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.
buildings
Classic Case Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The transparent light can be seen from towering viewpoints above scenery.
So high when I look down, the thought of it has got me fainting, and fallible footholds pave my way.
From tall buildings everyone looks the same.
Look down and see them all.
From tall buildings no one has a name until the buildings start to fall.
Above the horizon I watch the moon rise in the east.
The wind whispers to me, if you jump off i'll let you fly away from the troubles of city life.
It's hard to escape such a tragedy.
Away from the world, I wanted to leave.
Remember to stand close to the edge.
The lyrics of Buildings by Classic Case describe the perspective of an individual who is standing high above the ground, gazing down at the people below from the top of a tall building. The opening lines, "The sun's almost see through. The transparent light can be seen from towering viewpoints above scenery," give the impression of someone looking through a veil or a thin layer separating them from the world below. The singer is standing so high up that they feel dizzy, and they describe the "fallible footholds" that lead the way down the tower.
From this vantage point, everyone below looks the same and nameless. It is only when the buildings start to fall that people become individualized and known. The image here is one of the dehumanization of city life, where people are anonymous and disposable. The second verse adds to this theme, with the singer gazing at the stars and longing to escape from the troubles of the city. The wind whispers to the singer, encouraging them to jump and fly away.
The final line, "remember to stand close to the edge," is ambiguous. It could be read as an encouragement to take a leap of faith and leave behind the troubles of the city, or as a warning about the danger of living too close to the edge and risking falling.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun's almost see through.
The color and intensity of the sun's light is weak and translucent.
So high when I look down, the thought of it has got me fainting, and fallible footholds pave my way.
Being at an elevated height and looking down induces dizziness and uncertainty, and the path taken to get there is not stable nor reliable.
From tall buildings everyone looks the same.
Being high up, people are reduced to small and indistinguishable figures, losing their individuality and uniqueness.
Look down and see them all.
Looking below towards the view from tall buildings reveals people's insignificance and the vastness of humanity.
From tall buildings no one has a name until the buildings start to fall.
The value and recognition of individuals only becomes apparent during moments of peril or disaster, as calamities strip away superficial barriers.
Above the horizon I watch the moon rise in the east.
The singer observes the moon ascending from where the sky begins to meet the earth's surface in the distance.
And gaze at the stars on a shooting spree.
Watching the stars move across the sky in quick, random motions.
The wind whispers to me, if you jump off i'll let you fly away from the troubles of city life.
The wind offers an escape from the difficulties of urban living, enticing the artist to take a leap of faith into the unknown.
It's hard to escape such a tragedy.
The harshness of reality makes it challenging to evade or distance oneself from unfortunate circumstances.
Away from the world, I wanted to leave.
The artist desires to withdraw from society and detach themselves from worldly affairs.
Remember to stand close to the edge.
Advice to be daring and daring, to be near the brink of danger or extremity, suggesting that it is only from that vantage point where one sees the grandeur of existence.
Contributed by Dominic E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alvaro Gonzalez
Great ! this is one of my favorite songs from Classic Case, had time looking for it. Thanks for the upload.
Andi Nuruljihad
fuck i've been looking for this song for like 15 years. thank you dude