In August 2006 MacNeil and Torr released their first album The Younger, through South African record label, Just Music), under the band name, Harris Tweed. In 2008 they adopted the name Dear Reader, after the Scottish textile company Harris Tweed asked them to stop using their name.
In 2008 MacNeil and Torr recorded their first album as Dear Reader called, Replace Why with Funny. The album was produced by Brent Knopf, of Menomena/Ramona Falls. Soon after, they signed a licensing deal with Berlin based indie label, City Slang, and the album was released in February 2009 – in Europe by City Slang, and in South Africa by Just Music.
In 2010 Replace Why with Funny won the award for Best English Adult contemporary Album at the South African Music Awards.
In 2010 MacNeil and Torr amicably parted ways and Cherilyn relocated to Berlin, where she wrote the material for the follow-up Dear Reader album, Idealistic Animals. The album was recorded in Leipzig, Germany and Portland, Oregon, again with the assistance of Brent Knopf and various other friends and musicians.
Idealistic Animals was released in Germany and South Africa in September 2011 and in Europe and the UK in November 2011. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 2012 South African Music Awards.
In 2012 MacNeil began work on the follow up to Idealistic Animals. This time, MacNeil produced the album herself, and recorded and edited most of it in her one-room apartment in Berlin. Dear Reader's 4th studio album is called Rivonia, and each song on the album is a story inspired by South African history. The album was released in Europe and South Africa in April 2013.
In April 2013 Dear Reader played a live radio concert with the Babelsberg Film Orchestra, which they recorded and released in December 2013 under the name We Followed Every Sound.
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Cruelty On Beauty On
Dear Reader Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cruelty on (cruelty on)
And every man for himself
Beauty on (beauty on)
Beauty on (beauty on)
And every man for the other as well
Well
Well
The preacher said every man reaps what he sows
Well I don’t know
But I hope so
My grandmother said men will always share the earth
With evil and good
Now that I understood
Now that I understood
Every man will just do what he would
Is every man certainly one of those?
Or neither, or both?
I don’t know
I walked through the fire to find out which one I would be
But it was up to me
Now that I understood
Now that I understood
Every man will just do what he would
Cruelty on (cruelty on)
Cruelty on (cruelty on)
And every man for himself
Beauty on (beauty on)
Beauty on (beauty on)
And every man for the other as well
Well
Well
The song "Cruelty On Beauty On" by Dear Reader centers around the theme of human behavior and the struggle that arises when one is faced with the decision to do the right thing or to follow the path of cruelty. The lyrics suggest that every individual has the potential for both kindness and cruelty, and it is up to them to decide which path to take. The repetition of the lines "cruelty on" and "beauty on" emphasizes the dichotomy between good and evil in the world.
The opening lines "And every man for himself" suggest a survival of the fittest mentality, where individuals prioritize their own interests above others. However, the subsequent lines "And every man for the other as well" indicate that there is hope for empathy and compassion in human nature. The song also references the idea of karma or the consequence of one's actions with the line "every man reaps what he sows." The uncertainty of whether every individual is intrinsically good or evil is highlighted with the line "Is every man certainly one of those? Or neither, or both?"
The song leaves the listener with the message that it is ultimately up to us to choose how we behave and that we can cultivate beauty even in the face of cruelty.
Line by Line Meaning
Cruelty on (cruelty on)
We all live in a world where cruelty is prevalent and lasting, and it seems to be never-ending.
Cruelty on (cruelty on)
We all live in a world where cruelty is prevalent and lasting, and it seems to be never-ending.
And every man for himself
In times of trouble, we are all alone and must fight for ourselves.
Beauty on (beauty on)
Despite the pain, suffering, and cruelty, there is beauty and love out there.
Beauty on (beauty on)
Despite the pain, suffering, and cruelty, there is beauty and love out there.
And every man for the other as well
We should also stand up for others in their time of need and help lift them up.
Well
Reflecting on the message just conveyed.
Well
Reflecting on the message just conveyed.
The preacher said every man reaps what he sows
The preacher said that people will face the consequences of their actions, whether they are good or bad.
Well I don't know
The singer is uncertain about what the preacher said.
But I hope so
But the singer wants to believe that people will, in fact, face the consequences of their actions.
My grandmother said men will always share the earth
The singer's grandmother said that both good and evil people would always live on the same planet and have to coexist with each other.
With evil and good
With both evil and good people living together.
Now that I understood
Now the singer understands the wisdom and message passed down by their grandmother.
Now that I understood
Now the singer understands the wisdom and message passed down by their grandmother.
Every man will just do what he would
People will always do what they want or feel they need to do, whether it's right or wrong.
Is every man certainly one of those?
Is every person definitely either all good or all bad?
Or neither, or both?
Or could someone be a mixture or neither of these things?
I don't know
The singer isn't sure what the answer is.
I walked through the fire to find out which one I would be
The singer went through a difficult, challenging time to figure out their true nature.
But it was up to me
But ultimately, the singer's choices and actions determined who they were as a person.
Now that I understood
The singer has come to an understanding about their true nature after going through a difficult situation.
Now that I understood
The singer has come to an understanding about their true nature after going through a difficult situation.
Every man will just do what he would
People will always do what they want or feel they need to do, whether it's right or wrong.
Cruelty on (cruelty on)
We all live in a world where cruelty is prevalent and lasting, and it seems to be never-ending.
Cruelty on (cruelty on)
We all live in a world where cruelty is prevalent and lasting, and it seems to be never-ending.
And every man for himself
In times of trouble, we are all alone and must fight for ourselves.
Beauty on (beauty on)
Despite the pain, suffering, and cruelty, there is beauty and love out there.
Beauty on (beauty on)
Despite the pain, suffering, and cruelty, there is beauty and love out there.
And every man for the other as well
We should also stand up for others in their time of need and help lift them up.
Well
Reflecting on the message just conveyed.
Well
Reflecting on the message just conveyed.
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.