DYS was a straight edge hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, and … Read Full Bio ↴DYS was a straight edge hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, and part of the notorious Boston Crew along with contemporaries such as SSD and Negative FX. They released two LPs: Brotherhood, an album still held in high regard by fans of hardcore music, and DYS (i.e., self-titled), an album that is more a hard rock or heavy metal album than a hardcore album. Both albums have been reissued together on a CD by Taang! Records (titled Fire and Ice), and Brotherhood has been reissued on CD in early 2005 by Taang! Records in its original format with the addition of the Wolfpack demo tape with Hüsker Dü singing back-up vocals as well as on vinyl by Reflex Records (as Wolfpack, with additional tracks.

DYS took its name from the Department of Youth Services, a Massachusetts governmental organization. Singer Dave Smalley went on to sing for Dag Nasty, ALL, and Down By Law. Bassist Jonathan Anastas became founding member of Slapshot before leaving the music business for a career in advertising.

Escape
DYS Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

World get away from me
I want you far away from me
Confusion's gone
Blackness reigns
There's no more hurt
No more pain
Leave me alone
'Cause I don't want to know

Gonna go in my room
Close the door behind
Alone world I'm your loser
But you were wrong and so was I
So is everything
So is everybody
'Cause there's no point in this
No point in the void you call my soul
Dreams turned into nightmares
Dreams are dreams

Crawl into blackness
Come - scream into my mind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Escape" by DYS convey a strong sense of isolation and disillusionment. The singer addresses the world directly, urging it to stay away and leave them alone. The confusion and pain that once plagued them have given way to a "blackness" that reigns supreme. The singer acknowledges their own role in this state of affairs, admitting that they were wrong along with "everything" and "everybody". It is as though they are trapped in a void, a state of mind that offers no hope or purpose. Dreams, perhaps once comforting, have turned into nightmares. The singer cloisters themselves in their room to avoid the world's gaze. They are alone, a "loser" in a world that doesn't care.

The message of "Escape" could be interpreted in a variety of ways. It may be a meditation on depression or addiction, two conditions that can be isolating and lead to feelings of desolation. It may be a broader commentary on the state of the world and the many systems that are failing people. The singer may be advocating for withdrawal or for the creation of a new reality entirely. Regardless of interpretation, "Escape" is a song that carries a lot of emotional weight, emphasizing the desperation and trauma of the singer's internal experience.

Line by Line Meaning

World get away from me
I want the world to move away from me.

I want you far away from me
I want you to move far away from me.

Confusion's gone
I am not confused anymore.

Blackness reigns
There is darkness everywhere now.

There's no more hurt
I don't feel pain anymore.

No more pain
I don't have to experience any more pain.

Leave me alone
I don't want anyone to bother me.

'Cause I don't want to know
I don't want to know anything anymore.

Gonna go in my room
I will retire to my room.

Close the door behind
I will close the door behind me.

Alone world I'm your loser
I am a loser in this world, all by myself.