In the fall of 2004 personal disagreements within the band caused bassist Chad Shellabarger, drummer Josh Shellabarger, and guitarist Todd Osborn to all depart the band, and Dead Poetic appeared to be a thing of the past. But remaining members Brandon Rike (vocals) and Zach Miles (guitar) began playing with accomplished drummer Jesse Sprinkle (formerly of Poor Old Lu and Demon Hunter; also the brother of Aaron Sprinkle) and their passion for music reignited. Beloved alums Dusty Redmon (guitar) and John Brehm (bass) came on board to round out the new, revamped version of Dead Poetic..
Shortly before the release of third album, Vices, lead singer Brandon Rike left the band. This was the trigger to the break up of Dead Poetic. Guitarist Dusty Redmon confirmed the band's disbanding on absolutepunk.net in September 2007:
"When Brandon left the band back in October (before "Vices" came out), a lot of big stuff was going on. We had great tour plans, a batch of new songs we were in to, and just kind of a new sense of freshness about the band. Brandon had been sort of "over it" for a long time, and just sort of picked a bad time to bail. He loves doing design, and being hang-out-at-home-type of husband, which is cool. I kind of called "NOT IT" when it came to making an announcement, but I guess so did everyone else. T&N put a lot of initial money into the record, only to see the band fall apart before the release, causing them to basically drop the entire promotion campaign. Sorry to those who were led on by thinking we were still active. Jesse is recording, Brandon is designing, John is tattooing, Zach just had a new baby, and I'm playing in the Almost."
On October 30, 2007, Jesse Sprinkle posted a MySpace bulletin reiterating that the band was still indeed together. "Contrary to popular opinion and the mighty Wikipedia, Dead Poetic has not broken up. We are still a band indeed....we figured we'd post it to the public....we assure you that Dead Poetic is alive." He went on to say that the band's label, Tooth and Nail, would be releasing a "Best Of" album for Dead Poetic in the near future, and that the band hopes to start writing songs for a new record very soon.
August Winterman
Dead Poetic Lyrics
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I'd teach them all to be something just like me.
Frustrated, bitter, depressing.
Perfect â?? As if my wings were like yours
But I'm falling down.
And if you could hold your tongue long enough..
I despise me.
Perfect â?? As if my wings were like yours
But I'm falling down.
Perfect â?? As if my wings were like yours
But I'm falling down.
It's a disease they'll never have a cure for.
You're the only way to dry my eyes.
It's a disease, they'll never have a cure.
But I'm the on whose wrong. I'm the one who cries.
It's a disease, they'll never have a cure for.
It's a disease, they'll never have a cure.
But I'm the on whose wrong. I'm the one who cries.
I cry â?? I despise me.
The lyrics of Dead Poetic's song August Winterman express the frustration and self-hatred of the singer. The first stanza conveys a sense of nihilism, where the singer sees no worth in existence and teaches others his perspective. He is frustrated, bitter, and depressed. The second stanza, however, reveals that this outward appearance is not his true nature. If others could hold their tongues long enough to see it, they would realize that he is all about love. However, he cannot stand himself and feels he is undeserving of that love. He thinks that he is imperfect and unworthy of the "perfect" wings that others have.
The final stanza repeats the idea that he sees himself as a disease without a cure. He feels that others, which can either refer to society, medical professionals, or perhaps someone or something specific, could help alleviate his pain but realizes he himself is the problem. He cries and hates himself, mirroring the sense of frustration and resentment conveyed in the first stanza. The song, therefore, is a reflection of the singer's internal struggle with himself, encapsulating how an individual can see themselves as both undesirable and worthy of affection simultaneously.
Line by Line Meaning
And If I could teach the world to be..
If I had the power to influence the world, I'd make everyone just like me - someone who's frustrated, bitter, and depressing.
I'd teach them all to be something just like me.
My ideal version of the world is full of people who have the same negative traits as I do.
Perfect â?? As if my wings were like yours
I long to be perfect, to have the same qualities as those I admire.
But I'm falling down.
Instead of reaching my lofty goals, I'm failing and descending into despair.
And if you could hold your tongue long enough..
If only you were patient and quiet, you'd see that underneath my negativity is a core of love. However, I can't stand who I am and hate myself.
You'd see that all I am is love, but I don't like me.
At my core, I care for others, yet I detest myself.
I despise me.
I have no love for myself and feel disgust towards who I am.
It's a disease they'll never have a cure for.
My negative mindset is like an illness that cannot be cured.
You're the only way to dry my eyes.
The only thing that helps me feel better is you, as you comfort and console me.
But I'm the on whose wrong. I'm the one who cries.
The problem lies within me, and I'm the one who is responsible for my tears and sadness.
I cry â?? I despise me.
I am overwhelmed by my negative emotions and self-hatred to the point where I'm crying.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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