Craig's Brother is a punk rock band founded by Ted Bond. Its original lineu… Read Full Bio ↴Craig's Brother is a punk rock band founded by Ted Bond. Its original lineup included Heath Konkel, Scott Hrapoff, Adam Nigh and Andy Snyder.

Craig's Brother released their first commercial album Homecoming on Tooth & Nail Records in 1998. By this time they had already released two demos: one self-titled cassette tape and a CD/LP called Keepin' It Real. They never achieved much fame, but the fans they did attain were extremely dedicated. They relied quite a bit on the Christian music market in order to gain a foothold.

In 2000, a sophomore release, Lost At Sea, was planned, when Tooth & Nail dropped the band. It is still unclear why they did so. It took more than a year before Lost At Sea became available outside the United States. Soon thereafter, the album once again became unavailable.

Right around this time, the drummer, Heath Konkel, one of the few who had stuck with the band from the beginning, left to attend school. More members left, new ones were gained, among these a certain Steven, who also performs in the band HeyMike!, that split up around this time. Dan McClintock of Inspection 12 also contributed songwriting, singing, and guitar playing to the second album. Ryan Key, Yellowcard's vocalist, also joined the band for a short while. Yellowcard's violinist, Sean Mackin, also made a guest appearance on "Back and Forth" on the Lost at Sea album.

In the end, it was too turbulent to keep going. Craig's Brother disbanded in 2001, after fans had been kept on their toes for months.

The band's website at www.craigsbrother.net, remained however, and has changed layouts numerous times. The webmaster, Eli, has stuck around and kept the messageboard running, and there have even been a few updates. In the summer of 2003, www.tedbond.com was launched, also by Eli (As of 2005, the domain is no longer up). Ted gave the fans three new acoustic songs, one of which was called "Craig's Brother". It was a sad reflection on the time in the band, hanging out with, "just a bunch of drunks I can't stand". These songs proved Ted could still write songs that were of the same caliber as the earlier Craig's Brother material.

Rumours that that the band would reunite were proven true. At the end of 2003, it was announced that Craig's Brother was back. Heath and Scott returned from school, and they also recruited some other new band members. A new EP, EPidemic (with that capitalization) was released the next summer.

In early 2009 Craig's Brother reported on their web site www.craigsbrother.com that they would be entering the studio to record a new full length album. The new album is titled 'The Insidious Lie'. The band finished the album in December 2010 and it will be released in early 2011.

Potential
Craig's Brother Lyrics

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Hey there, Mr. Personality, was everybody wrong to think
That you would have the world on it's knees
Or perhaps we were too blind to see that all your grace would fall to entropy
Leaving only fear and apathy and useless dreams

And the shadows that you cast so tall on the wall of possibility
Grow closer to infinity with every word that goes unsaid
Cause you could build your house of gold if you could only find a place to start

But for now there's just a question mark hanging on your head

Cause you could be the best there ever was (3x)
But you won't move cause you're to scared
Potential shines so bright when never dared

And I never thought I'd find you gagged and bound by mediocrity
Denying who you want to be how did your standards get so low?
Or are you still content hang your feat in the pool of opportunity
When everyone has yet to see a single thing to show

Hey Mr. World at your Feet did you finally accept defeat?
Or was your bark more than your bite
When you wake up from your dream to find your smile has lost it's gleam
Well maybe then you'll see the light

Cause you could be the best there ever was (3x)
But nothing's gained when nothing's shared
Potential shines so bright when never dared

So break those chains and take the world

It's yours to claim, or are you still afraid
To take some value from those impotent dilapidated aspirations

Overall Meaning

The song "Potential" by Craig's Brother delves into the idea of wasted potential and the fear that holds people back from achieving greatness. The lyrics are directed towards someone who was initially considered to be successful, with the world at their feet. They were expected to achieve greatness, but instead fell prey to fear and entropy, leading to their downfall. The song questions why this person settled for mediocrity, rather than striving for something better and fulfilling their potential. It suggests that their fear is what ultimately held them back and prevented them from achieving their goals.

The use of figurative language in the song is notable. The shadows cast by the person are described as growing closer to infinity, representing the potential they had but ultimately failed to use. The metaphor of "hanging a question mark on your head" is used to highlight the uncertainty surrounding this person's future, and the potential they could have realized. The lyrics also suggest that the person is aware of their missed opportunities, but still chooses to do nothing about it.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the fear that often holds people back from achieving greatness. It encourages the listener to take risks and pursue their dreams, rather than accepting mediocrity and stagnation.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey there, Mr. Personality, was everybody wrong to think
Were we mistaken to assume that your charming persona would lead to great success?

That you would have the world on it's knees
That your talents and charisma would make you an unstoppable force of achievement.

Or perhaps we were too blind to see that all your grace would fall to entropy
Maybe we failed to recognize that your charm would eventually succumb to chaos and disorder.

Leaving only fear and apathy and useless dreams
Your lack of action and drive has led to only feelings of anxiety, indifference, and aimless aspirations.

And the shadows that you cast so tall on the wall of possibility
Your potential for greatness looms large and visible, but your inaction keeps you from reaching it.

Grow closer to infinity with every word that goes unsaid
As time goes on and opportunities pass you by, your potential becomes more and more distant and unreachable.

Cause you could build your house of gold if you could only find a place to start
Your potential for success is immense, if only you could take the first step on the path to greatness.

But for now there's just a question mark hanging on your head
Your indecision and lack of action leaves your future uncertain and your potential untapped.

Cause you could be the best there ever was (3x)
You have limitless potential to be the greatest at whatever you choose to do.

But you won't move cause you're to scared
Your fear and lack of confidence is the only thing holding you back from achieving greatness.

Potential shines so bright when never dared
The possibility for greatness is strongest when it is not yet realized.

And I never thought I'd find you gagged and bound by mediocrity
I never expected you to be held back by a lack of ambition and a complacent attitude.

Denying who you want to be how did your standards get so low?
You have lost sight of your true potential and have settled for less than you are capable of achieving.

Or are you still content hang your feat in the pool of opportunity
Are you satisfied with only dipping your toes in the vast ocean of possibilities for your future?

When everyone has yet to see a single thing to show
Despite your potential, you have yet to show any achievements or progress toward your goals.

Hey Mr. World at your Feet did you finally accept defeat?
Have you given up on achieving greatness, even with all the advantages and opportunities at your disposal?

Or was your bark more than your bite
Did your confidence and boasting exceed your actual ability and drive?

When you wake up from your dream to find your smile has lost it's gleam
If you continue to ignore your potential, you will eventually lose your happiness and satisfaction with life.

Well maybe then you'll see the light
Perhaps only through facing consequences will you finally take action and pursue your potential.

But nothing's gained when nothing's shared
Your potential for greatness is meaningless if you never take action and share your talents with others.

So break those chains and take the world
Free yourself from inaction and fear, and seize the opportunities and possibilities around you.

It's yours to claim, or are you still afraid
You have the power and potential to achieve great things, but your fear and hesitancy may still hold you back.

To take some value from those impotent dilapidated aspirations
Find motivation and inspiration in the failures and shortcomings of others, and use them to fuel your own success.

Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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