Th… Read Full Bio ↴Cory Wells is a singer-songwriter from Redondo Beach, California.
The cover of Wellsβ debut album, THE WAY WE ARE, features the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter perched atop a rusted-out vintage car, calling to mind dusty folk music. Songs like the set-opening βDistantβ and βKeiko,β imbued by seemingly effortless musicianship and wistful nostalgia, go a long way toward reinforcing this sonic predilection.
But thereβs more to Wells than what youβll find on the surface. The songwriter grew up playing metal before discovering Dashboard Confessionalβs seminal MTV Unplugged 2.0 live album, a record that set him on a hard left turn to creating a more well-worn, earnest style. Even so, he injects the desperation and power of his heavy music background into every note of THE WAY WE ARE β not necessarily in sound, but in spirit.
Across the albumβs 12 songs, Wells plays the role of shapeshifter: Just when youβve got him figured out, he unleashes new musical elements β a ferocious scream (βWalk Awayβ) that eventually gives way to soaring falsetto (βCementβ), stirring acoustic guitar that crescendos into fiery full-band fare. The ghosts of new-era emo torchbearers (including Dashboardβs Chris Carrabba, a contributor on βFall Apartβ) are alive and well in his lush beds of acoustic-based rock, but Wells isnβt actively summoning them. Rather, heβs a decidedly patient songwriter, waiting for the right time to pair a searing lyric with the throat-shredding vocal performance it demands.
Keiko
Cory Wells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know it's too much time.
My dear, it's the best I can do.
I promise you'll be just fine.
You'll be just fine.
Tell me you'll be waitin' at the end.
Try to keep it all together when you say
""Do you see yourself with me?
It's not fair to say that everything is alright.
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
This better be the last time.
Do you see straight through me?
Am I just a dream to get you through the night?
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
This better be the last time.""
You know I can't take the pain from you
but you're tuggin' on my line.
Taking blame is all I can do.
I promise you'll be just fine.
Tell me you'll be waitin' at the end.
Try to keep it all together when you say
""Do you see yourself with me?
It's not fair to say that everything is alright.
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
This better be the last time.
Do you see straight through me?
Am I just a dream to get you through the night?
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
This better be the last time.
Save me. Erase me.
Save me. Erase me.
Do you see yourself with me?
It's not fair to say that everything is alright.
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
Do you see yourself with me?
It's not fair to say that everything is alright.
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
This better be the last time.
Do you see straight through me?
Am I just a dream to get you through the night?
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
This better be the last time.""
The lyrics of Cory Wells's song "Keiko" explore a long-distance relationship that is strained by the distance and the difficulties it presents. The singer promises to return after three years but acknowledges the pain it will cause in the meantime. The partner responds with a plea to be honest about their true feelings and intentions, expressing frustration and a sense of being constantly pushed away. Despite this, the singer insists that they will do everything they can to keep their partner safe and well, even if it means shouldering blame or carrying an emotional burden. The song ends with a repetition of the partner's plea, emphasizing the fragility of their connection and the need for both honesty and commitment in order for it to endure.
The song as a whole explores themes of distance, time, and the challenges of maintaining a relationship across physical and emotional divides. The singer and partner both struggle with their own doubts and fears, but also with the possibility that their connection is illusory or unsustainable. The repetition of the partner's questions and the use of repetition in the chorus reflect the uncertainty and anxiety that both parties experience. The song does not offer a clear resolution, but rather leaves the listener with a sense of the complexities of human relationships and the ways in which we yearn for connection even as we fear it.
Line by Line Meaning
Three years I'll be back for you.
The singer will be gone for three years but promises to return.
I know it's too much time.
The singer understands that three years is a long time.
My dear, it's the best I can do.
The singer is doing everything he can and hopes it's enough.
I promise you'll be just fine.
The artist assures his loved one that she will be okay.
You'll be just fine.
Reiteration of the previous line.
Tell me you'll be waitin' at the end.
The singer wants his loved one to wait for him at the end of the three years.
Try to keep it all together when you say
The singer wants his loved one to remain composed when she speaks to him about their relationship.
""Do you see yourself with me?
The artist asks his loved one about their status as a couple.
It's not fair to say that everything is alright.
The artist suggests that their relationship is not perfect.
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
The artist is frustrated with his loved one's tendency to avoid their problems.
This better be the last time.""
The singer warns that this issue needs to be resolved for good.
You know I can't take the pain from you
The artist acknowledges that he can't solve all of his loved one's problems.
but you're tuggin' on my line.
The singer is being pulled into his loved one's issues despite his limitations.
Taking blame is all I can do.
The singer is willing to take responsibility for their problems even if he can't fix them.
Save me. Erase me.
This line is open to interpretation and could suggest various things such as a plea for help or a desire to start over.
""Do you see yourself with me?
Reiteration of a previous line.
It's not fair to say that everything is alright.
Reiteration of a previous line.
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
Reiteration of a previous line.
This better be the last time.
Reiteration of a previous line.
Do you see straight through me?
The artist wonders if his loved one truly knows him.
Am I just a dream to get you through the night?
The artist questions whether he is just a temporary distraction for his loved one.
When you're with me you're always runnin' away.
Reiteration of a previous line.
This better be the last time.
Reiteration of a previous line.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Joe Ginsberg, Cory Thomas Wells
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@corylewis7737
Your music takes away my depression. Thank you for every song you have created, you have saved my life. Please release more music and push through everything.
@RonanStreamkiller
Came here as a YYH fan, stayed as a new fan of Cory.
@casualmime2792
He finally released an album hell yeah!
@savo1125
holy shit what an album not one bad song
@zaczaring722
I absolutely love your music cory
@xyfujoshixy6796
me too a Yyh fan, the only couple for me that made me believe in love and in forever
@cryptotrippin
Congrats on the album. It's amazing π€π
@LuisReyes-os4qn
I love this dude!!
@jackdoc2010
Sublime
@rebeccachesbro3251
I love it!!!