Cutting his teeth in underground bands American Nightmare (Give Up The Ghost) and Some Girls, Eisold's body of work has truly affected a generation of listeners. Through constant cross-pollination Eisold has gained mass appeal, influencing underground and popular culture with his ever evolving artistic vision.
With an already prolific number of releases, Cold Cave has become a name synonymous with the contemporary resurgence of Darkwave and Synth Pop sub-genres. Propelling Cold Cave to perform at world class museums The Getty and the Guggenheim, as well as performances with legends Sonic Youth, The Jesus and Mary Chain, among others.
Pacing Around the Church
Cold Cave Lyrics
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There's no one here
There's just excuses when the truth is nowhere near
Stars explode
You dream below
A god
A prayer
You stare at a wall and think about your life
Your brittle little life
You won't make it out there alone
You may need me now
You may need me now and then
This was easy when we were young and free
And now we are anything but either of these
I'll take you
Take me
Chasing the ghosts around
Abandoned towns
You have so much love to give
But nowhere to live
Frozen tears
Dying of thirst
The failure of this affair with your past
Is not the last or first
Your wishes in the well
Go to hell
You can seldom count on love
You can often count on hate
You can always count on death as your fate
And when you need a face for all three
Then darling look for me
I'll take pleasure in bringing
Your enemies to their knees
The lyrics to Cold Cave's "Pacing Around the Church" are open to interpretation but the song conveys a sense of loneliness and not fitting in. The singer is pacing around the church with no one there, so he's left to his own thoughts. The truth is nowhere near, which suggests that he's struggling to find his place in the world. The stars explode, and he dreams below, and he's praying to a god in a broken home. The line "in a broken home" suggests that his life is in a state of disrepair, and he's searching for meaning in it all.
He's staring at a wall, and he's thinking about his life, which he describes as "brittle" and "little." This line indicates that he feels small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. He admits that he won't make it out there alone and may need someone now and then. This is a moment of vulnerability for the singer, as he realizes that he cannot do everything by himself. He acknowledges that life was simpler when he was younger and free, but now things are complicated. The singer expresses his willingness to be there for the other person when they need him.
The second verse starts with chasing ghosts around abandoned towns, indicating that the singer is running from his past. He has so much love to give, but nowhere to live. This line suggests that he wants to connect with someone but cannot find a place to do so. The failure of this affair with his past is not the last or first, meaning that he has been through similar situations before. The singer's wishes end up in the well, which is a metaphor for his desires being unfulfilled.
The final verse is about counting on love and hate, with the singer acknowledging that he can seldom count on love, but he can often count on hate. He ends with the statement that he will take pleasure in bringing his enemies to their knees. This line is unexpected, and we do not know who the enemies are, but it reveals the singer's dark side.
Line by Line Meaning
Pacing around the church
The singer is walking around aimlessly in a church
There's no one here
The church is empty
There's just excuses when the truth is nowhere near
People make excuses when they can't face the truth
Stars explode
The universe is constantly changing
You dream below
The artist is on Earth and dreaming while the stars are in the sky
A god
The idea of a higher power
A prayer
A form of communication with a higher power
In a broken home
The artist grew up in a dysfunctional family
You stare at a wall and think about your life
The artist is reflecting on their own life
Your brittle little life
The artist's life feels fragile and unstable
You won't make it out there alone
The singer needs help to face life's challenges
You may need me now
The artist is offering their help to the listener
You may need me now and then
The singer is willing to be there for the listener when needed
This was easy when we were young and free
Life was simpler when the singer and listener were young
And now we are anything but either of these
Life has gotten more complicated for both the singer and listener
I'll take you
The artist is offering to help the listener navigate life
Take me
The artist wants the listener to reciprocate and help them as well
Chasing the ghosts around
The singer is haunted by memories of the past
Abandoned towns
Places that have been forgotten and left behind
You have so much love to give
The artist believes the listener has a lot to offer the world
But nowhere to live
The artist believes the listener is struggling to find their place in the world
Frozen tears
The artist has cried so much that their tears have frozen
Dying of thirst
The singer is metaphorically dying because they can't get what they need
The failure of this affair with your past
The listener has had a difficult time leaving their past behind
Is not the last or first
Other people have struggled with this before and will again
Your wishes in the well
The singer is referencing the idea of throwing a coin in a well to make a wish
Go to hell
The singer is indicating that the listener's wishes won't come true
You can seldom count on love
Love is often unstable and unpredictable
You can often count on hate
People can be quick to hate and cause harm
You can always count on death as your fate
Death is inevitable
And when you need a face for all three
When the listener is faced with love, hate, and death at the same time
Then darling look for me
The artist is willing to be there for the listener during difficult times
I'll take pleasure in bringing
The artist will enjoy causing pain to the listener's enemies
Your enemies to their knees
The artist wants to see the listener's enemies defeated
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: WESLEY EISOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind