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.
Long Forgotten
Dead Poetic Lyrics
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Slowly moving from bending to breaking
I stay diluted to avoid the pain
But I give her more than she can take
I'm only killing the only haven
The still asylum I haven't destroyed yet
And when it?s gone, I'm left with nothing
This isn't what we counted on
This isn't what we said it?d be
The fantasy is dead and I cannot feel it
This isn't what we counted on
This isn't what we said it?d be
The fantasy is dead and long forgotten
I told her she was killing me and
She said she was already dead
Every ounce of emotion fades
And I promise you it'll end someday, I hope
I'm only hoping that this is common
She's all I'm left with when all this fades away
And when it?s gone, I'm left with nothing
This isn't what we counted on
This isn't what we said it?d be
The fantasy is dead and I cannot feel it
This isn't what we counted on
This isn't what we said it?d be
The fantasy is dead and long forgotten
She doesn't need it, she doesn't need it
My optimism is masking my failure
This isn't what we counted on
This isn't what we said it?d be
The fantasy is dead and I cannot feel it
This isn't what we counted on
This isn't what we said it?d be
The fantasy is dead and long forgotten
This isn't what we counted on
This isn't what we said it?d be
The fantasy is dead and I cannot feel it
This isn't what we counted on
This isn't what we said it?d be
The fantasy is dead and long forgotten
The lyrics to Dead Poetic's song "Long Forgotten" depict the struggles of dealing with a relationship that has lost its luster. The singer is feeling emotionally drained and is slowly breaking under the pressure of the relationship's problems. They try to avoid the pain by diluting their emotions, but this only results in giving their partner more than they can handle. The singer feels like they are "killing the only haven" they have left, which is their sanctuary from the stresses of life.
The singer realizes that the relationship is not what they hoped for, and the fantasy they had about it has died. They feel like they cannot feel anything anymore, and every ounce of emotion fades away. They hope that one day, the pain will end, but they are left with the realization that they are only left with their partner when all else fades away. The relationship is not what they counted on, and the fantasy is long gone, leaving them with nothing.
The song highlights the struggle of trying to hold onto something that has long since died. The singer is afraid of being left with nothing, but they also know that the relationship is not what they hoped it would be. The lyrics illustrate the pain and the denial that come with trying to let go of a failed relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Feeling low like I'm ready to crack and
I am in a bad place emotionally, and I feel like I'm about to break under the pressure.
Slowly moving from bending to breaking
I am slowly moving from a state of being able to handle the stress to feeling like I cannot take it anymore.
I stay diluted to avoid the pain
I try to numb myself to the pain by ignoring it or distracting myself from it.
But I give her more than she can take
Even though I am struggling, I try to be there for someone else and give them support, but I am reaching my limits.
I'm only killing the only haven
The only refuge or safe space I have for myself, I am unintentionally destroying.
The still asylum I haven't destroyed yet
The one place I can go to that has not been ruined by my own doing is where I find some peace.
And when it’s gone, I'm left with nothing
If this safe place were to disappear, then I would have nothing left to keep me going.
This isn't what we counted on
Things are not going as planned, and it is not what I had hoped for.
This isn't what we said it’d be
I am disappointed that things have turned out differently from what we had discussed or planned.
The fantasy is dead and I cannot feel it
I had a vision of how things were supposed to be, but that dream is now dead, and I can't even feel the memory of it.
I told her she was killing me and
I let someone know that their behavior towards me was causing me pain and suffering.
She said she was already dead
The person I confided in is dealing with their own issues and feels as if they are already dead inside.
Every ounce of emotion fades
I am trapped in a state of numbness where I can't seem to access my emotions.
And I promise you it'll end someday, I hope
I try to convince myself that the pain and hurt will eventually stop, and I am hopeful that it is true.
I'm only hoping that this is common
I am hoping that my experience is not unique and that others have gone through similar struggles.
She's all I'm left with when all this fades away
When everything else in my life fades away, the one thing that remains is the person that I have been supporting.
She doesn't need it, she doesn't need it
I am starting to realize that the person I have been helping may not actually need my support or help.
My optimism is masking my failure
I try to maintain a positive outlook, but deep down, I know that I am failing, and my optimism is just a front.
The fantasy is dead and long forgotten
The dream or fantasy that I had is not only dead, but it has also been erased from my memory or forgotten.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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