Along with Simon Collins, Kerzner was a co-founder of the band Sound of Contact but left the group in January 2014.
At present, he is a co-founder and member of the band Mantra Vega.
Kerzner has worked with artists and bands such as Alan Parsons, Genesis, Francis Dunnery, Neil Peart, Keith Emerson, Tom Waits, and Smashing Pumpkins.
Dave Kerzner, former member of the Progressive Rock band “Sound of Contact”, is gearing up for a late October 2014 release of his debut solo concept album, “New World”. The first single off the album, “Stranded”, has just been released as a digital download from iTunes®, Amazon®, Google Play® and other on line stores. “Stranded” is a 10 minute “rock opera” comprised of 5 parts. It features Kerzner on vocals and keyboards with special guests Steve Hackett of Genesis, Durga McBroom of Pink Floyd, Nick D’Virgilio of Spocks Beard, Jason Scheff of Chicago and it was mixed by legendary engineer Tom Lord-Alge.
http://www.davekerzner.com
Under Control
Dave Kerzner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A promise given taken by force
Your moving finger sculpting my mind
Led to believe and follow you blind
Seeds of deceit planted under the skin
A hidden chip designed to steal from within
Breaking my will so you can play with your toy
Distorted pleasure from the hope you destroy
I am under control
I am under control
I feel your hands on my soul
I am under control
Got a fever, sweating it out
Vultures waiting in the shadows of doubt
At any moment the tables will turn
For now I run while the bridges burn
I look for shelter from the storming skies
Avoid the watchers with their roving eyes
Escape the trance that held my feet to the ground
Break away to where I'll never be found
I am under control
I am under control
I feel your hands on my soul
I am under control
All of this time in crime I played the quiet fool
For all that I am, it's been impossibly cruel
All of what's mine designed to make a better you
To make a better you
I am under control
I am under control
I feel your hands on my soul
I am under control
These lyrics seem to be describing a situation in which the singer has been manipulated and deceived by another person. The first stanza suggests that this person has implanted a "hidden chip" or false belief in the singer's mind, forcing them to follow blindly and breaking down their will. The second stanza describes the singer's attempt to escape this situation, but feeling as though they are still under the control of this person, with "fever" and "vultures waiting in the shadows of doubt."
The third stanza adds a layer of complexity to the situation, with the singer revealing that they had been playing the "quiet fool" in a "crime" for someone else's benefit. It's unclear what this crime involves, but it seems as though the singer has been hurt in the process, with "all of what's mine designed to make a better you." Ultimately, the chorus repeats that despite the singer's attempts to break free, they are still "under control" by this other person or entity.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a feeling of powerlessness and entrapment, with a sense of betrayal and manipulation by a controlling force.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a needle extracting the source
You penetrate my core to extract information from me
A promise given taken by force
You forced me to give you a promise against my will
Your moving finger sculpting my mind
Your manipulation is shaping my thoughts and actions
Led to believe and follow you blind
You have convinced me to blindly follow you
Seeds of deceit planted under the skin
You have planted seeds of deceit within me
A hidden chip designed to steal from within
You have designed a hidden mechanism to steal from me from within
Breaking my will so you can play with your toy
You have broken my will so you can use me as your plaything
Distorted pleasure from the hope you destroy
You derive distorted pleasure from destroying my hope
I am under control
You have complete control over me
I feel your hands on my soul
I feel your control over my very being
Got a fever, sweating it out
I am suffering from the sickness you have caused
Vultures waiting in the shadows of doubt
There are others waiting to take advantage of my weakened state
At any moment the tables will turn
I know that eventually the situation will change in my favor
For now I run while the bridges burn
I am taking action to get away from you while I still can
I look for shelter from the storming skies
I am seeking refuge from the harm you have caused
Avoid the watchers with their roving eyes
I am evading those who are trying to keep watch over me
Escape the trance that held my feet to the ground
I am breaking free from the spell that had me trapped
Break away to where I'll never be found
I am trying to disappear so that you can never find me
All of this time in crime I played the quiet fool
I have been foolishly going along with your deceitful ways
For all that I am, it's been impossibly cruel
The harm you have caused me has been exceedingly cruel
All of what's mine designed to make a better you
You have been using my resources to improve yourself
Contributed by Madelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.