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.
Lioness
Dead Poetic Lyrics
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She dims the room light
While she moves closer
We all move slower
Tracing white lines
Sipping fine wines
We remember
Sex is the lioness
Queen of the temple
I look right in her eyes
And I'm down to her level
The sex is the lioness
Queen of the temple
I look right in her eyes
And I'm down to her level
Play unstable and let us get away
There's a point when their faces are all the same
We all act like pagans, they all will betray
She's speaking the language, she's burning the flame
In this darkness I can't remember
When we were stable, we were able
In this darkness I can't remember
When we were stable, no
The sex is the lioness
Queen of the temple
I look right in her eyes
And I'm down to her level
The sex is the lioness
Queen of the temple
I look right in her eyes
And I'm down to her level
The sex is the lioness
Queen of the temple
I look right in her eyes
And I'm down to her level
The sex is the lioness
Queen of the temple
I look right in her eyes
And I'm down to her level
The sex is the liar
The sex is the liar
I look right in her eyes
The sex is the lioness
Queen of the temple
I look right in her eyes
And I'm down to her level
The sex is the lioness
Queen of the temple
I look right in her eyes
And I'm down to her level
The sex is the liar
The sex is the liar
The lyrics of Dead Poetic's song "Lioness" speak about the power of sex and its hold on human beings. The first lines describe a woman as a god in her own right, whose presence lowers the energy of the room and slows down movements. The second verse delves deeper into a reminiscence of a purer time when sex wasn't overtly explicit and apparently had more meaning. However, the lioness aspect of sex is also presented as a queen of the temple, whose call can't be avoided as it brings us down to its level. The chorus repeats this sentiment, highlighting the inevitability of submitting to the lioness and how it distorts our perception of reality.
The second half of the song touches upon escapism and the idea of leaving behind the mundane and predictable to embrace the wild, unstable aspects of life. This is where the imagery of paganism comes in, as well as the mention of betrayal. The singer seems confused about his own stability and wrestles with the complexities of his feelings toward the lioness, who represents the destructive power of sex. The last lines state that sex is a liar, perhaps implying that its promise of pleasure and satisfaction is ultimately an illusion.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a god in her own right
She is powerful and confident, like a deity.
She dims the room light
Her presence commands attention and sets the mood.
While she moves closer
As she approaches, we are drawn in and captivated.
We all move slower
Under her influence, time seems to slow down.
Tracing white lines
Engaging in drug use, possibly cocaine.
Sipping fine wines
Drinking classy alcoholic beverages.
We remember
We reminisce and long for the past.
When purity wasn't dead
When we were innocent and uncorrupted by life's temptations.
Sex is the lioness
Sexuality is a powerful, animalistic force.
Queen of the temple
It reigns supreme and commands attention in the world of the song's characters.
I look right in her eyes
Looking directly into the eyes of one's sexual partner during an encounter.
And I'm down to her level
Becoming more animalistic and less in control, perhaps due to the intensity of the sexual experience.
Play unstable and let us get away
Embracing a lack of stability and reason to escape reality, likely through drugs or sex.
There's a point when their faces are all the same
When in a passionate and frenzied state, the people around us blur together and lose their individual identities.
We all act like pagans, they all will betray
Giving into primal desires and lustful urges can lead to betrayal and abandonment.
She's speaking the language, she's burning the flame
The woman is fully engaged and passionate in the sexual encounter.
In this darkness I can't remember
Being lost in the moment and caught up in the intensity of the experience.
When we were stable, we were able
Reflecting on a time when one had greater control and stability in their life.
The sex is the lioness
Repeating the earlier line to emphasize its importance.
The sex is the liar
Suggesting that sex can be deceptive and misleading.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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