Converge is a four-piece American band, formed in February of 1990 in Salem… Read Full Bio ↴Converge is a four-piece American band, formed in February of 1990 in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and extreme metal, this pioneer outfit helped define a lot of the rudiments of the fast-burgeoning metalcore and mathcore genres formed by vocalist Jacob Bannon and guitarist Kurt Ballou in Salem, Massachusetts in 1990. During the recording of their seminal fourth album Jane Doe, the group became a four-piece with the departure of guitarist Aaron Dalbec and the addition of bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller. This lineup has remained intact since. They have released nine studio albums, three live albums, and numerous EPs. The band's sound is rooted in both hardcore punk and extreme metal, and they are considered pioneers of metalcore as well as its subgenre mathcore.

Converge have enjoyed a relatively high level of recognition. According to AllMusic, they are "regarded as one of the most original and innovative bands to emerge from the punk underground." Their popularity rose with the release of Jane Doe, which was ranked as the best album of 2001 by Terrorizer and later as the 61st Best Metal Album of All Time by Rolling Stone. Subsequently, Converge moved from Equal Vision Records to the considerably larger label Epitaph Records and their records gradually became more elaborate and expensive to produce. Special releases have traditionally been handled by Deathwish Inc., established by Bannon in 1999. The band's ninth studio album, The Dusk in Us, was released in November 2017 through Deathwish and Epitaph.

Empty on the Inside
Converge Lyrics

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Empty on the inside
Searching for all my life
Empty on the inside
Aching for all my life
Empty on the inside
Hunting for all my life
What made me whole is slipping through my hands
Youth leaves us all as this death commands

And I can't shake these beasts from my bones
It's their rabid hunger that built me this home
And it sickens me to say this is the only way
But if it hurts you I know it must be true
Empty on the inside
Searching for all my life
Empty on the inside
Aching for all my life
Empty on the inside

Hunting for all my life
I am empty

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Converge's song "Empty on the Inside" capture the feeling of searching for something that cannot be found. The repeated phrase "Empty on the inside" expresses a deep sense of inner emptiness and longing that runs throughout the song. The singer reflects on their lifelong search for meaning and fulfillment, which has so far been unsuccessful.

The lines "What made me whole is slipping through my hands / Youth leaves us all as this death commands" speak to the fleeting nature of happiness and youth. The singer laments the loss of something that once gave them a sense of purpose and fulfillment, but which has now slipped away with time. The final lines of the song, "I am empty," emphasize the singer's feelings of desolation and hopelessness.

Overall, "Empty on the Inside" is a powerful meditation on the human condition and the universal desire for purpose and meaningful connections with others. The song's raw emotion and intense lyrics make it a standout track in Converge's discography.

Line by Line Meaning

Empty on the inside
The feeling of being hollow and incomplete inside

Searching for all my life
The perpetual search for something that will fill the emptiness inside

Aching for all my life
The intense longing for fulfillment that has persisted for a lifetime

Hunting for all my life
The relentless pursuit of a sense of wholeness and contentment

What made me whole is slipping through my hands
The very thing that once brought fulfillment is now lost and elusive

Youth leaves us all as this death commands
The natural process of aging and mortality that robs us of our youthful sense of invincibility

And I can't shake these beasts from my bones
The inner demons and struggles that are deeply ingrained and impossible to escape

It's their rabid hunger that built me this home
The inner turmoil and struggles have been a driving force in shaping the individual's identity

And it sickens me to say this is the only way
Despite the negative and harmful impact of these struggles, it is hard to imagine life without them

But if it hurts you I know it must be true
Sometimes the path to fulfillment and growth can be painful and difficult

I am empty
A simple declaration of the internal emptiness