continued to tirelessly support the album on tour, despite the absolving and subsequent ending of Fiddler Records shortly after the record was released.
Revival
Classic Case Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The motive is defective
Cynical beyond control
The mechanism stalls
so why are you waiting?
I will die without your grace
So baby, enslave me
calling your name
Screaming in vain
I look around but you're not there anymore
Calling your name
Screaming in vain
I look around but you're not there
so go on and write me off
You've been stringing me along
So baby, enslave me
I promise I'll show you I care
calling your name
Screaming in vain
I look around but you're not there anymore
Calling your name
Screaming in vain
I look around but you're not there
Now I'm stranded in despair
one thing is leading to another
I'm giving up and going underground
Until the controversy passes
calling your name
Screaming in vain
I look around but you're not there anymore
Calling your name
Screaming in vain
I look around but you're not there
Now I'm stranded in despair
"Revival" by Classic Case is a song that deals with the theme of a dysfunctional relationship. The singer addresses their partner and admits to being enslaved by them and their manipulation. The singer is deeply cynical and wants to utilize formaldehyde - a toxic chemical used to preserve bodies - perhaps as a metaphor for the toxicity of the relationship. The singer is aware that their partner is stringing them along, yet they plead to not be written off and promise to show their partner they care.
The chorus repeats the singer's desperation as they call out their partner's name and scream in vain. They feel stranded and hopeless, as if they are screaming into the void. The singer admits they are giving up and "going underground" until the "controversy" passes, implying there is something that has caused tension between them and their partner.
Overall, "Revival" conveys the painful feelings of being trapped in a relationship that leads to despair and hopelessness. It touches on the themes of manipulation, unrequited love, and lack of control in one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Utilize formaldehyde
To preserve something that is no longer alive, symbolizing the singer's attempt to hold on to a relationship that has ended.
The motive is defective
The reason the singer is trying to preserve the relationship is faulty or misguided.
Cynical beyond control
The singer is overly pessimistic and cannot shake their negative feelings about the relationship or love in general.
The mechanism stalls
The artist's attempts to keep the relationship going have failed and they cannot revive it.
so why are you waiting?
The artist is questioning why the other person hasn't left or ended the relationship yet.
I will die without your grace
The singer feels completely dependent on the other person's love and cannot survive or be happy alone.
So baby, enslave me
The singer is willing to be controlled or manipulated by the other person in order to keep the relationship going.
I'm too dimensional
The artist is complex and multi-faceted, perhaps noting that the other person does not understand or appreciate their true self.
calling your name
The artist is trying to get the other person's attention and bring them back into the relationship.
Screaming in vain
The artist's attempts to communicate and reconnect with the other person are unsuccessful.
I look around but you're not there anymore
The other person has moved on from the relationship and the singer cannot find them or connect with them anymore.
so go on and write me off
The artist is acknowledging that the other person has given up on the relationship and moved on.
You've been stringing me along
The singer feels like the other person has been leading them on or giving them false hope for the relationship's future.
I promise I'll show you I care
The singer is pledging to prove their love and devotion to the other person, in hopes of rekindling the relationship.
Now I'm stranded in despair
The singer feels completely alone and hopeless without the other person, and cannot imagine a future without them.
one thing is leading to another
The situation is deteriorating or getting worse, with each event or interaction leading to more disappointment or heartache.
I'm giving up and going underground
The artist is retreating from the relationship and isolating themselves, perhaps feeling like they have no other choice.
Until the controversy passes
The singer is waiting for the issues or conflicts in the relationship to subside or go away, instead of trying to address them head-on.
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, TuneCore Inc.
Written by: NICHOLAS MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Katherine Barbour
The base guitarist is my english teacher, #mr.mendelsonrocks
cameron bethuram
Love, love, love this tune...everything about it!!
morbidlycurious
The bassist was my creative writing teacher for the first half of my school year! Rock on Mr. Mendelson!
gettinguponthe1
my god i loved this band and this album so much. i cant find it anywhere, so im gonna buy it on amazon for 83 cents! this takes me back. wish these guys were still active.
guitartedoutlaw
man... these guys were SO good live
jbgoode000
awesome song..
AUSENCIA
I miss them so much!!
Tyler Lowell
it's like a combination of emery and glassjaw... they dont get enough cred imo
Leanora Tortorici
mhmmm i love this band! calling your name... :D
Jp McNamara
yea Beloved album is called "failure on" i miss beloved like crazy!