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.
Paralytic
Dead Poetic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My sincere affection, my undivided attention.
Lie where you won't see yourself in that way.
And we'll ride to somewhere.
All we are is paralyzed from the face down.
We're still alive with our fake smiles.
Don't remember this. No, don't remember this.
We are losing it all, but we are gaining the world with our hands tied.
Your arms placed upon mine.
And the sky looks so right, and you're mine tonight.
Lie where you won't see yourself in that way.
And we'll ride...
All we are is paralyzed from the face down.
We're still alive with our fake smiles.
When the camera's away.
The lyrics of Dead Poetic's song "Paralytic" speak of a person's infatuation and devotion to another individual. The singer regards the object of their affection as perfect and worth their undivided attention. However, they also seem to understand that this adoration may not be returned, advising their beloved to avoid seeing themselves in that way.
The lines "All we are is paralyzed from the face down" and "We're still alive with our fake smiles" suggest a sense of being emotionally stuck and having to mask or hide one's true feelings. The line "When the camera's away" can also be interpreted as the idea that the facade presented to others is just for show, and that true emotional paralysis persists.
Despite the knowledge that they might be losing themselves in their love for this person, they still feel that they are gaining the world with their hands tied. The final lines of the song picture a moment of intimacy with the object of their affection under the starry sky. Despite the singer's sense of being paralyzed and stuck, they still treasure this moment of closeness.
Line by Line Meaning
Paint the lines on perfect eyes that circle the object of
Creating a facade of perfection to maintain the attention of someone they are infatuated with.
My sincere affection, my undivided attention.
Expressing genuine feelings of love and devotion towards the person they are interested in.
Lie where you won't see yourself in that way.
Hiding one's true self to avoid being vulnerable or judged.
And we'll ride to somewhere.
Escaping reality and the pressures of life with a loved one.
All we are is paralyzed from the face down.
Feeling stuck and unable to move forward emotionally in the relationship.
We're still alive with our fake smiles.
Though they are struggling internally, they are pretending to be happy on the outside.
When the camera's away.
When they are not putting on a show for others to see.
Don't remember this. No, don't remember this.
Trying to forget the pain and emotional turmoil they are experiencing.
We are losing it all, but we are gaining the world with our hands tied.
Sacrificing their own personal growth for the sake of the relationship.
Your arms placed upon mine.
Finding comfort and security in their loved one's embrace.
And the sky looks so right, and you're mine tonight.
Feeling like everything is falling into place and enjoying the moment with their significant other.
All we are is paralyzed from the face down.
Repeating the chorus to emphasize their emotional stagnation.
We're still alive with our fake smiles.
Continuing to pretend everything is fine and they are happy.
When the camera's away.
When they are not putting on a show for others to see.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind