The band is well known for their relatively frequent lineup changes, which, most notably, involves a fluctuating lineup of vocalists, both on tour and on record. Dance Gavin Dance incorporates many different musical genres into their palette, such as math rock, funk, and soul on top of its post-hardcore sound. Ex-vocalist Jonny Craig also received high marks for contributing to the band's unorthodox soul sound and guitarist Will Swan has been recognized for his intricate, fast-moving guitar licks and riffs.
The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, guitarists Will Swan and Andrew Wells and drummer Matthew Mingus.
To date, the band has released ten studio albums, two live albums and one EP. Their most recent album, entitled Jackpot Juicer was released in 2022.
Discography:
November 14, 2006 - Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean
May 15, 2007 - Downtown Battle Mountain
August 19, 2008 - Dance Gavin Dance
June 9, 2009 - Happiness
March 8, 2011 - Downtown Battle Mountain II
October 8, 2013 - Acceptance Speech
April 14, 2015 - Instant Gratification
October 7, 2016 - Mothership
June 8, 2018 - Artificial Selection
April 24, 2020 - Afterburner
July 29, 2022 - Jackpot Juicer
All of Dance Gavin Dance's records have been released on Rise Records.
Band Members:
Jonathan Mess - harsh vocals (2005–2008; 2010–present)
Will Swan - guitars (2005–present); harsh vocals (2008–2010), bass guitar (2022-present)
Tilian Pearson - clean vocals (2012–present)
Matt Mingus - drums, percussion (2005–present)
Andrew Wells - guitars, clean vocals, bass guitar (2021-present; touring 2015-2021)
Sergio Medina - rhythm guitar, bass guitar (touring 2021-present)
Former Members:
Jonny Craig – clean vocals (2005–2007; 2010–2012; touring 2015, 2016)
Kurt Travis – clean & harsh vocals (2007–2010; touring 2012, 2015, 2016)
Alvaro Alcala – guitar (2005-2006)
Sean O'Sullivan – guitar (2006–2007; touring 2010)
Zachary Garren – guitar (2007–2010; touring 2015)
Josh Benton - guitar (2010-2014)
Eric Lodge – bass guitar (2005–2008; 2010–2012)
Jason Ellis – bass guitar (2008–2009)
Tim Feerick – bass guitar (2009–2010; 2012–2022; died 2022)
Former touring members:
Matt Geise – clean vocals (2012)
Dan Snook – guitar (2010)
Aric Garcia - guitar (2014-2015)
Alex Whitcomb - guitar (2015)
Tony Marks – bass guitar (2010)
Jordan McCoy – bass guitar (2011–2012)
On the Run
Dance Gavin Dance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I go broke when I assume I suck, flex my settlement, I'm selling stuff
Get that, go in raw, have a baby, adopt a dog
Well I blasted enacted and off to space,
Well I practiced adapted, and it felt great
Right now I need somebody
A little taste of honey
Legs don't matter, they're just softening, I'm limpin'
Bugs don't matter, no death is suffering, so squish it
Legs don't matter, they're just softening, I'm limpin
Bugs don't matter, no death is suffering, so squish it
I'm giving in this time
Temptation running wild
Shutting down my mind
You got me on the run (uh oh)
You know me more than anybody (uh oh)
You caught me with the gun in my hand (uh oh)
But I don't care bout anybody but you
I'm on a roll, I can't contain myself
I need a taste
Legs don't matter, they're just softening, I'm limpin'
Bugs don't matter, no death is suffering, so squish it
Legs don't matter, they're just softening, I'm limpin
Bugs don't matter, no death is suffering, so squish it
You got me on the run (uh oh)
You know me more than anybody (uh oh)
You caught me with the gun in my hand (uh oh)
But I don't care bout anybody but you
Don't tell me that we're done (uh oh)
I know you more than anybody (uh oh)
I'll make it up to you I swear (uh oh)
'Cause I don't care bout anybody but you
I got a feeling that you're dropping the bomb tonight
And leaving me on my own
Took all your pictures off the wall and you were cold as ice
When we talked on the phone
If you want it come home maybe we could work it out
You know I would take it back if I could
Or we could leave it in the past and try make it out
Hit the radio and set the mood
I did you wrong now let me atone
'Cause I don't think we'll make it all alone
Alone, alone, alone
I got a feeling that we're here to stay
Stick with me and I can take you there
I'm not about to throw it all away
Holding on to what we got, so rare
I got a feeling that we're here to stay
Stick with me and I can take you there
I'm not about to throw it all away
Holding on to what we got, so rare
The lyrics to "On the Run" by Dance Gavin Dance are somewhat ambiguous, as the song seems to jump around from one idea to another. The song appears to be about a person who is in some kind of difficult situation and is seeking a distraction or escape. The opening lines of the song, "Pop that, shock and awe, get that grab it, go go claws," are a bit difficult to interpret, but they may be referring to the idea of chasing after something, whether it be a goal or an experience, and seizing it with all one's might.
The next few lines of the song seem to suggest that the singer is trying to improve his life, but is struggling to do so. The lyrics "I go broke when I assume I suck, flex my settlement, I'm selling stuff" hint at financial problems, but it's unclear how these are related to the rest of the song. The lines "Well I practiced adapted, and it felt great" suggest that the singer is trying to adapt to his situation and find some kind of peace, but it's not clear what he's adapting to.
The chorus of the song is where things become a bit more clear. The lyrics "You got me on the run, you know me more than anybody" suggest that the singer is trying to escape from something or someone. The next line, "You caught me with the gun in my hand, but I don't care 'bout anybody but you," implies that the person who has caught him is someone who he cares deeply about, and that he is willing to do anything to stay with them. Overall, the song seems to be about someone who is struggling with some kind of internal or external conflict, and is seeking a distraction or escape from their problems.
Line by Line Meaning
Pop that, shock and awe, get that grab it, go go claws
Get ready for action, go for it with all you've got
I go broke when I assume I suck, flex my settlement, I'm selling stuff
When I doubt myself, I lose financially, but I am able to regain wealth by selling what I can
Get that, go in raw, have a baby, adopt a dog
Seize opportunities, take risks, start a family, and be responsible
Well I blasted enacted and off to space,
I took off and left everything behind
Well I practiced adapted, and it felt great
I learned to adapt, and it made me feel good
Right now I need somebody, A little taste of honey
I am seeking companionship and a little bit of pleasure
Legs don't matter, they're just softening, I'm limpin'
My physical condition doesn't matter, it's just a temporary setback
Bugs don't matter, no death is suffering, so squish it
Killing bugs doesn't matter since they don't experience suffering
I'm giving in this time, Temptation running wild, Shutting down my mind
I'm giving in to temptation, but I'm also trying to put a stop to my thoughts
You got me on the run (uh oh)
You've got me running scared
You know me more than anybody (uh oh)
You understand me better than anyone else does
You caught me with the gun in my hand (uh oh)
You caught me red-handed
But I don't care bout anybody but you
No one else matters to me except for you
Don't tell me that we're done (uh oh)
Don't say that our relationship is over
I know you more than anybody (uh oh)
I know you better than anyone else does
I'll make it up to you I swear (uh oh)
I promise to make it up to you
'Cause I don't care bout anybody but you
I only care about you, no one else matters
I got a feeling that you're dropping the bomb tonight
I have a sense that you're going to break up with me tonight
And leaving me on my own
And I'll be left alone
Took all your pictures off the wall and you were cold as ice
You removed all the pictures of us together and you were very distant
When we talked on the phone
When we spoke on the phone
If you want it come home maybe we could work it out
If you want to save our relationship, come home and we'll try to fix things
You know I would take it back if I could
I would change what I did if I had the chance
Or we could leave it in the past and try make it out
Or we could just forget about what happened and move forward
Hit the radio and set the mood
Put on some music and create the right atmosphere
I did you wrong now let me atone
I made a mistake and I want to make it right
'Cause I don't think we'll make it all alone
I don't think we can survive without each other
I got a feeling that we're here to stay
I have a feeling that we'll be together for a long time
Stick with me and I can take you there
Stay with me and we'll reach our goals together
I'm not about to throw it all away
I'm not willing to give up on us
Holding on to what we got, so rare
We're holding onto something special and unique
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: TILIAN PEARSON, TIMOTHY FREERICK, JONATHAN MESS, MATTHEW MINGUS, WILLIAM SWAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steffen Gotsch
I think this video goes deeper than many people are realizing. With the video highlighting the robots in Tilian's parts and the Animals in Mess' parts, the album art of the robots and animals fighting shows the divide between the older DGD fans and some of the new ones. Then, later, as the second half of the song rolls in, the animals and robots are highlighted over Tilian's singing, signifying this album will be an album for every type of DGD fan. Or maybe I'm over-analyzing. I do remember Feerick saying somewhere that this album will have a DBM2/Acceptance Speech vibe.
Dave
Everything this band puts out is a goddamn masterpiece. Once again Jon Mess with the killer lyrics, and wow! Tillian has grown on me.
Josh Wilson
...killer lyrics?
pawrog
Joshua Wilson yes
Josh Wilson
Paweł Kucharzewski how so?
Jedi-For-Hire
This is why they're my favorite band every new album is different than the last one. They aren't afraid to try new things. But haters are gonna hate. Tillian is killing it right now he is great with this band. Yes, Jonny was also amazing with DGD but he couldn't handle his personal problems and its really hard to tour with a drug addict.
pawrog
Joshua Wilson becoause i said so
Ben Wilson
I am so thankful DGD keeps making music. It's these guys that got me into this kind of music and I'm so grateful for that. Ever since I listened to Downtown Battle Mountain 6-7 years ago, it has been my all time fav album. I've been obsessed with that album and everything else they've put out since. Listening to this now just brings me joy that DGD has never quit despite all the band member changes, and I'm especially grateful for Will Swan and Matt Mingus for staying the whole time to keep DGD, DGD. Also Jon Mess as well for staying for almost the whole time. Please continue making music for as long as you can, there's people out here who appreciate it more than you know.
jarl-caysen
100% agree with everything you said.
prez t
carl jaysen c